Have you bought a Verizon phone and SIM card recently? First, you must activate your SIM card to use it on the network. Once you do that, you can enjoy good coverage countrywide with the option of high-speed hotspot data.
Verizon is one of the best wireless network carriers in the world, offering a variety of family plans for its customers. You should consider buying a SIM card from the network carrier. But do you know how to activate a Verizon SIM card? This article describes that and more!
Verifying the Verizon Network Capabilities
Before buying a new SIM card from Verizon, you should check that your phone is compatible with the network. If your phone is incompatible, it would be impossible to activate your SIM card. Here is how to check your phone’s compatibility with the Verizon network:
- Step 1: Visit the Verizon website.
- Step 2: From the menu, select Phones & BYOP
- Step 3: Select Bring Your Own Phone.
- Step 4: Scroll and click Check Compatibility.
- Step 5: Click Verizon Compatible Phone.
- Step 6: Key in your ZIP code to find out if the Verizon network is available near you.
- Step 7: Enter your phone’s ESN/IMEI/MEID. An ESN/IMEI/MEID is a unique serial number that identifies your device. If you can’t get it off-head, dial *#06#, and you’ll see it on the phone’s screen. Retrieve and enter it carefully to avoid missing any digits.
- Step 8: Click Continue. You’ll see a “Congratulations! Your phone is compatible” message if you have a compatible phone. Or, you could get a message suggesting you call 1-800-596-7377 for further assistance.
However, if you purchased a brand-new Verizon phone, it should be compatible with the network. So, it should be easier for you to activate your Verizon SIM card. However, if you have a new Verizon 5G phone, it can be challenging to start an older 4G LTE SIM card. It doesn’t matter how well the SIM card fits in the phone.
The solution lies in blocking the old SIM card and purchasing a new one from Verizon. Blocking a SIM card involves contacting Verizon customer support. Or you can block the SIM card by entering your phone’s IMEI on the carrier’s website.
If you cannot block the SIM card yourself, be sure to contact the carrier to do it for you. Then you can acquire a new Verizon 5G SIM card. You’ll not only ensure you have activated your SIM card but also enjoy the benefits of 5G.
How to Correctly Insert a Verizon SIM Card into an Older Phone
After verifying the compatibility of your current phone with the Verizon network, you need to insert the SIM card into the phone. Older phone models use a micro-SIM or mini-SIM card. Even though differing in size, the SIM cards have the same content.
You need to know how to insert a SIM card into an older or newer phone. The differences in the procedure are due to the location of the SIM card compartment. Here is how to insert a Verizon SIM card into an older phone:
- Step 1: Power off the phone and remove the back cover.
- Step 2: Check the SIM card slot and remove the one already in it.
- Step 3: Slot in the new SIM card. The SIM card logo should essentially face up. With that, the gold chip will connect to your phone’s circuitry.
- Step 4: Replace the phone’s battery, followed by the back cover.
- Step 5: Power on the device. After powering on the device, Verizon’s info appears on the screen.
How to Correctly Insert a Verizon SIM Card into a Newer Phone
Newer Verizon phones do not require you to remove the battery to insert a SIM card. Regardless of the model, most phones feature a tiny tray to the side for inserting the SIM card. That makes SIM card insertion and removal very convenient.
You don’t need to remove the phone’s battery to dislodge or replace a SIM card. An Android phone may have a SIM card tray on the left or the right. iOS devices have the SIM card slot to the right. Here is how to insert a SIM card into a newer phone:
- Step 1: Power off the phone.
- Step 2: Use a SIM card ejector tool to remove your phone’s SIM card tray. If you lack the tool, use a paperclip or any push pin.
- Step 3: Remove the SIM card tray from the phone. Remember how the tray fits into the phone for hassle-free replacement later on.
- Step 4: Put the new SIM card on the tray. Make sure the log faces up.
- Step 5: Push the tray back into the phone. Maintain the same position you had while removing the tray from the phone. If the tray seems too difficult to push into place, change the situation and try again.
- Step 6: Power your phone on after inserting the new SIM card.
The Verizon SIM card insertion process is easy. All you have to do is follow the steps outlined above.
How to Activate a Verizon SIM Card
Inserting a Verizon SIM card into your phone doesn’t make it usable. You have to activate it to receive Verizon phone and data services. You can activate your SIM card online by contacting the customer service team or via the Verizon app. Here is a detailed description of the various Verizon SIM card activation procedures:
1. How to Activate Verizon SIM Card Online
Do you know how to activate a Verizon SIM card online? You can quickly activate the phone by opening the network carrier’s website. Here is how to start your new Verizon SIM card online:
- Step 1: Visit the Verizon website.
- Step 2: Sign in to your account using a user ID and password. Alternatively, enter your phone number.
- Step 3: Possibly, you lack a Verizon account. So, you need to register. Click Register Below and enter the ten-digit phone number supplied by Verizon.
- Step 4: If you have an account but have forgotten your password or user ID, click Forgot Your Info. Follow the resultant prompts to reset your login credentials.
- Step 5: Sign in to your newly-created account and click My Devices.
- Step 6: On the top tab of the page, click Activating My Phone.
- Step 7: in the Get Started with a New SIM Card, click Verizon Activation followed by Activate SIM.
- Step 8: The next window shall display a list of phones if you have an old account. In the case of a new account, the device will be one.
- Step 9: Click Activate a Device on an Existing Line in the resultant prompt. For example, click Device Type and select 4G or 5G.
- Step 10: Your phone’s IMEI gets filled automatically. Enter your phone number in the SIM Card Number Category. That number also serves as the SIM card ID. This information is available on your Verizon SIM card’s purchase receipt.
- Step 11: Click Check SIM Card to see the available Verizon phone plans.
- Step 12: Click Complete Transaction. If you have registered before, you can skip this step.
- Step 13: Choose a phone to which you want Verizon to send a verification SMS. Enter the verification code in the appropriate field and click Confirm.
- Step 14: You should have your Verizon SIM card activated. Then, you can start using the available Verizon phone plans.
2. How to Activate Verizon SIM Card by Contacting Customer Care
An alternative to activating your phone online involves calling Verizon customer support. However, before contacting customer support, ensure you have the Verizon SIM receipt. That’s because the customer support team may ask you for information, which you can only get from the receipt.
Once you have the SIM card receipt, use another phone to contact the customer support team. As you make the call, your new phone should have the SIM card you need to activate. You may keep the new phone off for now.
You can call Verizon customer support by dialing 1-877-807-4646. Following the resultant voice prompts, you can seamlessly go through the SIM card activation process. However, don’t forget the on-screen prompts that require you to enter information from the SIM card receipt. Make sure you capture the details correctly.
Now you can turn on the phone. You should notice that your phone has 3G/4G/5G enabled. After entering your PIN, follow the on-screen prompts. Next, accept the Verizon Customer Agreement to have your SIM card fully activated. You can now make calls, browse the internet, and connect with others on social media.
3. How to Activate Verizon SIM Card Using the App
Do you know how to activate a Verizon SIM card via the app? The app only works if your phone is connected to the internet. That may mean turning on the data or connecting to a Wi-Fi network. Here are the steps you can take to activate a Verizon SIM card via the app:
- Step 1: Tap My Verizon App and sign in.
- Step 2: Tap Activate a Device I Already Own.
- Step 3: The app should detect your device automatically. If it doesn’t, choose your device type and the operating system.
- Step 4: Enter your device’s IMEI/IMSI/MEID, depending on the phone model and technology behind it.
- Step 5: With that, Verizon activates the SIM card on its network. Review the resultant message and tap Next. If you select Free SIM Card Here, Verizon will mail you a new SIM card. Alternatively, you can choose to Check my SIM ID here to use your existing SIM card.
- Step 6: Choose a desirable Verizon plan followed by a suitable option. Tap Select Plan.
- Step 7: Tap Continue and scroll down. Enter your ZIP code. Choose your phone number’s first six digits and tap Next.
- Step 8: After reviewing the changes you made to the account, tap Got It. Scroll further down and select Accept Verizon Customer Agreement. Tap Confirm. With that, you’ll finish activating your Verizon SIM card.
The Bottom Line
You know how to activate a Verizon SIM card, don’t you? So you can go ahead and buy a Verizon phone and activate a SIM card on it. That should allow you to enjoy the best of Verizon’s services.
There are three main SIM card activation methods: calling Verizon customer service, My Verizon App, and online. These are do-it-yourself SIM card activation methods with minimal assistance from Verizon customer support.
With the steps outlined in this article, you should be able to activate your SIM card and start using Verizon phone services. The good thing is that you can choose one that works for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you should activate a Verizon SIM card to enable you to access the network carrier’s phone services. Activation involves creating a Verizon account and results in you accessing call, data, and text services from Verizon.
You can activate a new Verizon SIM card by calling customer support via the website or the Verizon App. You need the details on the SIM card receipt for all of these methods to carry on with activation.
No, you need a valid ID to activate a new SIM card. You may not necessarily need a physical copy of your ID. You only need to enter details from your ID into the required field.
Activating an old Verizon phone on an existing line is possible through your account on the My Verizon app. Once you have logged in to the app, select My Verizon Navigation. After clicking Activate, you only need to follow the resultant prompts to have your phone activated.
Yes, depending on your account, you can switch Verizon SIM cards between two phones. First, however, you should check that your new SIM card can fit appropriately on the phone.