Looking to bring your current phone number to TextNow and avoid the hassle of getting a new number? We can make that happen! In this article, we'll show you how to send a phone number porting request to transfer your number from your current carrier to TextNow. Keep in mind that number porting is only available to users with a TextNow SIM card, so you will not see the option to do so if you haven't purchased one yet.
On this page:
Getting Started
We'll need to know some of your account information from your previous carrier to allow them to transfer your number to us. The key pieces of information you'll likely need are:
- The phone number you’d like to transfer
- The name of the account holder for your current phone plan
- The account number for your current phone plan
- The number transfer PIN for your current phone plan
Cellular carriers all have their own requirements for the information that needs to be provided to port a phone number. To see exactly what information you'll need from the carrier and how to get it, you can check out our Number Porting Help page.
Once you have all of the necessary information, you can submit a port request through our website or in the app. We'll show you how to do both below!
| Please note: Once you've purchased your TextNow SIM card you can provide your porting information. However, the port will not be submitted to your old carrier until your SIM Card has been activated. |
Porting on TextNow.com
1. Log in on TextNow.com then go to your Account page by clicking on My Account in the upper-right corner of the website and then selecting My Wireless Account from the drop-down list.
2. From the Account page, scroll down to the Number & Device section and click on Manage Phone Number.
3. To port in your number to TextNow, click Port-in my number. You'll also be given the option to port in a number to TextNow whenever you purchase a plan or SIM card.
4. Enter your 9-digit phone number then click Get Started.
5. If your number is eligible to be ported into TextNow, you'll then be prompted to enter the account information from your current wireless provider (This is the information you gathered earlier after checking your carrier's requirements on the Number Porting Help page).
6. Double-check to make sure all of the information has been entered correctly, then click Submit request. The porting process can take on average 2-3 business days to complete from the time you complete the form.
7. You can check the status of your porting request by returning to the same page where you submitted the request. Here, you'll also see the option to Edit porting request in case some of the porting information may have been entered incorrectly.
Porting in App
1. Log in to the TextNow app, then open the Menu by clicking the 3 lines in the top-left corner.
2. Click on # Bring your number.
3. Enter the phone number you want to port in, then click Get started.
4. If your number is eligible to be ported into TextNow, you'll then be prompted to enter the account information from your current wireless provider (This is the information you gathered earlier after checking your carrier's requirements on the Number Porting Help page).
5. Double-check to make sure all of the information has been entered correctly, then click Submit request. The porting process can take on average 2-3 business days to complete from the time you complete the form.
6. You can check the status of your porting request by returning to the same page where you submitted the request. Here, you'll also see the option to Edit porting request in case some of the porting information may have been entered incorrectly.
Number Porting FAQ
What is porting?
Porting a number means taking an existing phone number from one provider and transferring it to another provider. At TextNow, it is available to anyone on a Data Plan or on Free Essentials Data.
What info do you need to port my number?
To see exactly what information we'll need from the carrier, you can check their requirements here:
Scroll through the page linked above and find your previous carrier, then click the drop-down arrow to see what information they require to port your number.
The number you're trying to port must be tied to an account that is active and in good standing with your previous carrier. Phone numbers that are no longer active are unable to be ported.
What happens after I submit a port?
The porting process can take on average 2-3 business days to complete from the time you complete the form. If you accidentally entered incorrect or incomplete information this will increase the time it takes to port in your number, so make sure to double-check and make sure everything looks right!
You can still use TextNow with the temporary number you selected while waiting for your porting request to be completed. Once the port is finished, that temporary number will be replaced with the number you ported.
Keep in mind there may be a small window of time (no more than 24 hours) where you'll be unable to receive text messages while your phone number is changing hands between your previous carrier and TextNow.
Whoops, I entered the wrong information! Can I fix it?
Don't worry, you can edit the porting information you entered by returning to the same page where you submitted the request and then clicking on Edit porting request, as shown above.
How do I port out my number to another phone carrier?
Looking to transfer your number from TextNow to another carrier? We're sorry to see you go, but we're so glad you gave TextNow a try! You can open a chat with our support team to request your port out information to share with your new carrier.