So you just activated a phone with Ting. Welcome! Whether you’re new to Ting, added a line, or moved your number to a new phone, your phone may show as active on your account before service starts on the phone itself. These steps will help you get connected.
⏳ Bringing your number from another carrier? Wait for the transfer first
Moving your number to Ting takes some time. Until the transfer is complete, your Ting service won't start, and that may be why you don't have service yet.
We'll send you an email once your transfer is done. If all your info is correct, this can take up to 24 hours. Wait for that email before you try the steps below.
Before you start troubleshooting, make sure your Ting account has the right info for your phone. If the IMEI or SIM card number on your account is wrong, your phone won’t be able to connect to the network.
Choose your SIM type and phone, then work through these in order.
Which SIM are you using?
Show steps for:
Quick fixes
Start here. These take just a minute or two.
Turn on Airplane mode, wait 30 seconds, then turn it off. This refreshes your phone's connection to the network. Make sure Airplane mode is off when you're done.
A quick restart refreshes your connection to the network and fixes a lot of issues.
Check your SIM
These steps are different for physical SIMs and eSIMs. Make sure the right one is selected above.
Turn off your phone.
Use a SIM tool or paperclip to pop out the SIM tray.
Place your Ting SIM in the tray, lined up with the notched corner.
Push the tray all the way back in.
Turn your phone back on.
Your SIM number (also called an ICCID) should match the one on your Ting account.
These take a little longer, but they often fix stubborn issues.
iPhone
Go to Settings.
Tap General.
Select Software Update.
Tap Update Now if an update is available.
Android
Samsung Galaxy
Go to Settings.
Tap Software update.
Tap Download and install.
Google Pixel and most other Android phones
Go to Settings.
Tap System.
Select Software updates.
Tap System update.
📌 Note: This will erase your saved Wi-Fi networks, passwords, and Bluetooth connections.
iPhone
Go to Settings.
Tap General.
Select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
Tap Reset.
Choose Reset Network Settings.
Android
Samsung Galaxy
Go to Settings.
Tap General management.
Select Reset.
Tap Reset network settings.
Tap Reset settings to confirm.
Google Pixel and most other Android phones
Go to Settings.
Tap System.
Select Reset options.
Tap Reset Mobile Network Settings and confirm.
Go back and tap Reset Bluetooth & Wi-Fi and confirm.
⚠️ A factory reset erases everything on your phone
That includes your photos, contacts, texts, voicemails, apps, and settings. Once it's done, it can't be undone. Only try this if nothing else has worked.
Before you reset, save what matters
Back up your phone. This saves most of your photos, contacts, apps, and settings. See the backup guides below.
Save your voicemails. Using visual voicemail? Your voicemails are stored on your phone and will be erased. Open each one you want to keep and use Share to save or send the audio file.
Save your texts. Make sure your messages are included in your backup, or saved to iCloud or Google.
Back up chat apps. Apps like WhatsApp have their own backup setting. Turn it on and run a backup first.
Move your sign-in codes. Use an authenticator app for two-step sign-in? Move your accounts to another device first, or you could get locked out of them.
Know your passwords. After a reset, you'll need your Apple ID or Google account password to set up your phone again. It's also a good idea to write down your Wi-Fi password.
Using eSIM? Keep it during the reset. On iPhone, choose Keep eSIM and Erase Data when asked. On Android, look for an option to keep or erase eSIMs and make sure it's set to keep. If your eSIM does get erased, you may need to set up your eSIM again after the reset.
