When transferring service to a new phone, should you set up the phone first?

[A37]

Sorry if this is a silly question, but it's been years since I've had to do this and I can't remember how the process goes. I'm about to transfer my service to a new phone, so should I set up the phone with my Google email address and such, and then call Tracfone to transfer the service? Or should I call Tracfone first before I even turn on the phone?

[jet1000]

Sorry if this is a silly question, but it's been years since I've had to do this and I can't remember how the process goes. I'm about to transfer my service to a new phone, so should I set up the phone with my Google email address and such, and then call Tracfone to transfer the service? Or should I call Tracfone first before I even turn on the phone?

You can do it either way. But if you have a wifi connection, you can get your phone setup with your Google account first when you do the inital start-up process and get all of that done. And then transfer the actual phone service as the final step.

[A37]

You can do it either way. But if you have a wifi connection, you can get your phone setup with your Google account first when you do the inital start-up process and get all of that done. And then transfer the actual phone service as the final step.

OK thanks

[Lisme]

Do it without any access to cell service.

This way, there is no chance the phone will use your data to download anything before you get your wifi going.

Some phones have data on by default at the get-go. Luckily, I noticed this was happening before too many megabytes went by.

So leave out the sim at first, and check the data setting.

My experience with a Samsung at least.

[PaulCrawhorne]

I always get the phone at least minimally set up and working off WiFi, well before calling CS or inserting any SIM.

OS updates are A Good Thing and sometimes take hours.

[sillyette]

Sorry if this is a silly question, but it's been years since I've had to do this and I can't remember how the process goes. I'm about to transfer my service to a new phone, so should I set up the phone with my Google email address and such, and then call Tracfone to transfer the service? Or should I call Tracfone first before I even turn on the phone?

You mention *calling* Tracfone. I would suggest doing the transfer using Chat. That way, you can have the IMEI, phone number, etc all typed up and ready to paste into the Chat. Less error-prone than calling. And you also get to copy-paste the chat transcript at the end of the chat.