Top 5 Consumer Questions about Assurance Wireless Answered

Unlike other mobile phone companies, Assurance Wireless is not fully commercially based. Instead, Assurance Wireless phones are provided as part of a federal Lifeline Assistance program for those who meet specific eligibility criteria including taking part in public assistance programs like Medicaid or SNAP.

While Assurance Wireless is touted on its website as a free government phone service, customer experience with the service does vary and consumers have questions about what to expect. We turned to Assurance Wireless reviews to find the top questions and answers about Assurance Wireless.

Number of Assurance Wireless reviews – 2.3K

Assurance Wireless rating* – 2.0 ⭐⭐

Claimed losses – $2.6M

Successful calls – 14%/9.5K

Resolved issues – 29

Key Insights

• Assurance Wireless is on the T-Mobile Network providing 4G LTE service. It also offers free monthly calls, text and data with no credit check or annual contract
• According to Assurance Wireless reviews, only 23% of users would recommend the company to a friend or colleague. 
• As Assurance Wireless operates on the T-Mobile Network, most T-Mobile-compatible phones work with it, including Blu Studio Mini, ANS Koobee K100, TCL K11, and Wiko Voix. 

How to Use Assurance Wireless SIM Card in Another Phone?

According to information on the Assurance Wireless website, it is possible to use your own phone or transfer an Assurance Wireless SIM card to a new phone. To use a SIM card on your own phone, you will:

• Find your own phone’s IMEI number by dialing *#06# or checking the Settings menu. 
• Ensure your own phone is compatible with the Assurance Wireless service.
• Check that your phone is unlocked by your previous carrier, which may require paying off balances with that company.
• Contact Assurance Wireless customer service for assistance making the switch. 

Source: assurancewireless.com

Despite what seems like simple instructions, consumer issues may show up. One customer in review #4866396 attempted to follow the Assurance Wireless customer service steps but their phone keeps “saying network locked SIM invalid” and they 

can't get in contact with assurance wireless for 4 days…I'm trying my best but don't have any assistance

What is My Assurance Wireless Account Number and PIN?

According to the Assurance Wireless FAQ page, you can find your Assurance Wireless phone number, which doubles as your account number, by dialing #NUM# (#686#) or opening the Settings app on your phone and then choosing About phone. 

Your Assurance Wireless pin, however, is a number that you created when you applied for the phone. It is recorded at the top of your Welcome Letter or you may receive a business card with your pin number. 

If you have forgotten your pin and don’t have access to the original documents, you can call 855-336-8346 for help or login to Account Login on assurancewireless.com and navigate to Forgot Password to reset your pin, or password. 

Source: Assurance Wireless Help Center

Consumer insights tell us that calling Assurance Wireless customer service may not always work as intended when consumers need help with their account number as it happened to one frustrated customer:

I am trying to speak to a person to verify my account number…when I call the Assurance Wireless customer service phone number: I dial the number…enter the phone number I'm calling about…And the call is terminated.

What Phones are Compatible with Assurance Wireless?

As Assurance Wireless operates on the T-Mobile Network, most phones compatible with T-Mobile are compatible with it. The Android phones currently provided by the service for new customers include the Blu Studio Mini, ANS Koobee K100, TCL K11, and Wiko Voix. 

If you are hoping to bring your own phone to the network, you can check its compatibility on the Assurance Wireless website by verifying your phone’s 15-digit IMEI number. 

One customer discovered that the process of transferring service to a different phone isn’t as easy as they would have hoped. When they called customer service, they provided the IME number as requested and the phone was determined to be compatible. 

But when they hung up to transfer the SIM card to the new phone the reviewer stated: 

I am left no phone service, no way to call assurance customer service back to trouble shoot…

How to Unlock Assurance Wireless Phone?

According to Assurance Wireless, the company will “automatically and remotely unlock” phones once it is eligible. The process should take two business days. To be eligible for unlocking, the following criteria must be met.

1. The device is provided by Assurance Wireless
2. The device can’t be reported as lost or stolen.
3. The phone has been active for at least a year.

Assurance Wireless also notes that they can refuse to unlock a phone if they feel the request for unlocking is “an abuse” or “part of an effort to defraud Assurance Wireless.” Even once the phone is unlocked, there is no guarantee that it will work on a different network. 

Source: Assurance Wireless Unlocking Your Phone

Consumer issues do happen with this process. As indicated in review #4884190, one customer followed the process and worked with customer service and still they aren’t sure if their his phone is unlocked. They claim

I’m not sure the customer service agent are aware of you can unlock your phone.

What Network Does Assurance Wireless Use?

According to the information on the home page and detailed data in the Assurance Wireless FAQ pages, the provider is on the T-Mobile network, covering 99% of Americans.

Source: Assurance Wireless Coverage

Despite a broad coverage area, some customers claim the service provided is not adequate. One customer states in their complaint:

I seldom use the mobile data on my Assurance Wireless (AW) phone, but when I need to, it's never available. According to AW coverage map, there should be both 4G LTE and 5G coverage in my area.

Your Assurance Wireless Experience

You can expect your experience with Assurance Wireless to be unique to your circumstances. It provides a low or no-cost service to its customers, but questions and issues still arise.

Have a question or concern about the company? Why not write a review and share your feedback with others. 

*Disclaimer: Ranking and statistics are based on our users’ review texts and Pissed Consumer posters’ reviews. Also, a company’s rating is calculated using a mathematical algorithm that evaluates the information in the profile, including users’ rating, the number of resolved issues, the number of company’s responses, etc. The algorithm is subject to change in the future.