SIM Card GSM Activation Guide For Android

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If you're looking to activate an Android device with your new TextNow GSM SIM card, here's a handy guide to help you through the process. (You can also check our Video Tutorials page for more help with activation.)

1. Ensure the SIM card has been inserted and you have a wifi network active and available to use.




2. Next, open TextNow, log into your account, and connect to your wifi network.

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3. After connecting to wifi, it's time to pick a phone plan! Tap on Choose a Plan...

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4. ...and choose from one of our affordable phone plans!

5. Use your current credit card on your account for future payments, or use a new credit card or gift card!

6. You're almost there! Tap on Connect To The Network...

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7. ... and follow the instructions. You can also get the APN settings you'll need from our APN article here.

8. You're all set! Time to start using your TextNow phone!

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Comments

  • Avatar
    Valeria TextNow+Support

    Hey Brittany! Looks like you are up and running with some data usage on your account :)

  • Avatar
    null null

    It's Saying I Didn't enable my network I don't know what to do

  • Avatar
    Valeria TextNow+Support

    Hi there! Seems you were able to get this sorted with a live representative :)

  • Avatar
    Liz Morales

    I followed every single step 5 times and its still failed to activate, please help

  • Avatar
    Valeria TextNow+Support

    Hey Liz! Apologies for the confusion. Since you're swapping from a TextNow CDMA phone to a GSM one, we have to first cancel your current subscription.

    I've done that now, so you can try to follow the above steps once again. I would recommend to take out the GSM SIM card( with the phone being turned off), and re-insert it to start the process over again.

  • Avatar
    Liz Morales

    Already did everything, even deleted the app and reinstalled, nothing and I keep getting charged my monthly cost for like the 2nd time am I going to get that back. What happen with being able to call support and talk to someone

  • Avatar
    Valeria TextNow+Support

    Everything looks good on my end, it may just be a delay with the activation.

    But to be sure, I'd recommend to head over to our live chat support on the bottom right-hand side of this page, where you can speak with someone directly :)

  • Avatar
    Coco

    I thought that i could use my phone anytime without wifi with the SIM card? Ive completed all the steps and it says connected and everything looks right but when someone tries to call me and my wifi isnt on i dont get the call?? But i can make calls... What am i doing wrong because if i have to have wifi to do everything then there was no point to get the sim card?

  • Avatar
    Valeria TextNow+Support

    Hey Coco, you do seem to be connected as there is data usage on your account.

    If calling is the only function that doesn't work over data, we'd certainly want to take a look! Please feel free to head over to our live chat support on textnow.com/wireless starting at 10am EST for further testing :)

  • Avatar
    Gary Marsh

    I Sims card won't activate

  • Avatar
    Erin TextNow Support

    Hi Gary,

    We'd like to find out what trouble you're running into when you try to complete the SIM card activation. Please reach out to our chat support team so we can get more details and help you with the activation. We'll be available in the bottom right corner of this page from 10am-5:30pm EST daily.

  • Avatar
    Ray Vasquez

    Sim registration failed, have not been able to use the service since I received the sim, and I installed the sim and set up the access name

  • Avatar
    Ray Vasquez

    Sim registration failed, have not been able to use the service since I received the sim, and I installed the sim and set up the access name

  • Avatar
    Valeria TextNow+Support

    Hey Ray! In order to figure out the root cause of your activation issues, we would need to do some more testing with you.

    Please head over to our live chat support (can be found on the bottom right-hand side of this page) for further assistance!

  • Avatar
    Kyle Ainsworth

    It doesn't even show my apn anywhere I know how to get to it but says account not allowed or something

  • Avatar
    Ben Shirback

    Hi, I have a Text now phone Samsung Galaxy core prime. I would like to switch to another phone a HTC one. Do I need another sin card? this one does not fit.

  • Avatar
    Valeria TextNow+Support

    Hey Ben! We most likely would need to send you a new SIM card.

    To determine the phone's eligibility, please head over to our live chat support on textnow.com/wireless with the HTC's IMEI number

  • Avatar
    Valeria TextNow+Support

    Hey Kyle! Please head over to our live chat support on textnow.com/wireless so we can assist you further :)

  • Avatar
    marsel hako

    I received my GSM sim card but the activation is failing .

  • Avatar
    Valeria TextNow+Support

    Hey Marsel! Looks like we attempted to call you yesterday in order to get this resolved for you.

    We missed you, and will attempt to call you again, but if you'd like more immediate assistance, please head over to our live chat support on textnow.com/wireless !

  • Avatar
    Karl Schleichardt

    I have been trying for days to get mine activated

  • Avatar
    Armando Lemus Lemus

    Help, I have just bought a new sim card with prepaid plan for my younger brother's phone. When I try to activate it under adding a new line under a different account for my younger brother , it says that the IMEI number is unable to be activated, but when I try to activate it in the app I am able to, but it is prompting me to pay again, as it is under a different account. Don't want to pay for this again as I have already paid for the plan but just can't activate it. The phone is an android, unlocked, GSM compatible, and has never had any service before.

  • Avatar
    Valeria TextNow+Support

    Hey @Karl! Looks like you disconnected from our live chat support to complete your activation. If your'e still experiencing issues, please head back over there so we can run some more tests with you!

    @Armando- Hey Armando! So the way to add this to your line as part of your family plan is to finish activating that phone/SIM card under your brother's own account first. When you walk through the activation, it will ask you to input your card information (or use the one that's already on file), and choose a plan. You can choose the plan that you already paid for, and it will pull from that credit rather than charge you again.

    Once the activation is complete and your brother's account is set up, the next step is to log into your own account online. From there, you can choose the "Add a TextNow Wireless User" option and send an invite to the username or email address on your brother's account.

    If you have any questions, please feel free to head over to our live chat support for further assistance!




    Edited by Valeria TextNow+Support
  • Avatar
    Daniel Briel

    Mess. Up on order of sim locked to wrong user

  • Avatar
    Valeria TextNow+Support

    Hey Daniel! Looks like you started to speak with one of our live chat support agents regarding this issue.

    Please head back over there to complete the verification and get your SIM card activated!

  • Avatar
    Ahmad Khan

    Hello, I have just received my sim card today and am unable to activate the device. I am on a GSM Android phone and have followed all the steps correctly. What could be the cause?

  • Avatar
    Erin TextNow Support

    Hi Ahmad,

    You likely either missed a step or the coverage in your location is poor. Please make sure that you complete all of the steps outlined here, if you have trouble completing any of those steps please let us know. Once completed, if you're still unable to connect to the Mobile Data network, please reach out to our chat support team so we can get more details to assist you further.

    Edited by Erin TextNow Support
  • Avatar
    Colin Sovie

    I got my SIM card but I can't activate it

  • Avatar
    Erin TextNow Support

    Hi Colin,

    Please take a look at our SIM card tutorial videos to make sure that you have completed the activation steps in full. Once you have completed those steps, if you still need assistance please reach out to our chat support team so we can speak with you directly and get this resolved.

    Our chat team is available in the bottom right corner of this page from 10am-5:30pm EST daily.

    Edited by Erin TextNow Support
  • Avatar
    Jeannette Thomas

    I've been trying to activate my account since I 2months ago got the SIM card. It keep telling me to check my network setting and I know I did it right. What do I do