Can I turn on Verizon iPhone 5 without activating it (newbie question)?

[sweetestbaboon]

Hey everybody,
Thanks for all the great info. here.
I have what may be a stupid question, & if so, I apologize.
I bought my first set of iPhones, an iPhone 5 for my wife for the holidays as well as one for myself & don't want to activate either until I give her hers.
My question is thus:
Can I turn them on to use them, e.g., load photos, wallpaper, use the internet, install apps, etc. without actually activating phone service?
When I bought them, the Verizon guy set up the account to activate at a later date when I guess we call the number to do so.
I'd love to load 'em up so when I give it to her it's all set with cool stuff for her but don't want to activate accidentally.
I hope I explained this well enough.
Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Nolander07]

I think you can, just use wifi.

 

[sweetestbaboon]

So, it doesn't automatically activate when turned on?
I thought you had to actually do it manually by calling the Verizon number, but then read something elsewhere to the contrary, so I wanted some smarter-than-me folks here to verify...

 

[WhiteIphone5]

So, it doesn't automatically activate when turned on?
I thought you had to actually do it manually by calling the Verizon number, but then read something elsewhere to the contrary, so I wanted some smarter-than-me folks here to verify...

It will activate by itself since the verizon rep Scanned the phone, on setup it will retrieve info from verizon and will activate. I'd suggest you keep it off if you don't want it activated.

 

[sweetestbaboon]

Okay, now I've gotten two very different answers.
I don't mean to bug ya', but does anyone have a definitive answer on this?
Thanks again!

 

[xlost6]

It will activate by itself since the verizon rep Scanned the phone, on setup it will retrieve info from verizon and will activate. I'd suggest you keep it off if you don't want it activated.

This is the correct answer.

 

[Bobby.e]

It will activate when you turn it on.

 

[Jtludwig]

I think you can, just use wifi.

Incorrect.

 

[propalitet]

Okay, now I've gotten two very different answers.
I don't mean to bug ya', but does anyone have a definitive answer on this?
Thanks again!

You don't want to activate the phone or the lines?

 

[sweetestbaboon]

Thanks, maybe I need to clarify. I want to turn on the phone to load pix & such, but don't want to activate the service or switch it to my current # (currently being used by a "dumb" phone) until the holidaze. Does that kake sense?
Thanks again.

 

[propalitet]

In that case, I assume you could do it, but you'll need to take out the Verizon sim cards out of the phone and put some other sim cards (t-mobile, straight talk) to activate the phone. Then you could load up stuff, make a backup in itunes (or icloud) and turn off the phones. Then you would put the Verizon sim cards back in.
Then, when the time comes, call verizon to activate the lines (if that works). If not, just restore the phone, activate it with Verizon sims, and restore the phones from those backups you made.