Activating iPhone 5 on a Different Number

[mac.fanatic]

I went to an AT&T store today and used an upgrade to get the iPhone 5. However, I don't want to use the iPhone 5 on the number that I upgraded with. I want to use it on my phone number. The upgrade I used is a a basic phone, and at the end of the day should remain the same basic phone without an added data plan.

Without having to activate the iPhone 5 on the line I used the upgrade, is there a way (and how, if there is) to activate the iPhone on MY line, and NOT the line whose upgrade I used? The AT&T store said that they would have to activate the phone on the number it was ordered on, then switch the phone numbers around.

Is there a way to get around this and activate the phone on a different line in the same family plan without having to activate it on the line that upgrade was used (the basic phone)?

 

[TheWheelMan]

I'm going to do this on Sprint, and they just told me that all I had to do was contact them via phone or chat once I receive the phone, before turning it on. I'm surprised if ATT can't do the same thing.

 

[mac.fanatic]

I'm going to do this on Sprint, and they just told me that all I had to do was contact them via phone or chat once I receive the phone, before turning it on. I'm surprised if ATT can't do the same thing.

I hope they can. I really want to avoid getting a new SIM card for the basic phone.

 

[serveradmnstrtr]

Hi there. I did this with AT&T. I bought it on a line that was allowed the upgrade and then while the new iPhone 5 was off, called AT&T and there's prompts that you go through that specifically ask if you are activating on a different line. After a quick connect with one of the reps, I have them my IMEI number and then turned the iPhone on and it activated under my original number.

Hope this helps.

 

[negrohero9]

I'm going to do this on Sprint, and they just told me that all I had to do was contact them via phone or chat once I receive the phone, before turning it on. I'm surprised if ATT can't do the same thing.

I already did this. Added a line then gave the new line my old phone and my line the iPhone 5 and this is all on Sprint! Now my new line says that it is eligible for upgrade as of 9/1/12 which makes no sense at all since I used the new activation for the iPhone 5. Soo in other words, if you wanna do this do it now so that sprint can give you two iPhone 5's with upgrade price instead of one with upgrade and the other with full price.

 

[mac.fanatic]

Hi there. I did this with AT&T. I bought it on a line that was allowed the upgrade and then while the new iPhone 5 was off, called AT&T and there's prompts that you go through that specifically ask if you are activating on a different line. After a quick connect with one of the reps, I have them my IMEI number and then turned the iPhone on and it activated under my original number.

Hope this helps.

This is exactly what I want to do. When you turned the phone on after you called them for the swap, did the phone ask you to make sure that you were activating your number or the number that the phone was originally bought with?

 

[SHIPARCH]

It's called an upgrade swap and it's fairly easy, I did mine yesterday. Just go to an official ATT store and they'll replace the sim cards on both phones and take off the data plan on the regular phone's line.

 

[mac.fanatic]

It's called an upgrade swap and it's fairly easy, I did mine yesterday. Just go to an official ATT store and they'll replace the sim cards on both phones and take off the data plan on the regular phone's line.

Yeah, but I really want to avoid having to switch out SIM cards on the basic phone if it is possible.

 

[macfrik]

I did the same thing. Tell AT&T rep you want to do a cross-upgrade. They'll do what to do next.