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at&t go phone sim with iphone

Old GoPhone sim > New iPhone > apps work?

New guy here...
My phone history....
I've been using a GoPhone for about three years.
Several months ago, I picked up a new GoPhone/Razor v3. It had a
$50 time credit with it. I put my old sim card into the new Razor and
instantly got the credit on my old account. I gave my old phone to a friend who broke her ATT contract phone. I put her sim into the old GoPhone and it works just fine.
It seems that the sim card IS the ATT account, whether it's a GoPhone or an ATT contract.... not so much the phone itself.

My plan/question....
I'm planning on buying a 3Gs iPhone, now that it's somewhat affordable, and planning on putting my current sim card into the 3Gs iPhone. I think that's going to work ok.

A question that I have is: Do apps such as GPS and compass need the data plan, or do they simply work off the GPS satelites?

Thank you in advance for your attention.
***************
iMac 24 OSX 10.5.8
iPhone 3Gs...soon
 
HUGE THANKS to SpaceKitty

SpaceKitty said:
Ok first, all 3G and 3GS iPhone will work with ANY AT&T sim card and will activate with no problems.

There is a requirement that AT&T started last summer that can lock the sim to the original phone in which it was activated for about 6 months. This happens only if the GoPhone was activated with the original sim that it came with IF it included bonus airtime credit such as $15 or even $50. If you try and use this sim in the iPhone, it will not activate and you will not get service until the 6 months is over.

To get past this, you can simply go to AT&T and tell them you either lost the sim or damaged it and they will activate a new one for you. You can now take that sim and put it in the iPhone.

Data can also work with the prepaid sim and you will need a modified carrier file uploaded to the phone if you want to access the net. You can buy data packages on prepaid, 1MB for $5 or 100MB for $19.99. If you want to use data on your phone, on your phone using Safari, go to http://www.unlockit.co.nz/#_Custom and find the AT&T carrier and upload the update to your phone, it's very easy to do. Reboot the phone and data will now work on the phone.

MMS will also work on the 3G and 3GS phones without doing any mods to the phone and you don't have to have a data plan to send MMS. AT&T has data enabled on all GoPhone by default (pay per use) so MMS will always work as long as you have a texting package such as 200 for $5.00 or unlimited for $20.

If you are using firmware version 2.2.1 on your 3G, you don't need the carrier file to use data, it will just work but the iPhone will need to be unlocked to use the GoPhone sim.

If you are using firmware 3.0 and above, the phone needs the carrier file I listed above to use data but the phone doesn't need to be unlocked and will activate with any AT&T sim.

To use a GoPhone sim in the original iPhone, the phone needs to be unlocked.

Hope this helps! :)
Click to expand...


Just wanted to say a really big thanks to SpaceKitty.
I'm from Australia, using an unlocked 3g (normally with Optus in OZ) and I had the data package last year feb-may, and it all worked perfectly. Then just yesterday I arrived back in the USA for 3 weeks and was informed by At&T that the iPhone is no longer supported on the GoPhone package. I bought the $19.99 package, then had it refunded. I called twice, trying to get to tech support, but to no avail. After 40 minutes on the phone to them, they confirmed yet again that data wouldn't work with the iPhone.
Then I googled my problem, got this thread, followed SpaceKitty's advice and it worked perfectly.
Thanks heaps,
:)
Al

PS the unlockit.co.nz link worked flawlessly and was so simple to download and install.
 
Hi. I'm new and I have a iPhone 3gs that I would like to use with a gophone sim. Will the sim work on 3.1.3 and does the baseband matter? Will AT&T be able to find out I'm using an iPhone and cancel my plan or charge extra? Will I be able to use a gophone sim on my iPhone if I buy any gophone, activate it online by giving gophone sim number and imei, and then put it into my iPhone?
 
Data still doesn't work

SpaceKitty said:
Data can also work with the prepaid sim and you will need a modified carrier file uploaded to the phone if you want to access the net. You can buy data packages on prepaid, 1MB for $5 or 100MB for $19.99. If you want to use data on your phone, on your phone using Safari, go to http://www.unlockit.co.nz/#_Custom and find the AT&T carrier and upload the update to your phone, it's very easy to do. Reboot the phone and data will now work on the phone.

Hope this helps! :)
Click to expand...

Hi guys, I need your help. I've recently bought a new GoPhone sim card at the AT&T reseller store and have it activated. Voice calls work perfectly with my jailbroken iPhone 3GS. I then bought $20/500MB/Mo data plan, installed profile for AT&T service from unlockit.co.nz and rebooted the device. But when I go to the internet the system still informs me that I'm not subscribed for this service. What should I do to make it work?

Thank you, Dmitry
 
So when do you select the service you want? Do you just buy the cards to refill the minutes or is there a monthly fee?
 
hexonxonx said:
Seriously, go to the GoPhone site and find all of this out for yourself.
Click to expand...

I tried but to find out about data and that stuff you need a valid gophone number. And I dont understand the refill cards and the monthly plan with the $3 a day, $1 a day with $.10 minutes or just the $.25 minutes.
 
I called AT&T and asked the lady if you could use an iPhone with a gophone sim and she said that your not supposed to and that there not supposed to incourage it but she said it would work without issue. So I bought a sim card off of ebay for $1.99 shipped and it and the iPhone should arrive next week and Ill try it out. Thanks to everyone in this thread, it helped alot.
 
Here's my delima.

I have been using a iPhone Gen1 with the att goPhone plan since 08. with the $20 unlimited data.

Said Gen1 iPhone finally died on me this past weekend. The question is can I move my already active iphone gophone account to the iPhone 4. If so. What do I need to do.

Thanks in Advance.
 
Jumping on the thread a little late and have similar but slightly different question.

I live in Japan and use an IPhone 3GS with Softbank (the Japanese carrier for the IPhone) I'm on vacation in the states, and i purchased a Go-Phone to use while visiting. I see from above that it is possible to use the GO-Phone SIM in an American IPhone, but do any of you have an idea about the Japanese IPhone?

I'm guessing that i would need to unlock the phone before inserting the SIM. Anyone have any idea if this would work just like the American IPhone, after unlocking carrier restrictions?
 
Thanks!!!

I just want to Thank You All for this thread its been great help for me.

I have 2 old 3G iPhone's. I use them both for Beta Testing Apple Dev etc. and was looking for a way to keep from needing to open up my Otterbox Defenders on my iPhone 4's just to grab a working SIM having to put them into my SIM adapters every time I want to test with my old 3G's.

Here is how I got GoPhone SIM working with iPhone thanks to the info here in this thread.

1. Bought $10 ATT GoPhone from Fry's & $15 airtime card. FYI I did as suggested and bought a GoPhone that doesnt include airtime but I can confirm this no longer matters even the no airtime GoPhone SIM now comes locked to the GoPhone.

2. I Registered online put SIM in GoPhone (I left the account online info listed as "Paying Customer" "Anystreet") I dont want ATT to have my info tied to the GoPhone. I used an email address not associated with my iPhone 4 contract. I used the Zip Code/City/State in the location for the Area Code I wanted the automatic new # assignment of my new GoPhone. After the account is created the online system will ask again for your info I created the account using name "Paying Customer"- "Anystreet" the same Zip/City/state as before. This time it wants a phone # I used the GoPhone new # in this field.

3. Then put the SIM in iPhone nope "NO SERVICE". So as suggested in this thread I went to ATT store. I showed them only the orange pamphlet that has place to write in your new phone # and said "I lost my SIM can you please give me a replacement"? Rep said no prob and keyed into the computer my goPhone # I wrote on the pamphlet, he gave me a new SIM, no questions asked of me, free of charge and on my way.

4. Went home tried the SIM in my iPhone and works like a champ even 3G speed. Works with stock iOS or Jailbroken iOS. I also put the SIM back into the GoPhone to see if it would lock the new SIM and it still works in the iPhones with no problems.

Thanks Again for this thread I kept reading around till I found something that made sense and it was here that I found it.

Sorry my post is so long but I wanted to cover some of the detailed questions I had about the process that didnt seem to be clear to me. Hope this info will help cover any questions about the process that are kinda vague about anonymous info when approaching the ATT store etc.
 
Last edited:
Thanks all for this thread. It's a great example of the power of the net.

I bought a gophone, popped out the sim card, activated it online, and it works great (in my iphone 3gs), just like folks said.

My question now is, is it possible to transfer my old iphone phone number to this new gophone account?

I hoped it would be as easy as calling ATT and asking them (I had prepared a story about how I had left my iphone phone out-of-state, so needed to port my phone number to the go-phone account temporarily until I got it back).

I was hoping to leave my ATT contract open for a month, but have them port my old phone number to the GoPhone. So I could test everything.

At first they said they couldn't transfer my old phone number to the GoPhone. Then later said the only way they could transfer my old phone number to the GoPhone is to cancel my contract (and pay the early term fee).

Does this make sense? Or should there be a way I can port the old phone number to by GoPhone without canceling my contract (yet)?

Thanks,
--Q.
 
I'm planning on taking vacation in Florida in February and would like to use my unlocked iPhone4 bought in Toronto Canada down in the US.

Can I buy a SIM from AT&T or T-Mobile, etc down there and put in my phone to get voice and data services to do the occasional phone call and data lookup while we are down there? I don't really care if it is 3G speed per se as my Blackberry uses Edge/GPRS and it is okay if this is a restriction of being on the 3G network.

I seem to see this reference to voice and data plans on PrePaid for AT&T (who has exclusive rights to iPhone currently) but the AT&T Corp/store seems to indicate they only do iPhone on contract.
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/cell-phone-plans/pyg-cell-phone-plans.jsp

I came across this but it may be old as far as buying a SIM card and getting a basic voice plan for $15 + data plan for $20 as the data plan is now 100MB rather than unlimited.
http://www.punkradiocast.com/blog/?p=332

I plan on being there for a week and just want to use my unlocked iPhone as "god" Steve Jobs intended.

Can I just buy a MicroSIM from AT&T and get it activated with Voice and Data and just don't tell them it is going in an iPhone which rings in their ears as must be in a contract? Will it jut work with voice and data on the prepaid card and can they do this with a SIM card setup or do you have to have a GO Phone? (Man I'm researching this way too much for what it is worth - it should be simple and transparent).

How does one go about getting a SIM card when they travel with an iPad then?

I'm about to say suck it Apple for providing me with an unlocked phone I can't use and AT&T for this exclusivity and contract crap and possibly signing a contract with AT&T to allow this crap.

Is there a way to do this?


I have an iPhone4 so I don't know if this GoPhone solution for $15 will work for me without having a SIM card cutter, etc (one of my friends has one but I'd have to ask about borrowing for my vacation trip).

Can you just go buy a MicroSIM at AT&T Wireless or RadioShack both in Miami Beach area? I won't have access to a car down there so it needs to be a place in walking distance and Walmart isn't that option but Radioshack and AT&T are.
 
Help

I purchased a slightly used 3G off Craigslist. The guy said he had restored it to clean it off. The phone looks very new. Thebuttons feel tight like they have not been used. He said he got it with a mac about 10 months ago.

I went to att store and got a new gophone sim card for an old gophone.

I put it in the 3G and it shows the "Connect to itunes" screen. Itunes on the computer says "The sim card does not appear to be supported."

I went to a guy who said he could unlock the phone. He ended up jailbreaking it. Now, I could get into the apps, but I had no bars and it said "NO SERVICE". :( I read in the phone that it is running 4.2.1

I read this forum so I went to att store and got a new sim card. The guy at the att store (authorized seller-not att company store) was very friendly and helpful and tried several things with the new card. No luck. It was still locked.

Used it like an ipod for a few days then decided to try restoring it in itunes. Now, I was back to the "locked - connect to itunes screen."

So I heard about a wireless store where they could downgrade, load new firmware etc... He tried but said he could not unlock it. Unfortunately his English was not very good so I could not understand what all he tried. I do know that the itunes icon on the connect-to screen is slightly different, so he changed something.

One more clue - My daughter has an iphone running 4.2.1. We tried my sim in her phone and it worked. We tried her sim in my phone and it said "sim not supported".

Any ideas? I'm at a dead end. Thanks
 
Prepaid on 3g

After reading this forum about the iphone being used as prepaid I gave it a try and it worked so I felt obligated to create an account and explain briefly what I did.

First of all thank you to everyone who has posted information on here about how to do it, or else I would not have gotten it.

I have an iPhone 3G that I bought from a previous owner who moved on to the iPhone 4. I already had a prepaid GoPhone that I have had longer than six months, but the sim did not work with it even after restore. That being said this is what I did:

1. Acquired an unused 3G sim card.
2. Activated it online as a GoPhone with an IMEI of all "1s".
3. Put the sim card into the iPhone and then it activated with all bars. (I have 3G turned off.)
4. Put money onto the account and added unlimited text.
5. Tested, works.

Again thank you to everyone who tried this before me and thank you for the informative posts.
 
Use the APN changer web site and you can get the data to work as well but the key is to not go over the data usage as I ran over it quickly while in FL and had to add another topup card for the week I was down there.
 
ok so this thread went on for a year and nobody really summed up all the questions in one post. so here we go...

this will be a 2 part-er the first part will be for people who haven't started yet or only have the iphone and are looking to get it on a pre-paid sim card.

ok so this first part like i said above is for people who haven't gotten a gophone sim card yet.

1. obtain the iphone of choice. (from what i have gathered this works on iphone 2g,3g, 3gs an apple rep told me today 3/2/11 in seattle, WA that it will not work with iphone 4)
2. go buy a prepaid sim. now there are 2 ways of doing this you can buy just the sim from ebay and go with that or... you can buy a go-phone at wall-mart, bartells where ever. and use that, its important to know that if you buy th go-phone at the store that you will need to activate it ONLINE! do not activate it on the phone it comes with!!!
3. activate the sim (like i said above if bought in store need to activate online)
4. pop it into your iphone (if its an att prepaid sim you're done. if its not you'll need to jailbreak and unlock)
5. Profit! (sorry i just had to)

ok the second part is for you people like me who made the mistake of activating the sim on your go phone.

1. get your self an iphone.
2. mosey on down to your local att shop and tell them that your phone took a deep sea dive without you and you need a new sim card. also tell them that you haven't purchased a phone yet. (i used this exact story just so you know... also my old go phone is sitting on my shelf safe and sound. in case you still don't understand i lied to them...)
3. take the new sim card they give you and pop it into your iphone and wait a couple of seconds for it to activate the phone and you're done!

hope that clears this up for everyone...
 
Hey,

I do have to add a question, though: I have an factory unlocked IPhone 4 from Europe and it works fine with the changed APN and everything. The question I have, though, is there any chance that I can get tethering to work? In Europe it works fine, the tethering I mean, but I cannot even see the option here in the US.

So anybody an idea how to get around this?

Thanks :)

P.S. This seems to be especially interesting with IOS 4.3 coming up and the option to set up a mobile access point...?!
 
timmymaxi said:
Hey,

I do have to add a question, though: I have an factory unlocked IPhone 4 from Europe and it works fine with the changed APN and everything. The question I have, though, is there any chance that I can get tethering to work? In Europe it works fine, the tethering I mean, but I cannot even see the option here in the US.

So anybody an idea how to get around this?

Thanks :)

P.S. This seems to be especially interesting with IOS 4.3 coming up and the option to set up a mobile access point...?!
Click to expand...

so i use an app called pdanet its available on cydia. it has a free version that allows usb tethering, as well as wifi hotspot. this only works on jailbroken phones.

hope that helps
-Siege10
 
Hey,

thanks for the answer. It does help somewhat - the thing is, though, that I don't want to jailbreak my phone. Well, I guess then I just have to get over it... Too bad though, having a completely free iphone and still not being able to use it... and I assume one cannot go to ATT and tell them to have the tethering option for the gophone-Iphone combination ;)
 
Will this work? All i want to do is activate facetime.

t5_ATT15.jpg
 
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