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Investor27

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 8, 2012
200
98
I'm picking up another cellular iPad Air 2 soon. Do I have to use another email address for the free 200MB of data if I had already used one for my iPad mini, or can I just use the same email address?
 
As far as I know, the SIM is already activated, and will just keep renewing itself (I keep getting renewal emails from T-Mobile, stating that the plan is renewed for next month). So just put it in and it should work right away.
 
The SIM will be activated when you get it. If you buy it from a local store, they scan it and activate it there. If you get it from T-Mobile, they activate it when they ship it to you. I just got one today to try it out from my local Walmart and ended up having to drive back to the store because the girl that sold it to me forgot to scan the activation bar code when I bought it.
I was able to set it up directly on the ipad after that. Haven't had a chance to try it out anywhere yet though.
 
How to you acquire the free mobile sim? I had heard about this...only for existing customers?
Just get a SIM starter kit that says bring your own phone or tablet. When you put the SIM in and turn your ipad on, go to Settings/Cellular Data and on the right hand column tap the Manage T-Mobile Account (3rd line down I think). It will bring up a dialog box to set up your account. It will ask for your name, email, make a password etc. Then, it will have you choose which type of account you want, scroll down and pick the last one (it should say something like free data for life or something). Pick that and complete the order (it's still free) and your done!
 
Just get a SIM starter kit that says bring your own phone or tablet. When you put the SIM in and turn your ipad on, go to Settings/Cellular Data and on the right hand column tap the Manage T-Mobile Account (3rd line down I think). It will bring up a dialog box to set up your account. It will ask for your name, email, make a password etc. Then, it will have you choose which type of account you want, scroll down and pick the last one (it should say something like free data for life or something). Pick that and complete the order (it's still free) and your done!
Thanks

Didn't mean to derail thread.
 
Thanks for all the answers, guys! But it still doesn't answer my question. So even if the sim card is activated at the time of purchase, when I setup my account on the new iPad, can I use the same email address that I had already set up on my iPad mini retina a few years before for the free 200MB? I wanted if the free 200MB would work on both the old and the new iPad using the same email address. Thanks.
 
Yes, you can use the same email. All the email is for is to set up your account, you can have 15 ipads all tied to the same email if you'd like. In fact, I think I remember a link somewhere on that setup page that lets you log in to your existing account to complete the transaction. You should be good to go.
I wonder if after you hit the 200MB limit, they just cut the service off till it renews?
 
I wonder if after you hit the 200MB limit, they just cut the service off till it renews?
Yes this is what happens. There's no risk of getting charged for overages, it simply stops working until the next billing cycle.
 
Yes this is what happens. There's no risk of getting charged for overages, it simply stops working until the next billing cycle.
To go further, I never gave T-Mobile any credit card information when setting up my 200MB/month account so they would have no way to charge me even if they wanted to. They've been giving me free data since 2013.
 
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