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New iPhone 6 plus on Verizon - Please help on how to change it to another line

S

slumpey326

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 18, 2010
479
1
Florida
My wife's line was eligible for an upgrade so I used it to purchase the iPhone 6 plus. I have to go pick it up tomorrow, but the phone is not going to go on her line. It will be going on my line and I will be giving her my old iPhone 5. How do I go about doing the switch because my current line has UNLIMITED DATA and I don't want to lose it.

1) Does the iphone 6 plus and iphone 5 have the same type of sim card and can I just do a swap of the two from each phone before activating the iPhone 6 plus for the first time. Has anyone had success trying this option?

2) Or can I just activate the new phone on my wife's line and then go to the my Verizon website and switch the phone to my line? I didn't know if i did this it would then lose my UNLIMITED DATA on my line.

Please assist. Thank you.
 
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I was in exactly in the same boat as you. I used my wife's upgrade to get an iPhone 6 plus. Transferred it to my line so I could keep unlimited and She got my 5s. I do this every year alternating upgrading family accounts.

The trick is to activate the new phone, 6 plus in this case, to her line FIRST!!!! Then transfer it to my line. From there transfer my old phone to her line.

In the past 3 years I have always called Verizon to do this because I don't want to screw it up and make it clear to the rep what I'm trying to do so if they mess it up they can fix it. Also ask if they have done it before. If not get somebody else. Only 1 out of 3 years I got a rep that knew what he was doing and it was painless. The other two were idiots and it took way longer than needed.

I don't know if there is a way to do it without getting Verizon involved. I sure would like to know.


Anyway it can be done ;)
 
So you activated hers first, then did you go to Verizon's website and make the switch

You did nothing with the sims cards?
 
slumpey326 said:
So you activated hers first, then did you go to Verizon's website and make the switch

You did nothing with the sims cards?
Click to expand...

Activate her new 6, after activation erase all settings, shut it down. pull her new 6 sim out put the sim from your 5 in the new 6 and turn back on restore from backup put her new sim in your old 5.
 
Call Verizon. They will help you make the switch, no problems. My husband switches numbers on devices between him and our kids regularly and Verizon is more than helpful on the phone.
 
I ordered phone from Verizon on my wife's line. When it arrived I removed the SIM card in it and put my SIM card in. Started the phone and everything went fine. Still have UDP with no issues.
 
Although it's only been 3 weeks, I cant exactly remember. The verizon rep did not know what she was doing. It was a disaster but got it right in the end. She even confused the heck out of me.

I rather call and put the responsibility on them because if I screw it up and lose my grandfather status they will just say "sorry not my problem"
 
D1G1T4L said:
I ordered phone from Verizon on my wife's line. When it arrived I removed the SIM card in it and put my SIM card in. Started the phone and everything went fine. Still have UDP with no issues.
Click to expand...

Did you put the SIM card from the new phone into your old phone so she can use it
 
D1G1T4L said:
I ordered phone from Verizon on my wife's line. When it arrived I removed the SIM card in it and put my SIM card in. Started the phone and everything went fine. Still have UDP with no issues.
Click to expand...


That's very surprising. I wonder if it's just a matter of time before Verizon figures it out and takes away your grandfathered plan.
 
That's what I figured also, my wife is extending her contract. All I am doing is taking her new phone and she is taking mine.

She already had a data plan to begin with
 
Verizon has stated that in order to keep your grandfathered unlimited data plan when you upgrade you must upgrade with a fully paid phone and not a subsidised phone. That's why you need to activate it on her line then switch it to yours.

----------

Remember guys!! Verizon wants to get everyone off the unlimited plans. This is how they are doing it by forcing people off with upgrades unless you do the loop hole. Google it. It's well documented on this forum.
 
Mrfatboy said:
Verizon has stated that in order to keep your grandfathered unlimited data plan when you upgrade you must upgrade with a fully paid phone and not a subsidised phone. That's why you need to activate it on her line then switch it to yours.
Click to expand...

They told me something different that worked. Who knows but it worked fine for me.

That makes no sense. So if you buy a used phone and it was subsidized they can change your account? That is interesting.

Also Verizon people on the phone have been very helpful on me keeping my UDP. The ones in the stores are the ones that keep trying to get me off my plan.
 
That's not what I'm saying at all. I assume the used phone was previously activated on a different line. When you move it to your line Verizon assumes is a paid phone and by their rules you get to keep your unlimited plan. Hence why you need to activate the new iPhone on the wife's line first THEN transfer to yours.

Google or search this forum. Well documented.
 
Mrfatboy said:
That's not what I'm saying at all. I assume the used phone was previously activated on a different line. When you move it to your line Verizon assumes is a paid phone and by their rules you get to keep your unlimited plan. Hence why you need to activate the new iPhone on the wife's line first THEN transfer to yours.

Google or search this forum. Well documented.
Click to expand...

The issue is I didn't have to activate the phone. I put my SIM in and booted it up and it worked as if it had been my old one. Online account reflected phone change with no change in my account. Maybe I got lucky, maybe the person at verizon who told me it was fine to do did something to my account who knows but it worked for me.
 
I switch sim cards around all the time. Just put wife's sim in your phone and put your sim in new phone. I never call Verizon and mess with them about it. Only case is if you have to have a different size sim card.
 
So you did call Verizon to verify you kept your grandfathered plan? Maybe they did do something.

This whole thread is about keeping unlimited. If you got lucky good for you. I would not advise anybody how you did it because you might just have gotten lucky.

I will say it again. Verizon wants everybody off of unlimited. I have stated the loophole.
 
Mrfatboy said:
So you did call Verizon to verify you kept your grandfathered plan? Maybe they did do something.

This whole thread is about keeping unlimited. If you got lucky good for you. I would not advise anybody how you did it because you might just have gotten lucky.

I will say it again. Verizon wants everybody off of unlimited. I have stated the loophole.
Click to expand...

I called before the phone arrived and said my wife was worried as she might not like the size of the plus. Made the comment that if it gets here and she does not like it can I just put my SIM in and use it. I was told sure as the phone does not effect the account. The upgrade will extend my wife's line but I can use the phone on my line. So when the phone arrived without ever turning it on I put my SIM in and booted up. No issues and UDP is still on my account.
 
Also found this info on slickdeals

http://slickdeals.net/f/6964624-upgrade-and-keep-your-unlimited-data-with-verizon?

UPDATE - Scyzek Method may be unnecessary. 4ever was able to go in-store and transfer a UDP line upgrade to a TDP line, upgrade AND activate on the TDP line using the SIM card the phone comes with and did not lose UDP. Then 4ever did a device swap to get the new phone on the UDP line. Doing this prevents a pending activation from being stuck on the TDP line.
Scyzek Method
1) Have a 4G LTE phone active on your UDP line before you order;
2) Through Verizon online, transfer your UDP line's upgrade to a TDP line on your family plan that is not currently eligible for its own upgrade;
3) Order a new smartphone on the TDP line and have it shipped to home not shipped to store;
4) When the new smartphone arrives, remove the SIM card it ships with without turning it on or plugging it in; and
5) Place the 4G LTE SIM card that is currently active on your UDP line into the new smartphone and turn it on.

Sounds like just what I did with no problems.
 
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