Activating Your Stack Mobile Phone

Simple Steps to Prepare for Activation

Pre-Activation Checklist

Prepare your Phone

  • Make sure your Phone is Unlocked

  • Ensure your Phone is Compatible and Verify the Type of SIM need on our BYOP page

  • Update your Phone/Device Software for a smoother Transition

Have your Transfer Info Ready

If you are bringing your number over from another carrier, you will need -

  • Current Carrier Account Number

  • Number Transfer PIN, if available, or Account PIN*

  • Billing Zip Code linked to Carrier

*Note: This Number Transfer PIN can vary by carrier and often expires just a few days after generated. Please make sure this is current information prior to activation.

Wait to Cancel Your Service

  • Don’t lose Service Unnecessarily

  • Wait until Activation is Complete

  • Activation Process may include Cancellation Automatically, depending on carrier

Transferring more than one account / number?

We recommend transferring the primary account holder with your current carrier LAST in order to avoid current carrier account management issues.

When ordering your first line with Stack Mobile and setting up your new account during CheckOut, make sure you enter the email and contact number of the individual who will be the primary account holder. You can then add other numbers managed by that account/email address, transferring your primary number last from the current carrier.

The Seamless Activation Process

Time To Activate

    1. Your eSIM QR-code email will be sent to you during the Activation Process, after your current carrier approves the transfer. Please make sure you have your phone connected to your Wi-Fi to receive your email.

    2. Scan eSIM QR-code with your phone’s camera and add to your phone (See next section for more information).

    3. If you do not get an updated ‘Home’ signal within a couple of minutes, restart your phone and it should connect.

    1. If you purchased your plan over three (3) days ago, you may need to update the Number Transfer PIN from your current carrier as many expire 4 to 7 days after they are generated. Please check with current carrier and re-generate it and send it to support@stackmobile.com ahead of scheduled activation.

    2. On the evening before, make sure your phone is connected to your Wi-Fi and, if using a physical SIM, ensure you have your SIM card available.

    3. On the morning after activation processing, if using a physical SIM, change out your SIM using your SIM punch tool. If using an eSIM, your eSIM QR-code email will have been sent to you during the Activation Process. From that email, scan eSIM QR-code with your phone’s camera and add to your phone (See section below for more information).

    4. You should get service almost immediately upon changing SIM. If you do not get a signal within a couple of minutes, restart your phone and it should connect.

Adding your eSIM or pSIM

  • Most newer smartphones have a QR code scanner integrated into their phone’s camera app which works very well – these include iPhone 12 or later and Android 8 or later.  If your phone is older than these, you will want to use a QR code reader app which you can find in your device’s app store.

    Scanning a QR code outside of your phone

    Follow these steps to scan a QR code located on a separate screen or printout:

    1. Open your phone’s camera app and point your phone at the QR code in front of you. Make sure you have good lighting and that your phone’s camera lens is clean. 

    2. After waiting a few seconds and with steady hands, your phone should automatically detect and process the QR code.

    3. Your phone will now display a banner or URL link.

    4. Clicking on this banner/URL will take you to the steps to finish installing your eSIM.

    Scanning the QR code located on your phone

    Follow these steps to ‘scan’ the QR code if it is already saved on your phone you are using:

    1. Take a screenshot of the QR code or save the image to your phone.

    2. Open the screenshot of the QR code in your Photos.

    3. Press down and hold the screenshot of the QR code.

    4. After a second or so, the phone should recognize it and open the proper URL within your  phone’s primary internet browser app.

    5. If the phone does still not recognize the QR Code, use an installed QR Code scanner or download a QR/Barcode Scanner. Open up the app, and follow the steps to Scan Image and then open the URL link.

    6. From there, you can complete the steps to finish installing your new eSIM.

  • It only takes a few simple steps to change-out or install your new SIM.

    1. Power off your smartphone.

    2. Holding the front of the phone facing you, locate the SIM card tray on your smartphone – it will have a small hole in it which is used to pop the tray out for access.

    3. Pop out the tray out by inserting a SIM removal tool, paperclip, or pushpin (be careful, SIM card trays are delicate and can be easily broken!).

    4. Pull the SIM card tray out of the phone, taking note of how the SIM card tray fits into the phone slot by checking the direction of the hole.

    5. (Re)Place your SIM card into the tray with either the logo or the gold chip facing up – note that the SIM card tray has a notch on one of the corners and the card will only fit one way.

    6. Push the SIM card into the tray, making sure the tray is in the same position as when you removed it.

    7. Power phone back on and check that it is working properly.

For any questions or should you encounter issues, please contact our Customer Contact resources via StackChat (at the bottom-right) or at support@stackmobile.com