Q Link provides unlimited data, calling, texting, as well as limited but abundant voicemail and 3-way calling, free of charge, with no contracts or monthly bills. But now that’s possible? Well, Q Link directly partners with the United States government, more specifically Lifeline and Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) benefits programs, and programs such as Medicaid, SSI, SNAP, etc. Moreover, users with a low-end income (135% of the federal poverty level or lower) can quality too. With that clarified for you, let’s get into how to activate the Q Link SIM card.
1. Activate Q Link SIM card manually
Before we demonstrate the procedure, we’d like to mention that Q Link uses T-Mobile’s network. This means you’ll get both 4G and 5G LTE coverage and speed throughout the United States. Now, here’s how activating a SIM card from Q Link works:
1. Get your phone and insert the SIM card
Q Link doesn’t sell smart devices and, as mentioned, requires you to bring a phone, whether bought or received from a government program. They can also order a tablet and send it alongside your SIM card if you qualify. Once it’s in your possession, go ahead and insert the SIM card. For many users, the road ends here. The network signal appears immediately, and they can use Q Link services.
2. Activate your Q Link SIM following a network reset (Situational)
Didn’t get a signal, or worse yet, started getting messages such as the “Not registered on network“ error? There’s an obvious conflict between old and new if you swapped SIM cards or the network settings left behind. To eliminate the two from clashing, Q Link recommends you reset the network settings as demonstrated in method 9 in the error fix guide above. If that does the trick, congratulations!
3. Enter APN settings manually (Android only)
In some cases, even if the SIM card gets activated, you remain unable to send texts or use mobile data. According to the carrier, this is rarely a problem on iPhone, so you should skip to method 1, sub-method 4 right away. For Android users, follow the steps in method 7 in the error fix article above. Fill out the empty text fields like this before saving changes and restarting your phone:
- APN: Q Link
- MMSC: http://wholesale.mmsmvno.com/mms/wapenc
- MNC: 240
- MCC: 310
- APN Type: default,supl,mms
- APN Protocol: Select IPv4/IPv6
4. Download the Q Link smartphone app
If you’re still facing problems, Q Link recommends that you download its Android My Mobile Account or My Mobile Account iOS apps and sign in with your SIM card phone number. No positive changes? It’s time to reach out for help using the method below.
2. Ask Q Link Customer Support for help
Ran into troubles while activating a brand-new SIM card? Need to keep your old phone number after transferring to Q Link? In both of those cases, you can contact Q Link Customer Service in one of these ways:
- Call them: Dial 1-888-505-7678, 1-855-754-6543, or 1-305-260-6232 (number transfer only).
- Fill out the contact form: Visit the Contact Us page, fill out your personal information, select Apply for Service/Sign-up, and click on Send Your Request. Wait for an e-mail response.
- Use the members-only webchat: Visit the Members Chat page, select your situation, and log in with:
- E-mail address, phone number, enrollment ID, and password (ZIP code).
- After clicking on Use alternate method, your date of birth, last 4 numbers of SSN (Social Security Number), and ZIP code.