Services - Bring Your Own Phone

Find answers to common Straighttalk questions below.

BYOP stands for Bring Your Own Phone. With Straight Talk’s Bring Your Own Phone program, you can get Straight Talk service on your current phone as long as it is compatible with our BYOP program. Compatible phones include: GSM-unlocked phones, AT&T-compatible phones, T-Mobile-compatible phones, Sprint-compatible Phones, and some other CDMA Technology compatible phones.

CDMA stands for Code Division Multiple Access and is a competing cell phone service technology to GSM. In the United States, two of the four leading mobile network operators use CDMA.

GSM stands for Global System for Mobile communication and is a competing cell phone service technology to CDMA. In the United States, two of the four leading mobile network operators use GSM.

Follow these steps. For details, please refer to the corresponding question and answer:

  1. Check Compatibility. Refer to “How do I know if my phone is compatible with Straight Talk’s BYOP Program?”
  2. Confirm if you’ll need a StraightTalk BYOP SIM. Refer to “How do I know if I will need a Straight Talk BYOP SIM?”
  3. Get your StraightTalk BYOP SIM if applicable. Refer to “How can I get my Straight Talk BYOP SIM?”
  4. Select the correct SIM card for your phone. Refer to “How do I know which SIM to use from my StraightTalk BYOP Activation Package?”
  5. Register your Phone if it is CDMA-compatible. Refer to “How do I register my Sprint or other CDMA compatible phone?”
  6. Activate your Phone. Refer to “How do I activate my Straight Talk BYOP service?”

 

To check if your phone is compatible, visit straighttalkbyop.com, select “check phone compatibility,” and follow the steps. Compatible phones include: GSM-unlocked phones, AT&T-compatible phones, T-Mobile-compatible phones, Sprint-compatible phones, and some other CDMA Technology compatible phones.

Review the following to check if you’ll need a StraightTalk BYOP SIM. You can also use our “Check Phone Compatibility” tool at straighttalkbyop.com, which will give you details on what you will need to get your service set-up.

  1. If your phone is an Unlocked GSM Phone, or a phone compatible with either AT&T or T-Mobile, you will need a Straight Talk BYOP SIM that is compatible with your phone’s supported carrier.
  2. If your LTE phone is compatible with Sprint, you will need to be sure to have your original Sprint SIM in the phone. You do NOT need a Straight Talk BYOP SIM.
  3. If your phone is not compatible with Sprint and it is a CDMA-compatible LTE phone, you will need a Straight Talk CDMA-compatible BYOP SIM.

 

There are two ways to get your StraightTalk BYOP SIM:

  • Buy a 4G LTE Straight Talk Activation Package at any of our retailers. Please note that only our newer packages include CDMA-compatible LTE SIMs. If your kit did not include a CDMA-compatible LTE SIM, simply proceed with the registration process of your CDMA-compatible phone, and we will ship you a SIM.
  • Visit straighttalkbyop.com, select “Check Phone Compatibility” and follow the steps to place an order. Please note that if you are not asked for a SIM number, it may indicate that your phone is not LTE. To register your phone without an Activation Package, you will need a credit or debit card.

 

If you are not sure which SIM to use, please visit straighttalkbyop.com, select “Check  Phone Compatibility,” and follow the steps for details on selecting the correct SIM for you to use. The correct SIM card will depend on the carrier compatible with your phone, and on the SIM size that your phone needs.

If your phone is a Sprint or other CDMA-compatible phone, you will need to register it before you activate it by selecting the “Register CDMA” option at straighttalkbyop.com and following the steps.

Select “Activation” and follow the steps. Make sure to select the correct option if you are transferring your line. Please note that you will need a StraightTalk Service Plan Card or credit or debit card to activate your service. Before you activate, remember to select your SIM card if you need one, and register your phone if you have a Sprint or CDMA-compatible phone.

First, your phone must be LTE Technology and be compatible with one of our Bring Your Own Phone Program. Then, follow the steps in the question “How can I obtain Straight Talk BYOP service?”

If your phone is a CDMA-LTE compatible phone and your BYOP Activation Package did not come with a CDMA-compatible LTE SIM, please select “Register CDMA” at straighttalkbyop.com and follow the steps. When asked, select that you do not have a SIM and we will ship you one.