If you are a new subscriber or just received a replacement phone, you need to activate your phone.
So, it can be very frustrating when you can’t activate Assurance Wireless phone. Fortunately, we can help you!
An Assurance Wireless phone won’t activate due to many reasons. It could be a problem with network connectivity or device compatibility.
It’s also possible that the activation process failed. Be sure to check if your device is up to date.
Before we elaborate on the solutions, here’s a brief overview of the reasons why you have trouble activating your Assurance Wireless phone.
Why My Assurance Wireless Phone Won’t Activate
Your Assurance Wireless phone should work optimally. However, there are instances when your device won’t activate.
First, check if your account is approved. Each year you need to prove that you are eligible for an Assurance service.
✅ Problem With Network Connectivity
Assurance Wireless offers its services using T-Mobile, but there are locations with poor or no network coverage.
If you are living in such an area, you will have a problem activating your device.
✅ Failure in the Activation Process
Maybe the activation process didn’t go through. Either you did not follow the proper activation procedure or there’s a system failure on the Assurance Wireless network.
✅ Device Incompatibility
Your device may not be compatible with the Assurance Wireless network. Compatible phones are the ones provided by or purchased at Assurance Wireless.
✅ Minor Bugs and Glitches
Your device may not activate if there is a minor glitch in your device. Thankfully, this can be fixed by minor troubleshooting.
These are the possible reasons your Assurance Wireless phone won’t activate. Now, let’s proceed to the solutions.
Steps to Fix Assurance Wireless Can’t Activate Phone
If you can’t activate Assurance Wireless phone, don’t worry. We know some effective methods to solve the problem.
But, first, make sure you have great network coverage in your area.
You can check out the interactive network coverage map on the T-Mobile website to learn about signal strength and cellular coverage.
You can also check if your device is compatible.
If you have network coverage but still can’t activate your Assurance Wireless phone, proceed to the solutions below.
1. Update the Preferred Roaming List on Your Phone
Your phone’s preferred roaming list or PRL controls its ability to connect to different networks.
If you can’t activate your Assurance Wireless phone, it’s likely that it’s not able to connect to the Assurance network properly.
One of the ways that you can resolve this would be to make sure your phone’s PRL is up to date.
Doing this will ensure that your phone can easily connect to different networks, especially Assurance’s.
Here’s how to update your phone’s PRL:
- On iPhone
- Open the Phone app on your phone.
- Go to the dialer section.
- Dial ##873283#, then tap Call.
- Select OK to get your phone to search for updates.
- On Android
- Go to the Settings app on your phone.
- Tap on System Settings.
- Select System Updates.
- Choose Update PRL.
Note: After the update process completes, you will need to restart your iPhone for the settings to take effect.
2. Update Your Phone’s Carrier Settings
If you still can’t activate your Assurance Wireless phone, it can also mean that your phone is using outdated carrier settings.
It won’t be able to connect to the network correctly, giving you a hard time activating it.
- You will need to update your phone’s carrier settings so the activation can go through.
Here’s how you can update your phone’s carrier settings:
- On iPhone
- Launch your phone’s Settings app.
- Go to General.
- Select About.
- Tap on Install Carrier Settings.
- On Android
- Open the Settings app on your phone.
- Select the More option.
- Go to Mobile Networks.
- Choose Carrier Settings.
- Tap Update Profile.
Pro Tip: To successfully update your phone's carrier settings, you need to connect to a stable WiFI network.
3. Use Assurance Wireless’ APN Settings
The APN settings allow your phone to successfully connect to Assurance Wireless’ network properly.
As you’re activating your phone, it will check your network performance, and this can include connecting to mobile data.
For this, you need to set up your phone’s APN settings. Assurance Wireless can change this, so you want to make sure that you’re using the latest one.
Here’s how to change your device’s APN settings:
- On iPhone
- Go to your phone’s Settings.
- Open the Mobile option.
- Select Mobile Data Network.
- Tap on each field and enter the details found below.
- On Android
- Open your phone’s Settings.
- Select Mobile Networks.
- Go to Access Point Names.
- Tap New APN to add.
- Enter the correct values for each field.
- Assurance Wireless APN Settings
- Name: Assurance
- APN: internet
- MCC: 470
- MNC: 02
- APN type: default,fota,mms,supl
- APN protocol: IPv4/IPv6
- APN roaming protocol: IPv4/IPv6
Note: For values such as the username and password, just leave them blank.
4. Wipe Cache Partition on Your Wireless Assurance Phone
An issue with your phone can cause it to not connect to your network properly. Rebooting it usually does the trick.
However, there are instances when you need to perform a more drastic troubleshooting step.
Now, this step is only for Android phones.
- If you’re using an iPhone, we have provided an alternative method below.
Here’s how to wipe the cache partition on your phone:
- Turn your device off.
- Press the Volume Down and Power buttons to boot it into Recovery Mode.
- Navigate the Recovery Mode menu using the Volume buttons.
- Select Wipe Cache Partition option.
- Press Power button to confirm.
For iPhones: You will need to reset your phone to factory settings to get a similar effect.
5. Reset Your Phone Through Recovery Mode
Your phone’s system settings are usually difficult to change. They are locked in and you’ll need special access to change them.
If your phone is unable to activate Assurance Wireless, you’re going to need to reset its system settings.
A method to do this would be to reset your phone. However, you can lose a lot of personal settings. You can do it via your phone’s recovery option.
Here’s how to reset your phone via the recovery option:
- Turn off your phone.
- Press the Volume Down and Power buttons to boot it to Recovery Mode.
- Select Recovery Mode.
- Navigate to Wipe data or Factory reset.
- Press the Power button to verify your choice.
Note: After the reset process is complete, you will need to reboot your phone from Recovery Mode by selecting Reboot system now.
6. Activate Your Assurance Wireless Phone Again!
After performing all these steps, you want to make sure that you can activate Assurance Wireless again.
It could be one of these steps that resolve your issue. However, you will still need to attempt the activation process again.
Here’s how to activate your Assurance Wireless phone:
- Press the Power button to turn your device on.
- Wait for the hands-free activation to start.
- Your phone will check the PRL, and click OK.
- Your phone will check for firmware updates, click OK.
- The activation will complete once the checks are done.
Note: Only perform this step once you have wiped the cache partition and reset your phone via Recovery Mode.
By following these solutions, you will be able to fix your activation problems with Assurance Wireless.
Activating it can get tricky, especially if you have missed or skipped a few steps.
You can contact Assurance Wireless to get help activating your phone.
Read Next: Can You Have Multiple Internet Providers In One House?
Bottom Line
Do you still have an issue where you can’t activate Assurance Wireless phone?
You can say goodbye to this problem now that you know the exact steps you need to take to fix it.
These are all straightforward steps and you can start using your Assurance Wireless phone.
Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.