Considering what happens when you suspend your phone service doesn’t mean a complete lack of communication with your contacts. There are multiple ways to still use a suspended phone to contact others.
However, a phone subscriber line or plan suspension deactivates calls and texts through your carrier’s network.
A suspension does not mean you will lose all of your data or internet access. Instead, a suspension only means that your phone cannot route data through your carrier’s network.
Furthermore, turning off cell carrier coverage is not permanent. Nevertheless, most mobile providers charge reactivation fees stipulated by the terms of your contract.
In the interim, if you need temporary cell coverage, you can use a prepaid subscriber line or free service with Straight Talk.
Can I Get My Account Restored after Temporarily Turning it Off?
Can you temporarily turn off a cell phone? Yes, and, if you want, you can restore that single mobile line in the future.
There are two reasons for suspended phone accounts. Some people prefer to voluntarily suspend their accounts.
Other times, a failure to pay results in the mobile network carrier taking action to suspend your plan until the remaining balance of a bill is paid.
Prepaid plans and pay-as-you-go services may be suspended once the monthly limit runs out, though giving a provider payment card information on your account prevents suspension with automatic billing.
If your account has been suspended unexpectedly, you may have exceeded the data limit of your plan.
At any rate, a suspended account isn’t permanently locked. By paying the remaining balance of your account, mobile carriers will allow an outstanding account holder to access their network.
Using a Suspended Phone Through Wi-Fi
Even after suspending cell service, you can still use your mobile device to access the internet through a personal internet connection.
You can connect your cell phone to Wi-Fi signals, which still allows messaging apps to work.
For instance, even without an active subscription to a mobile carrier, Wi-Fi still provides functionality with other messaging services. In lieu of SMS and text messaging services, other options are available.
WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and social media sites provide direct messaging services as long as you can connect to a wireless network.
Without a wireless network connection on a suspended mobile account, your apps cannot send information to your contacts.
What Happens When You Suspend Your Phone? Will My Phone Stop Working After Suspension?
No, your phone won’t completely stop working after it is suspended. The suspension of any phone only means it will not work with your mobile network service.
It will lack the ability to make and receive calls, as well as text messaging, but your phone will still work.
Android Versus iPhone Suspension
Many people wonder whether or not suspending their mobile plan has different consequences on Android and iPhone.
The nuanced answer is no, your device type isn’t the cause of any late penalties.
Instead of the model of a smartphone, the mobile carrier and payment plan determine the extra fees. T-Mobile and AT&T do not charge extra fees for suspended accounts based on the make and model of your mobile device.
Furthermore, mobile carriers do not discriminate the reactivation of suspended accounts based on the type of device.
However, you may still owe fees based on credit agreements for the phone hardware due to contracts signed with your provider.
Saved Data Considerations
One question people considering suspending their accounts is whether or not they will lose their data. If you store your data in the cloud, your account provider won’t delete your data in the short term. The length of time cloud data is saved varies per provider.
Furthermore, it’s always prudent to back up your data, which can be transferred to a new phone or carrier network should you choose to change.
Also, note that your apps are stored locally on your device, which aren’t deleted if you switch providers or return to the same provider after a suspension.
With a suspended account, you do not lose your data immediately. However, it is best to keep a personal local backup copy of your data.
Keeping a personal backup copy of your mobile device’s information also prevents the loss of SMS text messages.
T-Mobile Account Suspension in the United States
T-Mobile offers account suspension to the United States military personnel in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force without suspension fees.
A T-Mobile account that’s suspended doesn’t incur or accrue additional fees or interest.
Furthermore, T-Mobile allows for up to 39 months of suspension for active-duty military members. In addition, T-Mobile allows its subscribers to voluntarily suspend their personal plans two times per year for up to 90 days each time.
It’s also possible to suspend single lines on your account, with your main phone line being active.
For instance, if one of your family members loses or damages their phone and you need a replacement, you have the option of suspending that individual line with no fees.
Note: Call 1-800-TMOBILE to contact the customer support department to reactivate a suspended mobile plan.
AT&T Account Suspensions
AT&T, like most other carriers, does not prevent a user from reactivating their account.
A call to the payment and billing support department isn’t necessary. You can reactivate a line or plan online.
Use the following steps to reactivate a suspended AT&T mobile account, as follows:
- Visit the AT&T website for suspensions
- Log in with your username and password
- Enter your personal information through the prompts
- Make a payment
Note: You must have the payment information and personal login credentials to reactivate an account.
Suspended Phone Considerations Regarding GPS
In addition to call and text suspension, your suspended mobile device will not be able to use the GPS (Global Positioning System) signals offered by your carrier.
This may negatively affect various features of multiple apps (unless connected to a local Wi-Fi signal).
For example, live GPS data for apps like Google Maps will not work unless it can acquire your phone’s location via your current internet connection’s location.
Suspension of your mobile account disables real-time location data tracking.
Read Next: What Happens if I Don’t Pay my Phone Bill?
Bottom Line
Asking “what happens when you suspend your phone” can be scary, but don’t worry.
Though suspended plans may acquire late fees (dependent on terms and conditions of a contract), your phone isn’t completely blocked. To restore carrier service, an account holder must pay the outstanding balance.
After your phone has been suspended, you can still use it through Wi-Fi networks and personal internet connections.
Suspending a single line blocks that phone from incoming and outgoing audio calls and SMS text messages.
Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites.
