Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- T-Mobile disabled self-service SIM card changes in 2022 to implement new security measures against SIM swap attacks.
- Although the carrier initially said this was a temporary change, T-Mobile subscribers are still required to contact support to change SIM cards.
- A new report suggests that T-Mobile may finally enable self-service SIM swaps via the T-Life app later this month.
T-Mobile currently requires subscribers to contact support or visit a nearby retail store for SIM card changes. Unlike Verizon and AT&T, the carrier does not offer a self-service option for SIM swaps. However, this hasn’t always been the case.
T-Mobile removed the self-service option for SIM card changes in 2022 to implement new security features to combat SIM swap attacks. At the time, the company did not share a timeline for when the feature could return, but it reportedly told employees that it was only a temporary change. Over two and a half years later, the self-service option still isn’t available for users, but that could change soon.
The Mobile Report has received information that T-Mobile could finally bring back self-service SIM card changes later this month. The feature will reportedly return via the T-Life app on April 24 as part of a new set of T-Life Enhancements for the month. At the moment, it’s not clear how the feature may work upon release. We’ll have to wait until next week for more details.
The T-Life app could receive a few additional features later this month in addition to the self-service SIM swap option. These include a new “Store Mode” button for the Shop tab and a “rate plan upselling and upgrade flow.”
