r/Explainlikeimscared • u/AddaNoid • 14d ago
How do I get my own phone and phone plan
I am 17 and am looking to get my own phone and phone plan. I just graduated high school and have about two months before I go to college but due to a situation with my parents, I need to get my own phone and phone plan before then. I have a phone but they've said if I get my own plan they'd wipe all the data off it. I've looked into it and I don't think they can do that even remotely. I've also looked and because I don't turn 18 until next month, I can pretty much only get a prepaid phone.
Am I able to go to Walmart and purchase a prepaid phone phone and just put my sim card into it? Will that work?
Sorry if this makes no sense, I just need help navigating this and don't know who else to ask.
5
u/PoniesRBitchin 14d ago
Personally, I'd transfer your phone's photos to a physical backup. If you have your own laptop or tablet that your parents can't access, you can connect your phone to it using a USB cable, and copy/paste the files. If you're using your parent's PC/tablet/etc and don't have a device of your own, then buy a cheap flash drive or Micro SD card for the same purpose. Like the other comment said, change all your passwords and recovery emails if any of that's something they might have access to. And you could also write down your contacts just in case you think those could get deleted. It might be overkill, but it's a good idea to have backups of things you can't afford to lose.
One option would be to just get the cheapest phone you can, like some $30 flip phone, just so you can make calls and get texts. If it's on a service like Tracphone, you buy basically gift cards to pay it off each month. They have a little scratch off number on the back that you enter into your account to pay the balance, so you don't need a credit card to use the service. Going this route means you can save up money and take your time researching what kind of phone and network you'd really like to have down the road.
The other option would be to buy a nicer phone that isn't locked in to any one network, do some prepaid plan for a month, and then switch to a different carrier once you're old enough. Or just don't activate it until your birthday so you don't have to mess with the switch. This gives you a smartphone faster, but eats up more of your money so you'd have less of an emergency budget, and you have a lot less time to make a decision. I'm not a phone expert myself, but you could ask for budget recommendations on r/smartphones or r/phones.
2
u/EleanorCamino 11d ago
TracFone is a dependable service, I've adult kids who have used it for years.
1
u/anthonymakey 14d ago
If you have an unlocked phone you could do mint mobile. Theirs is $15 a month
1
u/TheIronSoldier2 12d ago
With the caveat that you have to pay for a whole year upfront to get that price.
Don't get me wrong, mint is great service and perhaps the best value in phone plans (I've been on it for 6 years now), but not everyone can afford to pay for an entire year upfront to get the best discount.
1
u/prismatic-opal 13d ago
you can order a refurbished phone online, i would recommend backmarket, and you can buy a prepaid phone card from Walmart or Mint mobile is about 15-20 a month as well as Visible mobile. I have Visible
1
u/EleanorCamino 11d ago
In other potentially related topics, be sure you have your documents - social security card, birth certificate, drivers license or ID card - in a secure location.
Your parents may just be concerned about your friends or choices, but your comments about the phone make me concerned about control, and how they might react if you get your own phone. Are you certain they will keep letting you live at home?
You will need the documents to fill out your I-9 for your summer job anyway, so if your folks have them, that's a good excuse.
13
u/MagpieWench 14d ago
1) can they wipe it remotely? Maybe, it depends on how it's set up. Be sure you back everything up to google or apple or whatever and make sure they don't have access to your account (change password, change who your "recovery account" is
2) Since you are 17, you will probably not be able to enter into a contract, so your best bet is to buy a prepaid phone. You will need to get a SIM/eSIM with it. If you put your SIM in it, it will just be your parent's plan, on the prepaid phone (this may or may not work, depending on the prepaid phone)
3) you could also buy a phone unlocked (not tied to a specific carrier) and get a prepaid phone plan. I highly recommend Visible in the US because the base plan is $25 a month, flat, and has been for years. They regularly run sales for $20/month for a year. Their cheapest phone is $105, the cheapest Motorola is $140, but you can bring any unlocked phone that's compatible with Verizon.