Lifeline Phone Replacement

If your Assist Wireless Lifeline device is lost of stolen, here are some steps you can take to obtain a replacement and keep your free cell phone service:

1. Lifeline devices that are available at retail locations can be purchased to use as a replacement device for a misplaced or stolen Lifeline phone.
2. Visit a retail location or call customer service to see if there are any available offers you can take advantage of.
3. Customers may bring their own device to replace the Lifeline phone they lost as long as it is compatible with our networks.

Yes. Please reach out to our support team at (855) 392-7747 for Lifeline device assistance to submit a request to temporarily suspend your account before you get your Lifeline phone upgrade. You will have 30 days to add a new device to your account before service will be disconnected. 

Assist Wireless is not responsible for, nor will we refund any lost, stolen, misused, or damaged phones, accessories or Assist Wireless Top Up purchases. Assist Wireless does not accept returns or provide refunds of any Assist Wireless Top-up purchases unless it is determined Assist Wireless did not perform the duty of Service. All purchases of Assist Wireless Top Ups are final and non- refundable regardless of who uses or possesses the subscriber’s wireless phone after airtime is purchased, and regardless of whether the wireless phone is used with the subscriber’s consent or knowledge.

Wireless handsets purchased directly from or received from Assist Wireless may be returned for a full refund, issued only via check, within 7 days of receipt. A subscriber must return the complete handset as received at the time of activation, in the same condition as when it was received.

For more details on returns and refunds please see the Assist Wireless Refunds, Returns, or Lost Equipment Policy Refunds section in our Terms & Conditions.

If your Assist Wireless Lifeline device is broken or damaged, here are some steps you can take to obtain a replacement:

1. Lifeline devices that are available at retail locations can be purchased to use as a replacement device.
2. Visit a retail location or call customer service to see if there are any available offers you can take advantage of.
3. Customers may bring their own device to use as a replacement device as long as it is compatible with our networks.

If your device is defective, it may be covered under your phone’s warranty. Please review your device’s warranty for additional information regarding a replacement or repair. You can also reach out to your Lifeline service provider to learn more about the return policy, warranty for specific issues, and the potential charges you may need to pay to get your cell phone replaced.

Assist Wireless partners with Guard Assure to offer our customers device protection plans. Visit one of our locations to add protection to your device with Guard Assure. Terms & Conditions may apply.

If you are experiencing issues with your data or difficulty accessing the internet, we first recommend checking your data balance. You can do so by:

• Calling 611 from your Lifeline device and following the automated prompts
• Logging into your online account  from an alternate device

If you are out of data you can purchase more using the above methods.

If you have data available but still are unable to gain internet access, we recommend trying the following steps:

1. Make sure your mobile data is turn on and wifi/airplane mode is turned off.
2. Check your signal to see if the issue might be related to your current service. This can be found at the top of your device screen, and should display Signal bars with the 3G or 4G designation. 3G service will run slower and may have difficulty accessing the internet in some poor signal strength areas.
   
3. T-Mobile (GSM) customers
   Make sure your APNs are set up by going to Settings > More > Mobile/Cellular Networks > Access Point Names (APNs),
   If you do not see an option that says pwg, select the (+) on the top right of your screen.
   Find and select name and Type in pwg, select OK
   Find and Select APN and type in pwg, select ok. Leave all others Blank.
   Select the three dots on the top right of your screen and select save. This will take you back to the APN screen. Make sure pwg is selected and click your home button and try to access the internet.
4. Sprint customers
   Try dialing ##72786# into your dial pad and this does a carrier reset (No personal info will be lost). Your device will go through a series of updates. Please allow 5 minutes for this to complete and then try using the internet.

If you are experiencing issues making calls from your device, you should first check your minute balance by logging into your online account or dialing 611 from your Lifeline device. If you are out of minutes it will prompt you to refill.

Sprint customers who have minutes available can try the following troubleshooting steps:

1. Dial ##72786# into your dial pad and this does a carrier reset (No personal info will be lost) and your device will go through a series of updates. Please allow 5 minutes for this to complete and then try making an outbound call.

If you do not have internet access and the issue is also preventing you from connecting to 611, you can contact customer service to help you troubleshoot.

If you are experiencing issues with your messaging from your service provider, we first recommend checking your text and/or data balance(s). Please note that data is required for sending picture (MMS) messages.

You can check your balances by:

• Calling 611 from your Lifeline device and following the automated prompts.
• Logging into your online account  from an alternate device.
• Login to the Assist Wireless Mobile App, available for download through the Google Play store.

If you are out of text and/or data you can obtain a refill by more using any of the above methods. If you would like to send a picture message but do not have data available, please connect to the nearest wifi (available at many fast food and coffee chains).

If you have text  available but still are unable to send and/or receive texts, we recommend trying the following steps:

1. Check your signal to see if the issue might be related to your current service. Make sure that your phone is not in Airplane mode or displaying “No Service”.
   
2. T-Mobile (GSM) customers
   Make sure your APNs are set up by going to Settings > More > Mobile/Cellular Networks > Access Point Names (APNs),
   If you do not see an option that says Whole, select the (+) on the top right of your screen.
   Find and select name and Type in Wholesale, select OK
   Find and Select APN and type in Wholesale, select ok. Leave all others Blank.
   Select the three dots on the top right of your screen and select save. This will take you back to the APN screen. Make sure Wholesale is selected and click your home button and try to access the internet.
3. Sprint customers
   Try dialing ##72786# into your dial pad and this does a carrier reset (No personal info will be lost). Your device will go through a series of updates. Please allow 5 minutes for this to complete and then try using the internet.

If you are experiencing an issue related to registering for an online account, please check to make sure you are entering all information as it is requested at registration. If you are receiving an error message, please report it to customer service for further assistance.

To view your Lifeline plan details, login to your online account. Your Plan Description will be under “Plan & Account Info”, found underneath your talk, text, data balances.