How Do I Activate My New Phone with AT&T?

If you have purchased a new AT&T phone online or in the store, you can check your phone upon delivery to see if it has already been activated by trying to make a call or using Wi-Fi immediately. You can go online to complete the activation process if the phone has not been activated. In-store purchases are activated at the time of purchase by the customer service representative.

After you purchase a new phone with AT&T, you want to start using it as soon as possible. How do you activate your new phone with AT&T? You can get information and assistance by calling AT&T customer support here, and below are ways you can activate your new phone.

Activating Your New Phone

You can activate your new AT&T phone online, over the phone or you can have your new phone activated in person.

Online Activation

First Step

You want to make sure the SIM isn't already activated if you ordered your AT&T phone online. To see if the SIM is already active, do the following:

Insert the SIM card in the phone. Note: not all AT&T phones have a removable SIM card, so the activation steps will be different.
Open "Device support" on your phone.
Select "confirm" or select "change your device."
Choose "View all Solutions."
Tap on "Insert SIM card."
Try to make a call or use Wi-Fi. If either of those works, your SIM has already been activated and your new phone is ready to use.

Next Step

If you cannot make a call or use Wi-Fi, you will need to activate your phone. To activate your new AT&T phone or SIM card online, follow these steps:

Open the AT&T website.
Choose "Activate Your Device" to start wireless service.
Enter all the information requested.
Click on "Continue."
Follow all the steps that come up to complete the activation process.
You should now be able to use your AT&T phone.

Over the Phone Activation

If you still cannot make phone calls or use Wi-Fi after following the above steps, call customer support here to assist you in activating your new AT&T phone. You can also call customer service to walk you through the activation process if you do not wish to go online or to an AT&T store.

In-Store Activation

If you purchase your new phone in an AT&T store, the customer support representative will activate the phone for you before you leave the store. The representative will make sure the phone is working properly before you leave to avoid any issues with your AT&T service. Additionally, if you ordered your phone online and are having difficulty activating it, you can take it to your nearest AT&T store for assistance in completing the activation process.

Activating your new AT&T phone can be done online or in-store at the time of purchase. Most AT&T phones ship already activated, so all you have to do is either insert the SIM card or turn it on to start using it, and in-store purchases are activated at the time of purchase. For more information and assistance, contact AT&T customer support here.

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