How to get a number transfer PIN from Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Cricket, Xfinity and Spectrum

Your current carrier issues a number transfer PIN from its app or website, and on Verizon, AT&T and Cricket you can also dial a short code: #PORT on Verizon, *PORT on AT&T and Cricket. The PIN expires quickly: 7 days on Verizon, 5 on Cricket, 4 on AT&T, 72 hours on Spectrum and 24 hours on Xfinity. Get it on the day you start the switch, not the week before. This page is each carrier’s own support instructions, read on September 22, 2026.

How long does each carrier’s transfer PIN last?

The new carrier asks for the PIN and your account number when you start the transfer. Don’t cancel your old service first, and don’t give the PIN to anyone but the carrier you’re moving to. If you turned on a number or account lock to protect against SIM-swap fraud, turn it off first: AT&T’s page says a number can’t be transferred while Wireless Account Lock is on, and T-Mobile’s Port Out Protection works the same way.

How do you get a transfer PIN from Verizon?

From Verizon’s port-out FAQs:

• Dial #PORT from the phone with the number you’re moving; Verizon texts a link that opens the PIN page in My Verizon, or
• In My Verizon (app or website), go to the Create Your Number Transfer PIN page and select Generate PIN, or
• Call 800-922-0204, or visit a Verizon store.

You have to be signed in as the Account Owner or Account Manager, on a standard monthly account. The PIN expires after 7 days, and one PIN covers the whole account, so tell the new carrier which lines to move. Verizon says it doesn’t charge a fee for moving a number, but any remaining device payment balance has to be paid off.

How do you get a transfer PIN from AT&T?

From AT&T’s support article:

• Dial *PORT from your AT&T phone and follow the prompts; the PIN arrives by text. You’ll need your account passcode.
• Online: sign in, open Settings, scroll to Transfer phone number and choose Request new PIN.
• In the AT&T app: tap your profile icon, then Settings, Manage or remove account, Settings, and Request new PIN under Transfer phone number.

The PIN expires after 4 days (14 for business accounts) and is the same for every number on the account.

How do you get a transfer PIN from Cricket?

From Cricket’s Number Transfer PIN page:

• Dial *PORT from your Cricket phone, or
• In the myCricket app: Account Info, then Line Settings, then Get my Number Transfer PIN, or
• Online through your Cricket account, or call 1-800-CRICKET (274-2538).

The PIN is valid for five days, one PIN covers every number on the account, and Cricket says there’s no charge to request it or to transfer your number. The new carrier needs the PIN and your account number, not your account PIN.

How do you get a transfer PIN from T-Mobile?

T-Mobile makes the lock step explicit. From T-Mobile’s transfer page, the Primary Account Holder has to:

1. Turn off Port Out Protection on the line, if it’s on. It’s a free security feature that blocks transfers, it’s set per line, and only the Primary Account Holder can remove it.
2. Generate a Temporary Port Out PIN in the T-Life app or on T-Mobile.com.

Then give the new carrier your T-Mobile account number (on your account or bill), the Temporary Port Out PIN, and your account PIN or passcode. T-Mobile says there’s no charge for transferring numbers. Its page doesn’t say how long the temporary PIN lasts, so generate it when you’re ready to start.

How do you get a transfer PIN from Xfinity Mobile?

Xfinity doesn’t publish a support article for this that I could find. The steps below are an answer from an Xfinity employee on Xfinity’s community forum, posted about a year ago:

1. Sign in to your Xfinity Mobile account online and go to the Devices tab.
2. Select the device with the number you want to move.
3. Scroll to “Transfer your number, cancel this line” and select Learn More.
4. Send a one-time passcode to an active line and enter it.
5. Send yourself the security PIN by text.

The PIN expires in 24 hours and works for any number on the account. Because it’s a forum answer rather than a support article, check the steps in your own account. I ported out of Xfinity Mobile myself, and this section will carry my own steps and dates once that write-up is published.

How do you get a transfer PIN from Spectrum Mobile?

From Spectrum’s support article:

1. Make sure a mobile contact number is listed on your account first.
2. Sign in to your Spectrum account or the My Spectrum app, select Services, then Mobile, and choose the line.
3. Select Get Transfer PIN, choose how to receive a passcode, and enter it.
4. Choose the mobile number to send the PIN to, and select Send and Continue.

The six-digit PIN also appears on screen and is usable for 72 hours. Your account number is at the top of your statement, under the Billing tab. Spectrum says not to cancel your service until the number has transferred.

What else do you need before you start?

The PIN is one of four things. The others are your account number, an unlocked phone, and knowing what you still owe on the device. The switching checklist covers all four in the order they matter, and the calculator shows what the new carrier will actually cost once any intro price ends.

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Instructions read from each carrier’s support pages on September 22, 2026; Xfinity’s from an employee answer on its community forum. Carriers change these menus often. If a step here doesn’t match what you see, the carrier’s page linked above is the one to trust.