Transferring your mobile number to a new phone

Transferring your mobile phone number - myths busted

Still, have some queries or concerns about keeping your phone number? We field some of the most frequently asked questions in this section.

Will I lose service?

The porting process is designed to minimise the time you'll be without a service.

After you've supplied your new network with the PAC code, your old number will remain active. That means you'll still receive calls and texts.

However, when the number transfer is actually being processed, your service may be unavailable for a very short time.

When that happens, turn off and restart your handset for full service to be restored.

Can I transfer a disconnected number?

You cannot transfer disconnected numbers, so do not cancel your existing contract if you wish to port your mobile number.

What happens if my PAC code expires?

In the event that you don't get around to using your PAC code within the 30-day deadline for usage, there's nothing to worry about.

But you will have to contact the network you're leaving to request another PAC code, which you can then use to transfer your number.

How do I transfer my apps, music and games to my new phone?

If you've read the walkthrough above, you'll now know what you've got to do to port your existing number to the network you're joining.

However, when buying a new phone, you'll likely want to transfer all your apps, games, movies, music, and settings from your old phone as well.

That'll mean making a backup of your current phone, and then setting up your new phone using the backup.

To help you, we talk you through the process with our one-stop guides:

• Backing up data from an iPhone
• Backing up data from an Android phone

How do I transfer my contacts to my new phone?

Inputting hundreds of contact details into a new phone is no one's idea of fun.

To make sure that's not a plight that affects you, it's critical that you back up your contacts that are on your old SIM before you start using your new one.

The first step is to check whether your contacts are saved on your SIM or on your phone.

The surefire way to do this is to simply take your SIM out. If you can still see your contacts, it means they're saved on your phone. Can't see them? That means they're on the SIM.

Assuming they're saved on the phone that you'll no longer be using, you'll need to back them up. We'd recommend using a cloud storage service. Or, if you've got an Android phone, you might be able to use a microSD card.

In the event that they're stored on the phone and you're keeping your old phone and just switching to a new SIM only deal on a new network, you don't need to do anything. Simply input the new SIM in your phone, and your contacts will be there.

If they're stored on your SIM, you'll need to transfer them so they're stored on your phone.

This is easy enough to do. Just head to the settings section of your handset, and you should find an option to 'copy contacts' or 'import contacts'.

I've heard I can request my PAC code by text message. Is that correct?

It is. As we mentioned earlier, as of 1st July 2019, you can request your PAC code just by sending a text message to 65075.

The telecoms regulator has introduced the 'Text to Switch' system with the intention of streamlining the switching process.

The key advantage is that you'll no longer have to phone your provider and speak to a sales rep from the network you're leaving, whose job it is to persuade you to stay.