Have you taken out the old Sim card from the old phone?

I prefer to buy my phones online and then I take them to my service provider to set up. They transfer all the important stuff from my old phone to my new one. So I think you need to upgrade your plan before you can use your new phone. You also have to be sure the new phone is compatible with their network.

I'd probably take the SIM out of the old phone, put it in the new, start it up and see if I get service. (might take a few minutes?)

I'm not a phone person though, so that may or may not work.

Different size SIM. Different network, phone locked to a different carrier, maybe something else I don't know about.

https://justaskthales.com/us/can-i-move-my-cell-phone-service-just-moving-my-sim-new-phone/

Since you bought a new SIM card for the new phone - and presumably you bought the new SIM card from Black Wireless - you need to contact Black Wireless and have them switch your service from the old SIM card to the new one.

https://www.blackwireless.com/contact

I agree your provider should be the best source of info on how to do that.

I just follow the instructions from my provider every time I switch and haven't had any problems.

Good luck!

Thanks, all!

I'll get in touch with Black Wireless. The old SIM is too big for the new phone, which is why I bought a new card. Yes, the new phone will work with Black Wireless, which uses AT&T towers.

It never occurred to me to remove the SIM card from the old phone. Duh. I'll do that after I take it for what I hope will be its last adventure in the car today. :-)

Alisande, we just had the same issue

My husband bought a new cellphone thinking we could just put the old SIM in his new phone. You probably have a MICRO SIM and need a NANO SIM. We went into an AT&T store and they switched everything over and put in the new SIM card.

Removing the SIM from the old phone isn't going to help. You need Black Wireless to switch the service from the old SIM to the new SIM to 1) keep your phone number and 2) transfer whatever is left of the current 90 days of service.

Alisande, this is not what you asked, but do you know that you can get a cell signal on your phone in your home if you set the phone to connect to your wi-fi?

You don’t have to remove the card from your old phone.

Your provider will want the serial numbers of your new phone and maybe card, they will disconnect your old one and transfer everything to your new.

I can do this online through our provider, easy peasy.

I agree with the above. Call your provider or visit their website. There should be a step by step procedure for upgrading a phone since people do it every day.

Just adding a couple things I just learned...

Apparently, not only can a person put a smaller SIM in an adaptor to increase its size but they can also trim a SIM to a smaller size:

You can resort to scissors (probably need better eyes than I) or use a special "SIM cutter": https://smile.amazon.com/Aerb-Nano-Micro-Nano-Standard-Micro-Standard-Cellphones/dp/B009P16FKY

But I'd still make the call, or visit my provider's website. That would probably be easier if not faster.

Still, I think it's nice/interesting to know that this can be done. :)

I know a couple of people who successfully cut their SIM card to fit the new phone, but I was intimidated by the instructions that came with my new phone: DO NOT CUT THE SIM CARD!!!! :-)

Georgia, I did not know that about connecting my cell phone to wi-fi, but this perhaps explains why my son wants me hook up with Google Voice, or whatever it's called. He said I'll be able to text more from home, among other things. I wouldn't want to lose the ability to use my phone if the power goes out, however. When that happens, I lose wi-fi. I can still take my phone outside, and with a little creative posturing (think yoga's Sun Salutation) I can usually get a signal. I might also get wet.

" ... the power goes out, however. When that happens, I lose wi-fi. ... "

I have my computer and modem plugged into a UPS. The computer (with big TV as display) won't run very long on the UPS (maybe an hour) but usually the modem by itself will stay up a long long time. Usually, I can maintain internet (especially if I shut my computer down and only use my phone) until the power comes back on. Of course, my solution comes at a cost but it also (hopefully) helps protect equipment.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06VY6FXMM

Yeah, if the instructions for the new phone specifically state: "DO NOT CUT THE SIM CARD!!!!", I wouldn't give that much chance of working. :)

Hmm - I set my phone to switch from mobile to wifi or vice versa when the other is unavailable - would that not work for a wifi enabled telephone app?

And FWIW, on iOS you can make calls to people via wifi using Facetime - no phone service involved. I do that on my iPod Touch. For Android, there's the Google Duo app, but I haven't tried that yet because everybody I call has iPhones. I'm the odd one out with my Samsung phone.

Richard, at first I didn't know what you meant by UPS (I figured it wasn't United Parcel Service), but then I remembered I have one in my bedroom. It died some time ago but is still sitting there because it's so heavy! It was expensive when it was new, but I have something even more valuable . . . when the power goes out my son shows up with my generator. :-) But I mentioned the phone because I like to call the power company to report the outage immediately when it happens. I keep an older "princess phone" in the cupboard for that purpose, but often the telephone company--four miles away--goes down as well.

Carol, that would be ideal--if I could toggle back and forth between mobile and wi-fi. I have an Android phone too, and I know what you mean about all the friends with iPhones. What's wrong with those people??? LOL

I have a really dumb cell phone also. One that doesn't execute commands I select.

You don't need Google Voice to use the WiFi in your home to boost your signal (in fact, you can connect your phone to any WiFi anywhere as long as either it is not password protected or you have the password- that's one attraction of places like McDonalds which offer free WiFi, you don't have to use the credit on your phone if you're using their WiFi :-) ). And if your WiFi goes out due to a power outage, you can still use your phone as normal.

Connecting your phone to WiFi involves turning WiFi on in your phone's settings (and entering your WiFi password if you have one). If you're near your WiFi, your phone will automatically connect to it, if not, it will get the phone signal normally.

Alisande, I have my phone (android) set to wi-fi connect. Once I leave my wifi area, it automatically reconnects (or searches for) the cell network (Verizon in my case). It is seamless.

Alisande, I don't know if you are aware, but those big UPS units have batteries in them. Most can have the batteries replaced when they quit charging. Don't throw them away with out checking if all they need is a new battery.

Thanks, Raven. I think I knew that at some point. This one is in my bedroom because I used to have a desktop computer in that room. It wouldn't serve any purpose now, at least not there. I'll have to ask my son what he wants to do with it. I've seen these units selling on eBay, even without batteries, so maybe that's a possibility.

Alisande, I just wanted to say that I agree with you about not dealing with calls when you are out and about. I remember when the "new" phone services were invented, like call waiting. We used to call it "interrupt-a-call." I love being unreachable. When Ram Dass wrote Be Here Now, I'm sure he would have been shocked at just how "not here" people were going to become in the future.

Jupidupi, yes! And "not here" is a good way to put the current state of behaviors. Unfortunately.

Just wanted to chime in that Google Duo is very easy to use. There is also a flavor of the app in the apple store for i-device users so it will work across platforms.

The price of a UPS has gone down and they are much lighter weight. Definitely worth checking into for your internet connection equipment so if the power goes out you still have your connection capabilities.

I'm a little confused. (No surprise there--ha!) I use in-store (or in-parking lot) wi-fi a lot with my present phone. It enables me to get on the internet if I need to. But will connecting my phone to my home wi-fi enable me to make calls and send texts from inside the house?

Yes. You can use the WiFi at home or at public spots. You may have to set your WiFi ‘settings’ during initial setup..

For public WiFi:

1. Open your phone's Settings app.
2. Tap Network & internet Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi preferences.
3. Turn on Connect to public networks.