KEEP YOUR NUMBER
Text PAC to 65075
Your current provider must reply within one minute with a code that is valid for 30 days. Give it to your new provider and they move your number.
Find your code
WHAT THE RULES SAY
One text,
new network.
Your number can come with you.
In the UK you no longer have to phone your old provider and argue to leave. A free text gets you a code, and Ofcom rules say the new network must finish the switch within one working day.
PAC TO 65075 to keep your number
Find your code- Text for a free code
- Switch in a working day
- Guard the number
- Small steps, same number
THE SHORT ANSWER
Ask by text,
not by phone call.
Ofcom rules cover the code, the timing
and the charges when you move.
NEW SIM
Pop in the new card
Providers cannot sell locked phones, so your handset should work on the new network. A SIM-only provider may send a new SIM to swap in for the old one.
How to switch
STAY SAFE
Guard your number
In SIM swap fraud a criminal tricks a provider into moving your number to their SIM, so your texts and login codes go to them.
Warning signs
FOUR STEPS TO SWITCH
Same number,
new network.
The whole process can be done from the phone in your hand. Nothing here needs a call centre unless your account has several numbers.
Check what you owe
Text INFO to 85075 or read the details your provider sends, such as early termination charges.
Get your code
Text PAC to 65075 to keep your number, or STAC to 75075 to take a new one. It is valid for 30 days.
Give it to the new provider
You can sign up first and pass the code on later, as long as it has not expired.
Swap the SIM if needed
The new provider must complete the switch within one working day, and any loss of service must not last longer.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Why the rules
changed.
Ofcom's 2017 review found switching
was too hard and too costly.
1in 4
Switchers who had major difficulties
Ofcom found a quarter of people who switched mobile provider had major difficulties, around 1.7 million people. It required the new text-based process by 1 July 2019.
SWITCHING PROBLEMS · OFCOM 2017
≈ £10m a year
Notice charges paid after switching
Notice period charges after the switch came to around £10 million a year in unwanted double payments, so Ofcom banned them after the switching date.
DOUBLE PAYING · OFCOM 2017
Ofcom's ban on selling locked handsets took effect on 17 December 2021. It said unlocking had cost around £10 and put off more than a third of people who decided against switching.
A QUICK CODE FINDER
What do you
want to do?
Pick your situation to see which free text or step applies. The bar shows how much there is to do, from a single text to calling your provider straight away.
Based on Ofcom consumer guidance on switching mobile provider and Get Safe Online advice on SIM swap fraud. General information only.
SIM SWAP FRAUD
Your number is
a key to accounts.
Many accounts send one-time login codes by text. If a criminal persuades a provider to move your number to their SIM, those codes go to them. Get Safe Online lists the signs: your phone shows No Service or cannot send texts, and you see password reset or sign-in alerts.
It suggests authenticator apps instead of text codes where you can, a security PIN on your mobile account if your provider offers one, and calling your provider immediately if you suspect a swap. Fraud can be reported to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
Questions
Questions people ask
How do I keep my number when I switch?
Text PAC to 65075. Ofcom says your provider must reply within one minute with a code valid for 30 days, which you give to your new provider.
How long does switching take?
Ofcom rules say the new provider must complete the switch within one working day, and any loss of service must not last longer than one working day.
Do I pay for my old contract after switching?
Your old provider must not charge a notice period after the switching date. You may still owe early termination charges, which your provider must tell you about.
What is an eSIM?
It is a GSMA specification for loading a mobile subscription onto a device remotely, so setup needs no card to insert or replace. It lets a device store more than one operator profile.
I cancelled without keeping my number. Is it gone?
Not always. Ofcom says that in most cases you can transfer your number within one month of cancelling. Ask your old provider for a PAC by phone or on its website.
Sources
- Ofcom: Switching mobile phone provider
- Ofcom: Mobile companies now banned from selling locked handsets
- Ofcom statement: Consumer switching (19 December 2017)
- GSMA: What is eSIM for consumer?
- Get Safe Online: What is SIM swap fraud and how can you protect yourself
Updated