How To Switch Phones On Google Fi: Lost, Broken, Upgrade (2026)

You have a new phone, a broken one or a lost one, and you need your Google Fi number working on a different device.

The process is straightforward when the old phone still works, and only slightly longer when it does not.

This guide covers the Fi app transfer, the lost-phone steps, eSIM and SIM differences, and the fixes for activation trouble.

Which switching scenario are you in?

Your situation	Main step	Old phone needed?
Upgrading to a new phone	Install the Fi app on the new phone and choose transfer service	Helpful, not required
Moving to an iPhone	Use the Fi app and Google’s iOS setup page to add the eSIM	Delete its old Fi eSIM if it still works
Phone is broken	Move the SIM, or set up the Fi app on the new phone	No
Phone is lost or stolen	Secure the account, pause service, then activate the new phone	No

What do you need before you switch?

Google says the new phone must be unlocked and must not run anything other than Android or iOS.

Compatibility: run the phone through Google’s compatibility checker, which reports Fully compatible, Compatible or Not compatible.
Unlocked phone: phones bought from Google Fi or the Google Store are already unlocked, and for others you should ask your carrier.
Wi-Fi: Google recommends a reliable Wi-Fi connection during setup.
Google account: sign in with the same account you use for Fi.

How do you switch to a new Android phone?

Google’s switching page describes the Android route as installing the Fi app, signing in and selecting the transfer service option.

Connect the new phone to Wi-Fi.
Install the Google Fi app and sign in with your Fi Google account.
Choose transfer service and follow the prompts.
Wait for the eSIM to download, or insert your physical SIM if the phone uses one.
Restart your old phone so it stops using your number.

Google says you should get an email confirmation once the transfer is done.

How do you switch to an iPhone?

The iPhone route is more involved, because the Fi eSIM is added through Google’s setup page.

A July 2023 Android Authority guide describes the sequence below, so confirm it against Google’s current transfer guide before you start.

On the old iPhone, delete the old Fi eSIM under Settings > Cellular.
On a computer or tablet, open Google’s Fi iOS quick setup page to get a QR code.
On the new iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > Add Cellular Plan and scan the code.
Open the Fi app, sign in and finish activation.

Check first: Google’s help page says to delete older Fi eSIM profiles only if you have no connection on either the current or previous phone.

What if your phone is lost or stolen?

Google’s Fi help page lists these steps in order, starting with finding or securing the device.

Use Android Device Manager from a browser or another Android device to locate, ring, lock or erase the phone.
Pause Fi service from the Home tab under Your Plan > Manage plan > Pause service.
Change the password for the Google Account used on the phone.
Start a claim if you have Pixel Care+ or Google Fi device protection.
Resume service and activate the new phone in the Fi app.

Locate, lock and erase commands only take effect when the lost phone is on and online.

What does pausing service do?

Question	Answer
Do you keep your number?	Yes
What stops?	Calls, texts, data, hotspot and tethering
Do device protection charges continue?	Yes, along with financing charges
When does service resume on its own?	After 3 months
How do you resume early?	Tap Resume service in the Fi app or website

On Unlimited plans, Google says you are billed through the end of the current billing cycle, even if you pause.

What if your phone is broken?

If the SIM tray is accessible, move a physical SIM into the new phone and follow the activation prompts.

If you use an eSIM, set up the Fi app on the new phone with the same Google account instead.

If you cannot sign in to your Google account, you may need to use Google’s account recovery first.

eSIM or physical SIM?

Type	How you get it	Good for
eSIM	Downloaded by the Fi app, no card needed	Most newer phones
Physical SIM	Free card shipped to you or picked up at a Google store	Phones without eSIM support

Google notes that Pixel 2 and newer phones that support Fi use eSIM.

Fi will not activate: what to try

Google’s activation help page gives this basic order of fixes.

Restart the phone and reinstall the Fi app.
For a physical SIM, power off, remove the SIM and reinsert it properly.
For an eSIM, delete older Fi eSIM profiles to avoid conflicts.
On Android, clear the Fi app’s storage in Settings; on iPhone, delete and reinstall the app.
Restart again and retry activation.

If you see activation error codes such as T144, T090 or T120, Google points to its activation troubleshooter.

Data or texting not working after the switch

For Android data or texting problems, Google says to check that the APN is set to h2g2-t, with the MMSC matching Google’s value.

Resetting network settings clears Wi-Fi passwords, cellular settings and VPN configurations, so use it only as a last resort.

If your Galaxy has SIM trouble, our guide to a Samsung Galaxy SIM card not detected may help.

Symptom-to-fix table

What you see	Try this
Activation fails	Check Wi-Fi, restart the phone and reinstall the Fi app
Error code T144, T090 or T120	Use Google’s activation troubleshooter
Old eSIM conflicts	Delete older Fi eSIM profiles, then retry
No data or MMS	Check the APN settings
Phone is not compatible	Check the compatibility checker for limits
Nothing works	Call Google Fi support at 1-844-TALK2Fi or use the Fi app

When should you contact Google Fi?

Google lists 1-844-TALK2Fi for speaking with a Fi expert, and the Fi support contact page as the other route.

Contact support if billing, device protection or a blocked device is involved, because Google’s lost-phone page does not cover those details.

If your phone came from another store, the manufacturer may also need to help.