How-to
How to Switch Phone Providers in Canada and Keep Your Number
Sign up first, never cancel first. How to move your number to a new provider in Canada, what leaving costs and the 15-day trial rule.
To switch phone providers in Canada and keep your number, sign up with the new provider first and ask them to transfer (port) your number. Do not cancel your old plan. The new provider requests the transfer, and your old account closes on its own when it goes through, usually within a few hours. You need your phone number, your old account number, and an unlocked phone.
Switch in 5 steps
- Check your phone is unlocked and the IMEI is clean.
- Check what you owe on your current phone, if anything.
- Pick a new plan. Do not cancel the old one.
- Give the new provider your number and old account number.
- Activate the new SIM or eSIM and wait for the transfer.
1. Check your phone
- Unlocked? On iPhone, Settings, General, About, Carrier Lock should say "No SIM restrictions". Read what an unlocked phone is. Carriers must unlock phones for free.
- Clean IMEI? Dial *#06# and run our free IMEI check.
- eSIM? If your phone supports it, you can switch without waiting for a SIM card in the mail.
2. Check what you owe
If your phone is on financing or a device balance, leaving early means paying the rest of that balance. Under the CRTC Wireless Code, that is the most your carrier can charge to cancel. If your phone is paid off, or you are on prepaid, you owe nothing to leave.
Paying off the phone balance can still be worth it. If the new plan saves $25 a month, that is $300 a year. Do the math with our phone plan comparer.
3. Pick your new plan
No credit check
Our prepaid plans start at $22 per 30 days.
More data
Our postpaid plans go from 20 GB to unlimited.
New phone too
See our phones on 0% financing, paired with a postpaid plan.
Compare everyone
Our phone plan comparer checks plans across Canadian carriers every week.
Not sure which type? Read prepaid vs postpaid.
4. Transfer your number
- Gather the info: your phone number, your old account number (on your bill or in the account app) and the name on the account.
- Give it to the new provider when you sign up. They send the transfer request. You do not call your old provider.
- Keep the old SIM in until the new one works. Calls and texts keep coming to the old SIM during the transfer.
- Done: the new SIM or eSIM gets service, and your old account closes automatically.
Do not cancel your old plan before the transfer. Once the old account is closed, the number can be released and you may lose it for good.
5. After the switch
- Restart the phone and test a call, a text and mobile data.
- Check that iMessage, FaceTime and WhatsApp still show your number.
- Watch for a final bill from your old provider. Prepaid balances are usually not refunded, so switch near the end of your term.
- Changed your mind? If the new plan has an early cancellation fee, the Wireless Code gives you a trial of at least 15 days. Cancel in that time with less than half of the monthly allowance used, and return any phone in near-new condition, with no penalty.
Questions people ask
How long does it take to transfer a phone number in Canada?
Usually a few hours for a mobile-to-mobile transfer. It can take longer if the account details do not match.
Do I cancel my old plan before switching?
No. Never cancel first. The transfer closes the old account for you.
Does it cost money to keep my number?
Canadian providers do not normally charge to move your number to them. You may still owe the rest of a phone balance on your old account.
Can I switch from prepaid to postpaid and keep my number?
Yes. Prepaid and postpaid numbers transfer the same way.
Can I switch providers if my phone is not paid off?
Yes, but the remaining phone balance is due when the old account closes.
Do I need a new phone to switch?
No. Any unlocked phone works. See how bring-your-own-phone plans work.
Will I lose my contacts and photos?
No. Switching providers does not touch the data on your phone. Moving to a new phone too? Read how to transfer your data.
What is the 15-day trial in the Wireless Code?
If a new plan has an early cancellation fee, you get a trial of at least 15 days. Cancel within it, with less than half of the monthly allowance used and any phone returned in near-new condition, and there is no penalty.
Rules: the CRTC Wireless Code. Our plan prices checked October 23, 2026, before tax.
Ready to switch? See our prepaid plans, postpaid plans or phones on 0% financing.
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