Thinking about switching carriers to search for a better deal or faster data? Verizon is still offering their free 30-day 5G trial, which means you can temporarily use your unlocked or Verizon-compatible phone on their full 5G network, with no contracts or commitments. We'll show you how to get started.
Download the My Verizon app
The first and easiest step to get started with the free trial is to download the My Verizon app from the Play Store. Verizon runs all of their account management and eligibility checking with their app, making sure your phone actually works on the network.
Keep in mind that while unlocked and broadly compatible phones are much more common in the US these days, they're not all going to work on Verizon's network, and they may not fully support Verizon's 5G network. That initial check is to make sure you'll be able to have a good experience during the trial, but you'll need a relatively newer phone from Samsung, Motorola, Google, or Apple to take advantage of the trial due to eSIM compatibility.
After tapping the Try Verizon button on the first page of the app, you'll be prompted to set up a Verizon account. It'll ask for a few details, but won't ask you to sign a service contract or run a credit check at this point. If your phone can support eSIM activation, you'll be prompted to activate the new Verizon number that way; the trial doesn't include physical SIM cards anymore.
How does the 5G trial work?
You'll get full access to Verizon's 5G network, but it's not an entirely unlimited trial. There are a few things to keep in mind:
- Up to 30 days on Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband (on compatible phones), 5G Nationwide and 4G LTE, on us
- Unlimited talk and text
- Up to 100 GB of 4G/5G data with Verizon’s premium network experience
- 480p streaming on 4G LTE and 5G Nationwide; 4K streaming on 5G Ultra Wideband
So as you can see, you only get 100GB of high-speed data, and streaming is restricted to 480p unless you're using their relatively limited 5G Ultra Wideband network. International features also don't work at all; this trial is only for use in the United States. Not bad at all for a commitment-free trial, but just a few things to keep in mind.
You'll also get a new, temporary number from Verizon. This means you won't lose your existing number, but you will lose this temporary number at the end of the trial. At that point, you'll either need to port your old number to Verizon or get another new number when you select your Verizon plan, with the trial number getting filtered back into the pool of trial numbers that Verizon uses.
If you have a compatible phone, this is an extremely quick and easy way to test out another network without the risk of porting your number over to a new carrier that doesn't work for you. Verizon's network offers a ton of coverage and typically good data speeds, but it never hurts to check.
Have you thought about switching carriers?
