want to change to iphone

[Andrew307]

Quick question. I want to add an iPhone to my account. If I purchase a Verizon iPhone 4 from a friend, can I add it to my account or does it have to be purchased directly from Verizon?

[Protege]

You can add it to your account. Just some words of wisdom for you. Take the phone on a clean bill of health. What I mean is wipe it of all of it's data. When you set up your phone make sure you complete the initial setup through your primary computer. Before you do any activating, make sure that iTunes is up to date. Make sure you have your contacts backed up on your previous phone and all photos transferred to a computer.

To answer tour original question, you are ok here. Just make sure his phone isn't currently active on any number or reported as a stolen phone with vzw.

[mikedamirault · Accepted solution]

As long as the iPhone is paid off (was purchased at retail price or the contract is over), and the MEID is clear, you should be able to use the iPhone no problem

Do the following to set it up

1.  Download and install iTunes on your computer then run it

2.  If you have not done so already, create an AppleID and password for iTunes/iPhone, if you have already created an AppleID, skip to step 3

3.  With iTunes running, connect the iPhone to your computer

4.  When the iPhone is connected to the computer, a window should pop up saying that the iPhone was not set up on that computer and will give you two options, either to sync as a new iPhone or not to sync at all, select the option to sync it as a new iPhone (this will reset the iPhone to factory defaults, so all apps your friend has downloaded will be deleted)

5.  Once the iPhone has successfully been synced, unplug it from the computer and open the Phone app

6.  Go to the numpad and dial *228 (including the astrisk/star), once the call is activated the numpad will disappear, so at the prompt, tap "keypad" out of the 6 available options, then tap 1 (for activation/programming)

7.  You will hear a message saying to enter your mobile number (the one you want used on that phone) and the last 4 digits of your SSN or an enterprise/corporate ID, dial your mobile number followed by the last 4 digits of your SSN

8.  You will hear a message saying that it is now programming/activating the phone, let the iPhone finish the process and it should give you a messave saying it has successfully activated (both audiable and a message on the screen)

9.  The iPhone should now be ready to use, you may need to put in your AppleID and password on the iPhone that you used in iTunes, then you should be able to download apps and do anything else

[Protege]

Awesome tutorial. Kudos.

[Andrew307]

Excellent. Thanks for a the help! I currently have a HTC thunderbolt on my line. If I activate the iPhone, will it Automatically deactivated my current phone?

[mikedamirault]

As long as the thunderbolt is turned off when you activate the iPhone, the thunderbolt should deactivate itself

[vereyezuhn]

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mikedamirault wrote:

As long as the iPhone is paid off (was purchased at retail price or the contract is over), and the MEID is clear, you should be able to use the iPhone no problem

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Just wanted to add to this. The phone doesn't have to be "paid off" to be used on another line/account. The only thing that would stop someone from using it on another line is if the original owner defaulted payments, did not pay the ETF, or reported it as lost or stolen. Their contract status does not matter at all, nor does the fact that they paid full retail for it or not.