Number Transfer PIN
Metro is a T-Mobile brand and uses T-Mobile’s Temporary Port Out PIN system. The primary account holder generates it from the account — not from a support agent, and not from your regular account password. Dial 611 from the Metro phone if you cannot reach it online.
Account Number
Your Metro account number, as shown on the account or the bill. It is not your phone number and it is not your PIN. The new carrier needs account number, transfer PIN and billing ZIP code together — all three, exactly as they appear on the account.
It is called Metro by T-Mobile, and it runs on T-Mobile
The brand was MetroPCS until T-Mobile rebranded it. It has not been MetroPCS for years, and it has never had anything to do with Sprint. Metro runs on T-Mobile’s network — the same towers as T-Mobile postpaid, subject to prepaid deprioritisation when the network is busy.
That matters when you shop for a replacement. If T-Mobile coverage is the problem where you live, another T-Mobile-network brand will not fix it. Check which network a carrier actually uses before you compare prices.
How to port your number out of Metro
- Have the primary account holder generate the Number Transfer PIN. Nobody else on the account can do it.
- Confirm Port Out Protection is not blocking you. The primary account holder has to authorise the transfer.
- Collect all three fields: account number, transfer PIN, billing ZIP code.
- Start the port from the new carrier. Never call Metro to cancel first — cancelling releases the number permanently.
- Check the phone is unlocked. Metro follows T-Mobile’s prepaid policy: 365 days since activation, or more than $100 in refills in that period.
If it still fails, work through the five usual causes before you call anyone again.
Check coverage before you port
Metro by T-Mobile runs on the T-Mobile network, so the coverage you get at your address is T-Mobile coverage. Check it on T-Mobile’s own coverage map before you start the transfer.
Your right to keep the number is federal, not a carrier policy. The rule is the FCC’s: Portability: Keeping Your Phone Number When Changing Service Providers.
Working a counter? The Metro by T-Mobile transfer PIN lookup puts these steps on one screen and texts them to the customer.
Same T-Mobile towers, different bill
If you are leaving Metro, stay on T-Mobile coverage
Metro runs on T-Mobile. These brands use the same towers, so your coverage does not change — only the price and how you are treated at capacity.
T-Mobile postpaidSame towers, no prepaid deprioritisationSee how to switch →
Compare every T-Mobile carrierAll brands on T-Mobile towers, in one tableBrowse by network
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Metro by T-Mobile contacts
- From your Metro phone: 611
- T-Mobile care (covers Metro): 1-800-937-8997
- Unlock eligibility: 365 days active, or more than $100 in refills in that period
Questions about leaving Metro by T-Mobile
Is Metro by T-Mobile the same as MetroPCS?
Yes. MetroPCS was rebranded to Metro by T-Mobile. It is the same company and the same T-Mobile network.
Does Metro use the Sprint network?
No, and it never did. Metro runs on T-Mobile. Sprint’s network was retired entirely after the T-Mobile merger.
Why does my Metro port keep getting rejected?
Most often Port Out Protection, which is on by default and requires the primary account holder to authorise the transfer. After that, the usual causes are a wrong account number, an expired PIN or a ZIP code that does not match the account.
Who has to request the transfer PIN?
The primary account holder. Other lines on the account cannot generate it.
How long until my Metro phone unlocks?
365 days after activation, or sooner if the account took more than $100 in refills during that period. That is T-Mobile’s stated prepaid policy.
Check Metro by T-Mobile before you switch
Two free tools. No sign-up, nothing stored on our side.
Metro by T-Mobile APN settings
Metro by T-Mobile runs on the T-Mobile network.
Metro by T-Mobile does not publish APN values on its own site, and updates settings over the air instead.
What to do instead: Metro updates settings over the air. Contact Metro support if data or MMS fails.
Open the full APN settings tool for Metro by T-Mobile
Other carriers on the T-Mobile network
These brands use the same towers as Metro by T-Mobile. Coverage is the same. Price, data priority when the network is busy, and customer service are not.
See which network every US carrier uses · Open the transfer PIN lookup