MetroPCS is now Metro by T-Mobile. Here is how to get your account number and transfer PIN, and what to do with them when you move your number to another carrier.
Number Transfer PIN
Every Metro account is protected by a 6 to 15 digit Account PIN, and a number cannot be ported without it. Generating a Port-Out PIN requires a one-time PIN sent by text. Turn off Port Out Protection under Account, Account Options, Account Protection. Help: 1-888-863-8768.
Account Number
Your Metro by T-Mobile account number appears in the payment confirmation texts Metro sends after each payment, and in payment details on the Payments page of your account. Total Wireless lists it as a 9-digit number. Call 888-863-8768 if you cannot find it.
MetroPCS is now 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
Some links on this site are affiliate links. Commissions never change which network a carrier is listed under or the order they appear in. Full disclosure.
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 Metro by T-Mobile
Can I keep my phone number when I leave Metro by T-Mobile?
Yes. Federal number portability rules let you take a working number to a new carrier. Metro by T-Mobile cannot refuse the transfer or charge you to release the number.
Should I cancel Metro by T-Mobile before I port my number out?
No. Cancel first and the number is released, which ends your right to move it. Keep the Metro by T-Mobile line active until the new carrier confirms the port completed.
How long does a port out from Metro by T-Mobile take?
A simple wireless transfer usually completes within one business day once the new carrier submits the correct Metro by T-Mobile account number and transfer PIN.
Does Metro by T-Mobile run on its own towers?
Yes. Metro by T-Mobile is T-Mobile’s own prepaid brand and runs on T-Mobile’s towers. T-Mobile combined with MetroPCS in 2013. It is not a reseller.
Cite this page
Sources
BestCellular.com is an independent reference, not a carrier. Metro by T-Mobile does not publish these steps on a page we could read, so the steps above come from the secondary sources below. Confirm them with Metro by T-Mobile before you start. Checked October 13, 2026.
- Metro by T-Mobile: How Metro by T-Mobile Helps Customers Fight Account Takeover Fraud
- Metro by T-Mobile: Protect Your Account
- Mint Mobile: Switch it up, how to bring your phone number to Mint Mobile
- Total Wireless: Carrier List and Info Required to Port Your Number
Carriers change port-out steps without notice. Confirm with Metro by T-Mobile before you start a transfer, and tell us if anything here has changed.
Best Cellular. “MetroPCS Is Now Metro by T-Mobile: Accurate 2026,” BestCellular.com. https://bestcellular.com/metropcs/
Free to reuse with credit. Licence, sources and the full dataset.
Check Metro by T-Mobile before you switch
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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