T-Mobile employees are the heart, soul, face and voice of the Un-carrier.

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T-Mobile is growing in customers and employees, which means that there are more opportunities than ever to join the Magenta wave.

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Community

Conscious Coupling: The Pandemic Created a Whole New Dating Persona — and We Have the Data to Prove It!

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Network

If 5G Were &#8230; Gingerbread Houses

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Holiday PSA: How to Thank Someone Best? Just Text!

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Un-carrier

How to Tell Scammers to Take a Hike This Holiday Season

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Offers

T-Mobile Delivers More Choice in Wireless: Now Available at Best Buy Nationwide

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More Is More: Maximizing Minutes with Magenta MAX

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T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile Coming to Walmart

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Devices

Ask a Mobile Expert: How Do You Activate an eSIM Card? (Video)

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Go Back to School and Everything Else with T-Mobile: Get iPhone 12 On Us and 50% Off Family Lines

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The Summer of Scam! (And How to Avoid It)

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digital nomads redefine retirement with T-Mobile

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Digital Nomads and the New Fountain of Youth

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Two years into the T-Mobile-Sprint merger, employees are defining a new era of the Un-carrier. 

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<a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/un-carrier/ceo-mike-sievert-two-year-merger-anniversary">Two years have passed since T-Mobile’s merger with Sprint</a>, and those two years have been more meaningful for employees than anyone imagined. Integrating two companies and cultures is a massive undertaking in itself. Simultaneously, the company and employees were navigating a pandemic with the rest of the world while tackling pain points for T-Mobile customers. Despite the challenges, T-Mobile employees together have paved the way to recent successes (evidenced in the company’s <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/business/t-mobile-q4-2021-earnings">Q4 earnings report</a>, its repeat <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/un-carrier/tmobile-is-1-in-customer-care-by-j-d-power-for-the-ninth-time-in-a-row">J.D. Power wins</a> and <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/network/t-mobiles-5g-leadership-increases-in-opensignals-latest-study">5G leadership</a> with the largest and fastest nationwide 5G network) that benefit consumers and businesses. No wonder Team Magenta is feeling so proud!

T-Mobile employees are the heart, soul, face and voice of the Un-carrier. They are people of all walks of life who’ve continued to bring their best and brightest selves to work no matter what. They are the reason the rule-breaking, customer-loving mission that launched the Un-carrier revolution culminated in the last two years. And they are the reason T-Mobile is now stepping boldly into the future. Each of them embodies a different piece of a new Un-carrier era.

Adam Peoples has had various positions in T-Mobile retail for eight years. Last year he became retail manager at a brand-new store in Brownwood, Texas, a town of about 20,000 that’s dead center in the middle of the state. Before the merger, he says, T-Mobile customers in Brownwood had to drive to Abilene to meet with an in-store Mobile Expert. Now they have a store right there on Commerce Street. He regularly talks about the company values with his team to ensure they’re putting their best foot forward for the business.

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Adam and his crew have been working with many of Brownwood’s older population, some of whom are new to T-Mobile. He tells a story about an older woman who came into his store directly from the AT&T store across the street, where she was fed up with the lack of help. But once Adam and his team gave her their usual special treatment, she switched to T-Mobile on the spot. Then … she lost her phone the very next day! Adam told her to go home and keep looking while he called the phone over and over until she found it. He describes it as empathetic service, and it’s exactly what our customers remember forever.

“What the new Un-carrier era means to me is exactly where I am now,” Adam says. “I’m in one of those small-town rural markets where customers are limited to what options they have. Now that we’ve been able to deploy so much 5G spectrum, we can start entering into spaces that we weren’t in before.”

When it comes to 5G, the merger has allowed T-Mobile to take huge steps toward industry-leading broad-spectrum coverage, including deep 2.5 GHz holdings that are ideal for mobile broadband. This is the technical side of integration, and it’s one of the company’s greatest post-merger assets.

“The merger created a host of opportunities to take the lead in the marketplace,” says Azmal Khan, a senior manager of engineering radio-frequency deployment on the Network team. Azmal took on a special assignment in 2020 as the Tri Los Angeles integration lead, developing integration and spectrum strategies for the area in close coordination with the regional and the national teams.

“Upgrading our sites to make them 2.5 compatible has been our focus,” he says. “We save millions by decommissioning the sites we will not need for the new T-Mobile network and leveraging the ones where we need coverage and capacity. With the combination of added Sprint sites and the 194 MHz of spectrum we got in the merger, we’ll drive competition for years to come.”

Kendra Lord knows all about beating the competition. As director of geospatial engineering and analytics on the Home Internet team, she knew people were fed up with Big Cable and the ISPs, “but the scale to which people hate their internet is amazing,” she says.

T-Mobile is changing that. Kendra partners with the Network team to determine underserved locations where we can establish consistent, quality internet service for brand-new customers.

Kendra’s team has helped boost sales of T-Mobile Home Internet, and they’re not letting up. Just ask Paisley Madison, a director who leads acquisition marking for the Home Internet team. While most ISPs and cable giants lock customers into contracts and bundles, Paisley is busy rescuing many of the 40 million people in the U.S. who still <a href="https://broadbandnow.com/research/fcc-broadband-overreporting-by-state">don’t have any access to home internet</a>, along with the nearly 15 percent of U.S. households that <a href="https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/#/area-comparison?version=dec2020&tech=acfow&speed=25_3&searchtype=county">have just one choice</a>.

Paisley’s team made a huge marketing bet on a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pr_TduMieM">T-Mobile Home Internet ad</a> for February’s Super Bowl, and it paid off. The ad resulted in more than 41 million views and 90 million impressions, delivering an immediate boost in sales. As the team was generating leads, they were also tracking the number of web visits, lead forms, sales and more.

“It’s the combination of this industry opportunity, an incredibly simple value prop and a maniacal focus on marketing performance that we feel is driving our success,” Paisley says.

The merger moved her team’s thinking from Could this business work? to We’re going to make it work. And she believes connecting people carries larger social implications.

“I feel like we’re delivering more than internet to people who don’t have choice,” she says. “We’re delivering equity.”

When it comes to delivering equity, T-Mobile employees rally behind <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/business/education/project-10-million">Project 10Million</a>. The $10.7B initiative launched in 2020 to create more equitable access to online education, and the timing couldn’t have been better. To date, the company and Project 10Million have connected about 3.2 million students and over 1,500 school districts across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

Scott Ibaraki, a senior marketing manager for Project 10Million, says the program was “born out of the merger to help close the digital divide and the homework gap.” He joined the Cause Marketing team in December 2020 and immediately witnessed the initiative’s impact. “Every week, I make sure to remember that every single incremental enrollment in Project 10Million is one more household with students who now have reliable access to the internet,” he says.

He recalls a 2021 <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/05/us/remote-learning-education-pandemic.html?smid=em-share">New York Times article</a> about an 11-year-old in rural Mississippi struggling to keep up in a remote learning environment without dependable internet at home. Scott’s colleague, Elisabeth Rivers, immediately reached out to the family and helped them sign up for Project 10Million. The program was created to solve the homework gap, and this team is actually making it happen for real people wherever there is need in the country.

“I see the ‘new era’ as an opportunity for us to make some of the wild dreams we’ve had for the program actually come true,” Scott says. “It means that senior leadership is in full support of our mission and is ready to empower us to make huge strides in closing the digital divide. It means we’re not only talking the talk, but we’re walking the walk as a leader in the telecom industry.”

The fact that T-Mobile is growing in customers and employees means that there are more opportunities than ever to join the Magenta wave. The company brought on more than 15,000 new hires in 2021 and is continuing to add diverse talent.

As senior manager for T-Mobile’s <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/community/successful-returnship-program-returns-2022">TechX Returnship program</a>, Joanne de Guzman is focused on bringing new folks into the magenta fold. She helps qualified candidates with gaps in their resumes — mainly software and architectural engineers — transition back into the workforce.

“I call the TechX Returnship program our hidden gem of talent,” Joanne says.

A lot of these highly educated, highly experienced people are mothers, people of color and veterans who have been overlooked elsewhere, and they bring unique and diverse assets to the company. She says the best feeling is when Returnship participants transition to permanent positions. After a few months of work, managers are often surprised to learn that these employees had any kind of break at all in their work history. She’s especially keen on the fact that Returnship participants often come from outside tech hubs, in small towns or suburbs.

Joanne and the entire Returnship program are intent on adding new elements to Team Magenta. Hers is a beautiful, expansive vision of the Un-carrier spirit and a bright, beaming signal of what’s to come.

“A new era for me means an era that is inclusive,” she says. “Something really focused on not repeating the past but creating something truly new.”

5G-capable device required. Some uses may require certain plan or feature; see T-Mobile.com. Fastest: Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data as reported on <a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.speedtest.net%2Fglobal-index%2Funited-states%23market-analysis&data=04%7C01%7CAlexandra.Schwerin%40T-Mobile.com%7C8a6fab376adc4db06f0508d991985f0c%7Cbe0f980bdd994b19bd7bbc71a09b026c%7C0%7C0%7C637700905894514056%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=%2BqtJBCuFncYGvVwQFC5MHbDYD22cbSFJsK8F3TJsi78%3D&reserved=0">www.speedtest.net/global-index/united-states#market-analysis</a> for Q4 2021. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission.

Two years into the T-Mobile-Sprint merger, employees are defining a new era of the Un-carrier.

The faces behind the merger

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The Magenta Wave - T-Mobile Newsroom

The Magenta Wave

According to new research, our mobile devices are now the quiver from which Cupid chooses his arrow most, and T-Mobile data shows it’s the wireless provider of choice for making a love connection. Here we look at how finding love in the digital age has changed since the beginning of the pandemic, and how dating apps, mobile communications platforms and more have ushered in the era of intentional dating.

Love finds a way, and in the last two years that way has come in mobile form. Specifically, dating apps. Lots and lots of dating apps.

All of us were enlisted in this mobile revolution out of necessity. But lately we've noticed an interesting shift from the carefree swipe-right mentality of connecting with someone in pre-pandemic times toward one of intentionality. We call it “conscious coupling” (yes, in opposition to that highly publicized <a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/gwyneth-paltrow-conscious-uncoupling">conscious uncoupling</a>!).

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There’s a dizzying amount of downloads for digital dating: Hinge, Plenty of Fish, Tinder, OKCupid (all of which are owned by <a href="https://mtch.com/ourcompany" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Match</a>), Grindr, #open, Bumble, Three Day Rule, etc. And T-Mobile customers have wasted no time in adopting them all – and more!

T-Mobile’s Consumer Insights Group sourced syndicated data that surveyed customers across multiple wireless providers with a simple question: “Are you currently a member of at least one online dating service that you actively use in order to find a partner?” The replies found that T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers are statistically more likely to have a membership on a dating site than customers on AT&T and Verizon. Magenta love is real!

The trend is supported by T-Mobile’s own network data of dating app users and usage. The number of users went up, way up, for almost every one of the major apps surveyed between 2020 and 2021, with an average 51% increase in users on the network. Tinder alone saw a 102% increase in users! Data usage for these apps also increased 49% increase during that same period.

Between January 2020 and January 2022, dating app usage jumped from 11.7 million users to 16.8 million (43%). And while that usage jumped, there was another trend that, like the perfect meet-cute, went hand in hand with it.

The <a href="https://theconversation.com/relationships-during-a-pandemic-how-dating-apps-have-adapted-to-covid-19-160219">trend</a> of more <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tinder-hinge-match-group-dating-apps-more-users-coronavirus-2020-8">dating app users</a> and added<a href="https://theblog.okcupid.com/love-in-the-time-of-corona-massive-spikes-in-matching-messaging-and-virtual-dates-around-the-ec12c49eab86"> time people spend on dating apps</a> is thanks in part to some savvy adjustments these apps made in response to customer behaviors. A new pandemic brought with it new priorities. As apprehensions toward casual dating were being coined <a href="https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/hesidating-dating-trend">“hesidating”</a> and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/dawnstaceyennis/2021/12/25/how-dating-apps-are-countering-foda-this-covid-19-christmas/?sh=1b36ad4455ab">FODA</a> (Fear Of Dating Again), these digital platforms touted something that seems the antithesis to accessing an endless supply of contenders: the chance to really get to know someone on the other side of the screen. And as these apps began to offer new ways to connect through video chats or voice chats, users took advantage. <a href="https://fortune.com/2021/02/12/covid-pandemic-online-dating-apps-usage-tinder-okcupid-bumble-meet-group/">From March to May 2020</a>, OkCupid saw a 700% increase in virtual dates while <a href="https://fortune.com/2021/02/11/bumble-ipo-ceo-whitney-wolfe-herd-bmbl-stock-shares-interview-app-initial-public-offering/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bumble</a>’s video calls increased by 70%.

Welcome to the era of <a href="https://time.com/6106565/pandemic-dating/">intentional dating</a>, aka conscious coupling. COVID has driven singles to put a little more rigor behind the art of courtship. The time spent getting to know prospective mates virtually is being viewed as a necessary step before taking the plunge IRL.

Taking a closer look at T-Mobile customers, it’s clear that those using dating apps are primed for some screen time. According to <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/marketing-solutions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">T-Mobile’s Marketing Solutions</a> team, over 80% of female Tinder users ages 18-24 have Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, Instagram and Facebook. It’s not so far-fetched to assume that dating app users tend to move their conversations to various popular chat platforms that often offer video.

Bumble According to T-Mobile’s Marketing Solutions team, 83% of Bumble users have Facebook Messenger installed, 74% have Snapchat, 46% have WhatsApp and 44% have Google Duo.Match According to T-Mobile’s Marketing Solutions team, 83% have Facebook Messenger installed, 59% have Snapchat, 45% have WhatsApp and 43% have Google Duo.OKCupid According to T-Mobile’s Marketing Solutions team, 80% have Facebook Messenger installed, 63% have Snapchat, 47% have WhatsApp and 40% have Google Duo.

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According to Match’s <a href="https://www.singlesinamerica.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2021 Singles in America study</a>, which surveyed 5,000 single people in the U.S., <a href="https://time.com/6106565/pandemic-dating/">53% of app daters</a> are now “prioritizing their search for a relationship more than before the pandemic.” So, while swiping may still be synonymous to some with a virtual form of speed dating, the desire to put a little more substance behind the swipe is becoming apparent.

This shift in mobile-dating is not that different <a href="https://es.t-mobile.com/news/community/holiday-psa-how-to-thank-someone-best-just-text">from upward trends</a> in texting or calling to express love and gratitude during the holidays. Turns out that putting intention behind your device has the same meaningful effect as one expects it would in person.

So, here’s to another year of not just swiping right, but also getting it right.

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Now that you know all about the ways to use your device more intentionally for dating, why not learn just <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/network/a-holiday-psa-pick-up-the-phone">how impactful a phone conversation</a> or <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/community/holiday-psa-how-to-thank-someone-best-just-text">text chat</a> can be? And while you’re at it, may as well find out the <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/community/valentines-day-phone-relationship-quiz">status of your relationship with your phone</a> this Valentine’s Day!

T-Mobile data shows it’s the wireless provider of choice for making a love connection. How dating in the digital age has changed since the start of COVID.

Conscious Coupling: The Pandemic Created a Whole New Dating Persona — and We Have the Data to Prove It! - T-Mobile Newsroom

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Finding love in the digital age has changed since the beginning of the pandemic with data-driven apps to text-messaging finesse.

A festive continuation of our series comparing 5G networks using real-life objects

It’s been a year since we kicked off If 5G Were... to help visually demonstrate the huge coverage gap between the major U.S. 5G networks. 12 months. Nearly 365 days! In that time AT&T and Verizon haven’t closed the gap with T-Mobile at all!

So, If 5G Were… lives on! T-Mobile’s 5G network is still nearly 2x the size of the AT&T 5G network and 4x Verizon’s. It’s like they say, some things never change.

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To celebrate the season, let’s If 5G Were… up gingerbread houses!   

But not only has T-Mobile’s network maintained a massive 5G coverage lead, we’ve greatly expanded 5G performance too. Speeds are way up via our Ultra Capacity network buildout, with <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/network/ookla-umlaut-5g-clean-sweep">several</a> third-party <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/network/opensignal-5g-wins-fastest-coverage-places">reports</a> this year showing T-Mobile’s 5G speed increase – which gives us the first 5G killer app: home broadband.

T-Mobile Home Internet can be self-installed in minutes and there aren’t any annual contracts, data caps or any of the other limitations that make Big Cable one of consumers’ most hated industries.

It’s been such a hit, even our gingerbread house family has signed-up for service (see the adorable little T-Mobile gateway sitting there on the desk).

All this talk of 5G and 5Gingerbread Houses has us thinking … you may want to construct your own sweet 5Gingerbread House and just like our 5G network — we’ve got you covered!

We asked our friend, award-winning chef Molly Yeh, who likes to whip up delicious recipes from her farm in Minnesota, to share her 5Gingerbread House decorating tips.They’re sure to make your 5Gingerbread House the fastest and most festive on the block! 1. Use SUPER sturdy gingerbread so that it doesn't break. Check out my recipe <a href="https://food52.com/blog/11857-how-to-build-a-gingerbread-farm-part-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>. Don’t forget, gingerbread that's good for building is NOT good for eating. If it's strong enough to build with it'll break your teeth!  2. Use royal icing as your glue, which gets hard as a rock. Just like the gingerbread, it's not great for eating but it will glue like a charm!  3. Be patient, take your time, don't try to rush the building process, and if possible, split it up over a few days. Bake your walls and roof one day, let it cool completely, build the next day, let it dry completely, and then go to town decorating the next day. It's a marathon, not a sprint!   4. Get creative with the decor. I love using all natural decorations such as fresh or dried herbs (rosemary trees are my fave!), dried fruit, chocolate bars broken up to look like stone pathways, etc. But of course, there's always room for some brightly colored gum drops and sprinkles as well. Always finish your display with a storm of shredded coconut "snow."  5. A couple of fun techniques beyond the basics: 1- gingerbread is still pliable for a few minutes right out of the oven, so you can carefully shape hot gingerbread around a metal can (and hold it to set) to make a cylindrical silo or grain bin. 2- make windows by cutting shapes out of the dough and filling them with hard candy, which will melt down in the oven and flood the shape. Once it cools it will harden back up into a stained-glass window!

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Research shows the holidays are a particularly ripe time for phone scams. T-Mobile’s free Scam Shield app can help protect you this season. 

In October, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/26/hiker-lost-on-us-mountain-ignored-calls-from-rescuers-because-he-didnt-recognise-the-number" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a hiker</a> was late returning to his car in the Colorado Rockies. Fearing he was lost, search and rescue tried calling him … repeatedly. And after multiple unanswered calls, teams were deployed across the mountain to seek out and save the lost hiker.

Except he wasn’t lost. And he had cell reception the whole time.

In fact, he got search and rescue’s calls. He just didn’t pick up because he didn’t recognize the unknown caller’s number.

And, as it turns out, he’s not alone in his thinking. 

A recent survey by T-Mobile partner <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://firstorion.com/company/" target="_blank">First Orion</a> — which specializes in network solutions to create call transparency — showed that  9 out of 10 folks say they don’t feel comfortable answering their phone when the caller is someone they don’t recognize. And 78% said they have missed at least one important call for this reason in the past month.

During the holidays, we expect important deliveries, organize parties and look forward to calls from friends and family filled with seasonal well wishes, but we are also screening calls in fear scams and robocalls. In fact, 68% of those surveyed reported missing a legitimate call regarding an order or delivery because they didn’t recognize the number calling.  

And it’s with good reason. Scammers love the holidays. The last six weeks of the year are the busiest time for scams and unwanted robocalls. During this holiday season, it is projected that Americans will receive over 27 billion scam calls, resulting in a potential 21 million scam victims and over $10 billion in losses. 

First Orion’s holiday scam report showed 57% of consumers say they receive more scam calls during the holiday season. Last year, there was a 53% increase in scam calls from the holiday season compared to the end of September. 

Thankfully, if you have T-Mobile or Metro by T-Mobile, there’s a better way to get through the season of scammers. T-Mobile has network level protection built-in to give you the information you really need to decide whether to answer a call. With Scam Block and Caller ID working together, you can rest easy knowing you will never miss the calls you want and can ignore the ones you don’t want (or never even see them at all!). This holiday season, give yourself the gift of peace of mind by making the most use of a feature you might not even realize you have: The free Scam Shield app, which is part of the <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/un-carrier/scam-shield-protects-customers-from-scams-robocalls" data-type="URL" data-id="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/un-carrier/scam-shield-protects-customers-from-scams-robocalls">comprehensive set of protections</a> offered to T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile customers against the pervasive problem of scams and robocalls.

With these calls already at an all-time high, clocking in at over 127 million scam calls every workday, it’s more important than ever to make use of the holiday-saving app that is available to download right now. 

T-Mobile automatically warns every customer if a call is “Scam Likely” to keep you better informed — no action is required to get this benefit. And you can turn on Scam Block from your T-Mobile phone simply by dialing #662#. And T-Mobile is the only major wireless provider to give all their customers free Caller ID, so you know who is calling, even if they aren’t in your Contacts. And at T-Mobile you also get a verified check mark displayed when the call has been authenticated by <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/press/t-mobile-calls-are-100-stir-shaken-compliant">STIR/SHAKEN </a>so you know the number on the display has not been spoofed by a scammer!T-Mobile postpaid and Metro by T-Mobile customers can download the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/un-carrier/scam-shield-protects-customers-from-scams-robocalls" target="_blank">Scam Shield</a> app on the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/t-mobile-scam-shield/id1367276365" target="_blank">App Store</a> or <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tmobile.services.nameid&hl=en_US" target="_blank">Google Play</a> and have a dashboard at their fingertips for all the Scam Shield tools. Once the app is downloaded you can enable Scam Block (and stop those “Scam Likely” calls at the network, before they even ring) and have access to turn on Caller ID so you always know who is calling, even if they are not in your contacts!

This surge of scam calls doesn’t end until after December 23, according to T-Mobile research. (Looks like scammers like to take time off and celebrate the holidays too!) Internal data shows that 91% of T-Mobile customers who use scam protections report a noticeable positive effect, so just imagine the peace of mind you can experience if you download the Scam Shield app today and get the full spectrum of protections ahead of scammers’ favorite time of the year! 

Oh, as for that hiker? In the end, everything turned out okay, and after more than a day of being lost amidst alpines, he found his way back to safety — but not without a stern warning from the rescue agency itself:

“If you’re overdue according to your itinerary, and you start getting repeated calls from an unknown number, please answer the phone; it may be a search and rescue team trying to confirm you’re safe!”

Perhaps the best testimonial yet for taking two minutes to protect yourself, no matter where you are, and download the Scam Shield app. 

Survey data from First Orion 2021 <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://firstorion.com/2021-holiday-scam-report/" target="_blank">Holiday Scam Report</a>. The First Orion Holiday Scam Report surveyed 2,000 U.S. mobile subscribers aged 18 and above across 48 states, and was nearly evenly split by gender, resulting in an even sampling of the U.S. mobile subscriber market at large.

Research shows the holidays are a particularly ripe time for phone scams. Thankfully, T-Mobile’s free Scam Shield app can protect you.

How to Tell Scammers to Take a Hike This Holiday Season - T-Mobile Newsroom

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Welcome to this new series created to help demystify some of the most common questions T-Mobile’s Mobile Experts get from customers — only here we bring the store to you! Here we first tackle the benefits of eSIMs, and how to activate one from the comfort of your own home.

T-Mobile's in-store Mobile Experts are veritable living encyclopedias for all things concerning our devices and network connections. Indeed, they've handled just about every pain point and answered pretty much every inquiry out there!

Some customer questions are so common, however, we thought we'd bring the Mobile Expert experience right to you in this new series called — of course — "Ask a Mobile Expert"!

Today, Houston-based Mobile Expert standout Chalice Williams takes on one of the most common customer questions right now: "What's an <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/support/devices/t-mobile-esim" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eSIM,</a> and <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/support/devices/t-mobile-esim#heading3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">how do I activate it?</a>"

tmobile-blocks/wistia-embed

Head over to the T-Mobile Device Support page to check out your phone’s eSIM compatibility. Here’s the link Chalice suggests in the video:

<a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/support/phones-tablets-devices">t-mobile.com/support/phones-tablets-devices</a>

A Little More "Expert" Advice About eSIMs

Until recently, if you wanted to connect a phone or any device to a cellular network, you needed a physical chip called a SIM card to insert into your device. But they’re quickly becoming a thing of the past, and physical SIMs are now being replaced by embedded SIMs — or eSIM for short. They’re blank SIMs pre-built into your device that download plans instantly, so unlike SIM cards they never need to be swapped out of your phone or replaced — they update automatically. It’s been predicted that by <a href="https://www.mobile360series.com/blog/esim-future-proofing-how-can-mobile-operators-support-all-esim-devices/">2025 there will be 2 billion eSIM</a> enabled devices globally.

Speaking of globally, one of the primary benefits of using an eSIM is hassle-free traveling, because you can add a local data plan from a different provider on your eSIM that starts working from the moment you land in another country without having to physically switch out a SIM card.

"Recently, we have started using eSIMs for customers that travel a lot and don’t want to worry about losing a SIM card," says Pattrick Prickett, a Mobile Expert in James Island, South Carolina.

"Having an eSIM saves you money, because you don't need two separate devices," says Kedrian Beltran at the American Dream Mall store in Paramus, New Jersey. You can also store as many profiles and plans as you need in one device.

"The great thing about having an eSIM is that you can have multiple lines hooked up to the same device," adds Annie Perez, a Mobile Expert in Brooklyn, noting the amount of convenience and control this gives customers as being another important benefit. "You can toggle between those lines straight from your phone without requiring another application."

That's an important difference between eSIMS and T-Mobile customers using DIGITS. DIGITS is accessed via the DIGITS app or a web browser.

DIGITS Talk & Text is an optional talk and text feature that can be added to your T-Mobile plan. It gives you the ability to use two T-Mobile phone numbers on the same device — for example, one personal and one business. DIGITS does not include data — you must use your primary line's data connection. Data with paired DIGITS allows up to five devices to share the same T-Mobile phone number. Find more about DIGITS <a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.t-mobile.com%2Foffers%2Ft-mobile-digits&data=04%7C01%7CJason.Adams217%40T-Mobile.com%7C2b764d3e756e4f949dc408d9aecb6fc0%7Cbe0f980bdd994b19bd7bbc71a09b026c%7C0%7C0%7C637733011035149435%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=J7tNRwfQ%2Bg3ulmz9Ro0fh6S3YGOMB6vo35%2B0%2FQjkHdw%3D&reserved=0">here</a>.

Remember, the latest devices are built with this eSIMs new technology, but if you have an older model it's important to check if you have the capability before attempting. Just head online <a href="https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.t-mobile.com%2Fsupport%2Fphones-tablets-devices&data=04%7C01%7CJason.Adams217%40T-Mobile.com%7C2b764d3e756e4f949dc408d9aecb6fc0%7Cbe0f980bdd994b19bd7bbc71a09b026c%7C0%7C0%7C637733011035149435%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=K3wgf%2ByuvzwQOias6LsTDRxjiqKfpwaM22io0R9sLc0%3D&reserved=0">here</a> and look up your device to find out now!

A T-Mobile Mobile Expert explains the benefits of eSIMs and shows you how to activate them from the comfort of your own home.

Ask a Mobile Expert: How Do You Activate an eSIM Card? (Video) - T-Mobile Newsroom

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New research shows that a thank you text message could be an act of gratitude that’s as effective and impactful as anything — so put your device to work this holiday season!

The season of giving — and giving thanks — is upon us. We all have that running list in our head of people to thank, but if we’re being honest, year to year we often come up short. And to nod to that age-old axiom, our best intentions could pave a road classic rock stalwarts AC/DC could wrap <a href="https://youtu.be/l482T0yNkeo">a devilish chorus</a> around.

But what was holding us back from putting our best foot forward when it comes to saying thanks in a meaningful way may have all along simply been procedural.

Look, we’re not knocking that great <a href="https://emilypost.com/shop/books/emily-posts-etiquette-18th-edition">Emily of etiquette</a> and her penchant for sending a post, but when it comes to a simple show of gratitude there’s no need for lack of a stamp and envelope to get in your way.

An impactful thank you, it seems, can be as easy as something almost all of us do several times a day — sending a text.

New research <a href="https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/what_is_the_best_way_to_deliver_a_thank_you">shows</a> that expressing gratitude via text message is nearly as impactful as a face-to-face thank you. Moreover, sending a text might be an even more effective message method for expressing your appreciation when you feel embarrassed or awkward about thanking someone in person. Not to mention, sending that simple text, research <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17439760.2021.1913639">also shows</a>, can help us feel more connected and boost feelings of well-being, thereby making people feel less lonely — truly positive news after the last two years of so many of us being separated and feeling so apart.

And recent data from T-Mobile suggests many of us may already be in on this act of device kindness. Year over year, from Thanksgiving 2019 to Thanksgiving 2020, texting was up 21%. Additionally, as more people turn to texts for the holidays, T-Mobile also found a 20% increase in texting at Christmas and a 5% bump at New Year’s, which is still impressive given how popular texting has been on New Year’s historically. And expectations are that those numbers will only increase this year.

So don’t let pen and paper stand in your way of making someone else — and yourself! — feel appreciated. Your best recipe for holiday success could simply be to send a “thank you” text.

As we mentioned in <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/network/a-holiday-psa-pick-up-the-phone">“A Holiday PSA: Pick Up the Phone”</a> last year, if you’re a tried and true old-school type who prefers something more tactile than text, you can still use your smartphone to send season’s greetings and gratitude with a handwritten note via services like <a href="https://www.handwrytten.com/">Handwrytten</a> and <a href="https://www.postable.com/">Postable</a>. Simply type in your message and the receiver’s address, and the apps will generate a handwritten letter or holiday card and take care of the mailing for you.

Ever find yourself wondering <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/network/mobile-etiquette-text-versus-talk">Text vs. Talk – When Is the Perfect Time for Each?</a> Our digital etiquette expert offers more tips on when text may suit you best.

New research shows that a thank you text message could be an act of gratitude that’s as effective as anything — so put your device to work this holiday!

Holiday PSA: How to Thank Someone Best? Just Text! - T-Mobile Newsroom

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Grab $60 instant savings when you pair a plan and phone together — choose from three unlimited plans and five 5G or LTE phones.

BELLEVUE, Wash. — October 27, 2021 — Today, T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) announced Metro by T-Mobile’s launch in <a href="https://www.t-mobile.com/news/offers/t-mobile-and-metro-by-t-mobile-coming-to-walmart">over 2,300 Walmart stores</a> nationwide and new deals just for Walmart shoppers as the Un-carrier brings Americans more choice when it comes their wireless service. Starting today, get $60 off instantly at the register — the value of one month of service on Metro’s best plan ON US — when you pick up a Metro by T-Mobile phone and plan at Walmart.

No matter where you live, you deserve wireless at a price that works for you. And Metro by T-Mobile is putting great service and phones in more people’s hands in cities and towns across the nation than ever before.

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