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SafetyNet Wireless Free Government Cell Phones

California customers get UNLIMITED minutes, UNLIMITED texts & 1GB data
Customers in other states get a FREE device, with FREE monthly Talk & Text (750 Talk/500 Text).

<< All Free Cell Phone Providers

SafetyNet Wireless now offers government-subsidized cell phones through the FCC’s Lifeline phone service program. SafetyNet is now available in California, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. And we wouldn’t be at all surprised if other states are added in the near future.

SafetyNet is offering free phones and free minutes each month (offer varies by state) to qualifying US residents if you qualify under the Lifeline Assistance program guidelines (more on that below).

UNLIMITED MINUTES AND TEXTS PLUS DATA IN CALIFORNIA: California is the most competitive state for the Lifeline Assistance free government cell phone program. A number of companies have already begun offering unlimited minutes and unlimited texts and SafetyNet is upping the offer by giving its customers 100 MB of data. All for free. The company offers considerably fewer minutes and texts and no data in other states.

Here are the various plans:

California Plans

California LifeLine Unlimited Plan – $0/mo. – In addition to a free government cell phone, with this plan you get Unlimited Talk & Text — absolutely free.

California LifeLine Unlimited + 1GB Data Plan – $0/mo. – In addition to a free government cell phone, with this plan you get Unlimited Talk & Text + 1GB of Data EVERY month.

LifeLine Unlimited & 1.5 GB Data Plan – $1/mo. – For only a small fee ($1) each month you can upgrade your California LifeLine plan to have more data. This plan includes a free data-capable device and requires a pre-payment of $20.

California LifeLine BYOD (4 mo.) Promo** Plan + 6GB FREE – With this promotional plan you can bring your own device to SafetyNet Wireless and get Unlimited Talk & Text EVERY month, plus you’ll get 1.5GB free data for 4 months (total of 6GB – FREE)! **After 4 months, your plan will resume to the $0 plan include Unlimited Talk & Text and 1GB/month.

*Free international SMS is only available to customers that are activated on SafetyNet’s GSM network and with compatible devices.

Plans in Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin

The plans outside of California are not as generous unfortunately, but still provide you with adequate service.

Lifeline Basic – You get 750 voice minutes and 500 texts per month. You cannot rollover unused minutes to the next month. No data.

Lifeline Unlimited – You get unlimited talk and unlimited text for $10 a month. However, this plan does not include data.

Lifeline Unlimited Text + 1GB Data – You get unlimited text, 500 talk, and 1GB of data for $10 a month.

Lifeline Unlimited Talk/Text + 1GB Data – Like the plan suggests, it includes unlimited talk and unlimited text plus 1GB of data for $20 a month.

Do you qualify?

There are two different ways to qualify for a free government cell phone from SafetyNet Wireless — you can qualify because you participate in another approved government assistance program, or you can qualify because your household income is low enough. Let’s review each plan:

Program Based Qualifications

You may qualify for a SafetyNet cell phone if you or someone in your household participates in one of the following state or federal government assistance programs:

In all states:

  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps or SNAP)
  • Medicaid
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
  • Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8)
  • Veterans Pension and Survivor's Benefit.
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance (BIA)
  • Tribally Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF)
  • Tribal Head Start (only those households meeting its income qualifying standard)
  • Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)

Additional eligibility in California:

  • CalFresh, Food Stamps or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
  • Medi-Cal
  • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
  • California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs)
  • Stanislaus County Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (StanWORKs)
  • Welfare-to-Work (WTW)
  • Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN)
  • Healthy Families Category A

The programs listed above are for California residents. Residents of Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin should check their state’s qualifying programs on our States page (click here).


Income Based Qualifications

The general rule of thumb in most states says that you qualify for a free government cell phone if your household income is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guideline. That’s a complex formula that’s unintelligible to most people. So we’ll simplify things by showing you exactly what kind of total household income levels qualify depending on how many people live in that household.

Income Based Eligibility for 135% States
Members in HouseholdAnnual income
1 member$16,389
2 members$22,221
3 members$28,053
4 members$33,885
5 members$39,717
6 members$45,549
7 members$51,381
8 members$57,213
For each additional member add $5,832 annually

That was for California, Georgia, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Michigan uses 150% (for a table on Michigan, click here)

Keep this in mind

SafetyNet is new to California and competes with many Lifeline Assistance free government cell phone providers in your state. SafetyNet may be exactly what you need, but we once again urge you to visit our States page to get a complete list of companies in your state.


Plans and phone choices often vary substantially between providers and you owe it to yourself to look at them all.

Contact SafetyNet Wireless

SafetyNet Wireless
2323 Curlew Rd, Suite 7B
Dunedin, FL 34698 USA
safetynetwireless.com
Tel. 1-888-224-3213
Fax. 1-800-700-4736
Monday to Friday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Closed Saturday and Sunday

Latest News on SafeNet Wireless:

Which companies offer the best free texting plans? And which ones offer the worst?- Now that the FCC's new Lifeline rules have gone into effect, we though it might be interesting to see which companies are offering the best texting plans. And which ones are offering the worst plans.
Don’t enroll at a street tent: Check around before you choose a free government cell phone company- We know it's tempting to enroll with a street vendor when he says, "It's free!" But the truth is that other companies probably offer other plans that are far better than the one that guy sitting in a booth is offering you.
California Lifeline explosion: More companies, more unlimited plans, more great paid plans- The competition in free government cell phones is getting stiffer in California and that's great for consumers because more companies are now offering free unlimited minutes and text plans.
Which free government cell phone companies offer smartphones?- So many readers ask us which companies offer smartphones that we decided it was time to survey all the top-ranking Lifeline Assistance companies.
Which free government cell phone companies allow you to make international calls?- So we put on our researcher hats and set out to find the international call policy of each Lifeline Assistance company.
What to do if your free government cell phone is lost, stolen or damaged- We get so many questions and comments about lost or stolen free government cell phones that we thought our readers would appreciate a complete rundown of replacement policies for each of the leading service providers.
Unlimited talk and text expands in California: SafetyNet Wireless enters the state- Low-income Californians have another reason to celebrate -- SafetyNet Wireless, a new competitor in the Lifeline Assistance free government cell phone business, is now offering its California customers unlimited talk, unlimited text and a little bonus on top of that.

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Before you post your comment...

  1. If you are going to ask "how do I get a cell phone?" go here instead.
  2. If you are going to ask "how do I get a replacement phone," go here instead
  3. We are not your cell phone company. All technical questions should be asked of your vendor.
  4. Your comments are moderated, and we will manually approve those worth publishing within 24 hours.

Comments

    • We’re not SafetyNet, Susanna. You need to contact the company directly. Try calling 6-1-1 on your free government cell phone to speak to customer service.

      Reply

  3. I got my cell phone less then two months ago. Today, the service on my phone turned off. It’s giving me a message that says, “EMERGENCY CALLS ONLY”. What is up with that? How do I get my phone service turned back on?

    Reply

    • Contact your service provider’s customer service team, Jason. They’re the only ones who can tell you what the problem is and how to solve it.

      Reply

  6. I work for a non profit resource center in Flint, Mi and am trying to find out how I can contact a phone vendor to inquire about having them come to the resource center on a regular basis and get people phones? Any assistance with this would be greatly appreciated thank you.

    Reply

  7. My line says no service. Why I’ve done all that is asked I use it everyday. That is the only line I have not sure why it’s no signal help

    Reply

    • There’s no way for us to know why your phone isn’t working, Melissa. Contact your service provider’s customer service team to get more information.

      Reply

  9. I’ve got a safety net phone and it says sprint 3g. I want to keep service but switch to a better phone . I have a galaxy 2s sprint phone i want to use and neither phones have sim card slots

    Reply

    • You may be able to use that phone, but you must contact your service provider’s customer service or tech support team to find out if that phone is compatible with its cell network.

      Reply

    • Call 6-1-1 on your free government cell phone to speak to customer service. They should be able to cancel your service.

      Reply

  12. My phone service was disconnected yesterday by Safetynet with reason “Lifeline” is the reason or no reason given.
    I spoke to Lifeline representatives & they state service is good until July 2019.
    After speaking to Noah, Adreanna, Joseph & 2 others from Safetynet the response was basically we can’t help you.
    I login with my email address & see my account information. Service started 7/10/2018. I returned the 1st phone due to a virus.
    Please resolve this frustrating & inconvenient problem
    Curtis Holmes

    Reply

  15. I just got a message saying that it’s time for my renewal. That a pink envelope with a pin will be sent to me. I am no longer in that area. I just recently moved. What do I do?

    Reply

    • If you moved to a new state, you will need to enroll again. If you live in the same state, you should have asked the post office to forward your mail.

      Reply

  16. Where do I sign up with Safetynet? Im in the temecula ca area. I just finished speaking with Safetynet customer service and they told me they do not have that info where I can find one of their independent contractors. Shady? Also, from other comments on this page people are being directed NOT to sign up at a booth. Yet Safetynet has told me repeatedly, before they hung up on me, that is the ONLY way that I can sign up with them. Any suggestions?

    Reply

    • You don’t need to go anywhere to enroll, DP. You can contact customer service using the contact info we provide in the article above.

      Reply

  18. My phone had internet, but it all of a sudden stop. it started giving me adult sites that I didn’t go too at all. how can I get my internet to work again on my safety net cell phone

    Reply

    • Cool. Would it be possible for you to send us that phone, Rosemary. Sounds like a problem we need to investigate. (Just kidding.)

      On a more serious note, we are NOT your service provider, so we cannot troubleshoot your phone. Call 6-1-1 on that free government cell phone to be connected to customer service and tech support.

      Reply

  19. I don’t understand this , if you don’t use your phone or text in 30 days you may be droped as a coustomer. How often must you use this phone to qualify.

    Reply

      • Is this an updated rule? I have had other Lifeline Services in the past that did not count texting as using it so I was constantly getting reminders / threats of being canceled ( yet they never followed through). Got so obnoxious I canceled service myself!

        Reply

  20. Everything is wrong with safety net as far as I am concerned! Too much trouble Calling, Emailing, Texting, then getting a hold of them! Impossible, So, I am trying to cancel by the 30 Day deadline! I called when the phone was in service, I tried their (NOT VALID) email address, and DID NOT get through! No call backs after so many time calling 611 to resolve my issues, but each, yes each call was disconnected while in use!

    Please Safety Net cancel my services now before I get a nervous breakdown!

    My experience was terrible! I even left a message with CALIFORNIA LIFELINE describing my problems!

    PLEASE CANCEL if you are reading SAFETY NET? I’ve gone through too much already!

    Thank You

    Tom A in Fullerton, California!!

    Reply

  21. i have a nuu phone from safetynet with an unlimited talk and text plan. plus a certain amount of data. it looks like my monthly plan just restarted but i am receiving messages that my minutes are runnging out. i am not sure why. i am not in a position to purchase minutes, which is why i have this phone.

    Reply

      • I really need a new phone. ppl say they can’t hear me. i’m a diabetic it would be nice to have bigger letters. i always seem to get a headache straining my eyes to see if I missed any letters in a word or nt. I do say u r a great company thou

        Reply

        • Thanks, Jacqueline, but we are not SafetyNet. This is an independent informational website. To find out about getting a larger phone, check out the SafetyNet website or speak to customer service by calling 6-1-1 on your free government cell phone.

          Reply

    • We don’t have any plans any place any time, MM. This is an independent informational website, NOT a free government cell phone company site.

      Reply

  23. I just lost my phone, yes it was a free government phone with safetynet. Could I sign up for a new phone?

    Reply

    • Call us crazy, Sabine, but it would seem to us that a phone call to SafetyNet might be a good idea.

      Reply

  25. I had a phone acct. With Safety net. It was canceled due to mail tampering. I had to go with another company to get phone service. But I want the phone number I gave to you, back. All my medical providers have that number, so we want it back! It was not issued by you. So it’s mine! Please comply! Aaron A. Scanlon. Current lousy phone # 707-438-****.

    Reply

    • Sounds to us that you didn’t tell your new service provider that “I want to port over my current phone number” when you enrolled. If you don’t say that to the new service provider, they will (and apparently did) assign a new phone number.

      Reply

  26. What flip phones will work with the smaller SIM card that I received in the mail? I’m probation at is part of my stipulation that I can’t have a phone with wi-fi access?

    Reply

    • Oops my bad. I’m on probation and it is part of my stipulation that I can’t have a phone with wi-fi access. It’s been a loooooong day.

      Reply

    • This is a subject you’ll need to discuss with your service provider’s customer service team, Michael.

      Reply

  27. I’ve got I got a phone through safetynet Wireless. it has not worked since I got it. they are not helpful at all. they’re receiving money from the government to provide people with little income with phones and instead I have spent weeks on the phone trying to make this phone work. they are not helping me and they are still taking money.

    Reply

  28. I have assurance wireless. How or where can I purchase a airfair top up card online? What store can I purchase a airfair top up card from? How do I know what my ten digit pin is if I forgot? Thankyou

    Reply

  29. I sent my cell phone because i was having to much interrffirience,, callers wil lhang up on me or people that i call will do the same thing, it’s been a month since i sent my cell phone for evaluation, y haveing got any news,

    Reply

    • We have no idea, Paula, because we are not your service provider. Contact customer service by calling 6-1-1 on your free government cell phone.

      Reply

  31. MY PHONE WAS TAKEN AND I NEED A SAFETYNET WIRELESS SO THAT CAN USE MY SAME NUMBER WHERE CAN I FIND THIS PHONE.CAN’T FIND A TENT OR BOOTH.

    Reply

    • This is one reasons we strongly urge our readers NOT to enroll at street tents. You need to contact SafetyNet customer service to find out what’s going on and if the street vendors actually enrolled you.

      Reply

    • That’s one we’ve never been asked before, Temple. We just don’t know if prison-issued ID is acceptable. But a quick call to any of the companies’ customer service teams should get you an answer.

      Reply

  33. Hello, I received and signed up for a free government phone about 2-3 weeks ago. It was working fine up until this weekend where my phone automatically changed numbers itself.
    Also, I’m no longer able to send text messages, it says, “Free Msg: Unable to send message – Message Blocking is active.”
    Would you be able to help me out?

    Reply

    • We can’t help you because we’re not your service provider, Irene. But if you call 6-1-1 on your free government cell phone, you can speak to customer service or tech support.

      Reply

    • We can’t help you, Zerene. You’ll need to contact T-Mobile. (Although we don’t know why, because T-Mobile does not participate in the free government cell phone program.)

      Reply

  36. My phone screen broke and I like this service and i don’t want to change phone number either. I just want to know what other phone I could use or if I could get a new one???

    Reply

    • Contact customer service, Kyle. If you can still use your phone, call 6-1-1 and you’ll be automatically connected. Yes, you can keep your same phone number. If you’ve had your service long enough, your service provider may offer a free replacement phone, but be prepared to pay a small fee.

      Reply

    • It’s impossible for us to figure out what’s wrong with your phone, Yolanda, because we’re not your service provider. Use the contact info provided on this page to contact SafetyNet’s customer service or tech support team.

      Reply

  39. Just got off the phone with these guys because Ii need to with carriers. They could NOT provide me ANY locations of their “kiosks” to sign up or to switch over and they DO NOT provide the service over the phone or on the internet! I have NO idea HOW people are supposed to sign up with these guys if I have no options. Basically was told to drive around and look for them at Walmart (already, I know they aren’t around my location) or look for them at churches. REALLY?????????? I did check the BBB website and they have an A+ rating. I dunno how though. Wow. Guess they don’t need customers. Already a bad start, so no thank you.

    Reply

    • Most of the free government cell phone companies are not in charge of the street tents and booths and, therefore, do not employ the agents. These companies hire sub-contracting companies that handle the street operations. Many of these sub-contracting companies often run “Help Wanted” ads on Craig’s List. Give it a try.

      Reply

  41. My text messages aren’t being sent thru. I can’t receive or send messages. it says unable to send message, message blocking is active. I don’t know how to fix that and I didn’t put a block on my text messages so I don’t know what’s going on

    Reply

    • You need to get in touch with tech support online or by phone. We suggest calling customer service at 6-1-1 on your free government cell phone and then ask them to connect you to tech support.

      Reply

  42. why do you guys say unlimted but the texts and phone minutes run out. On 3 occassions I have run out of minutes on Friday or Saturday and have to wait until Monday for you guys to add more minutes (which happened to me just now with my texting) Why not just give unlimited minutes like you guys state that you do, why do we have to call in during the week to ask for minutes and if you run out of minutes after 5pm on Friday, you have to wait all the way until Monday to add minutes. I was told that you can 611 to add minutes when yall are closed but that is not true because every time I have ran out of text messages Ive tried calling and the automated system only tells me my balance and gives me yall operating hours and then hangs up. Yall should fix this problem because people should be able to use their phones during the weekend instead of waiting all the way until Monday. That sucks big time

    Reply

    • “Us guys” don’t have anything to do with your service provider, John. We’re an independent website that’s not affiliated with any of the Lifeline companies. You’ll need to contact your service provider directly to solve your minute problem.

      Reply

    • Same here, never fails. Then I get more minutes then customer service says that I’ll be able to add more mysrlf next time if it happens again, but I can not. Very frustrating having to wait till Monday to get more phone time.

      Reply

  43. How do i become an agent to help distribute free government phones with safetynet? Ive asked other agents at booths but its like they give me the run arounds. They say they will call me back or have someone contact me but no response. Can you please tell me how?

    Reply

    • The people you see at the street tents and booths are usually not employees of the Lifeline Assistance free government cell phone companies. Those companies generally hire other companies that, in turn, hire the people you see in the tents and booths. We’ve seen ads on Craig’s List, but other than checking for those ads the only thing we can think of is contacting the free government cell phone companies corporate headquarters and asking for Human Rssources.

      Reply

      • How do I get a list of those free government cell phone companies headquarters? If there is any list you can provide me with please email me at *****@ymail.com. ive try looking them up on craiglist as well no response please im interested. Thank you.

        Reply

  44. How do I switch to a lifeline cellular phone companies that you can upgrade to iPhone if you buys it through a provider, is there a great todiscount on purchases and choice of iphone purchase.

    Reply

    • Most of the people you see at booths and tents are independent contractors who work for sub-contractors hired by the free government cell phone companies. In other words, we don’t know how much the agents are paid and, in fact, the Lifeline Assistance companies probably don’t know either.

      Reply

  46. I have had free lifline service with Assurance wireless over a year and within the last three months my phone was lost or stolen twice. I tried to get another replacement phone and was told I was only allowed one replacement. I cannot afford to buy one. How can I change my account to your company?

    Reply

  47. I received a free phone and service a week ago and everything was fine until my service was shut off midway thru the day yesterday due to someone supposedly getting another service in my name on the 4th in which is incorrect and completely wrong. I’ve been out of town since the 1st . I’ve not gotten any other service besides this one with safetynet and don’t feel it’s fair that you ordered my service to be shut down due to a mistake made on your end , not mine. Please reconnect my service with phone number 657 271 6598 thank you for your immediate attention.

    Reply

    • We’re not SafetyNet, Darla. We’re an independent website that’s not affiliated with any of the free government cell phone companies. You must contact the company directly. You can find the contact info in the above article.

      Reply

  48. Interested to get the free phone and trying to call to apply.
    I am married and receive ebt while my parents have medical. Can they get 1 free phone and 1 for me , we live in same address?

    Reply

  49. I ended to find out if a phone was sent out to ***** Pacific St Highland , ca92346 my name is Tontalayia Williams I contact me at 909-277-****

    Reply

    • We are unable to answer that question, Tontalayia. You must contact SafetyNet directly. (As an aside, the Editor of FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net loves your town of Highland, California. He had a girlfriend there for many years. Say hello to the Inland Empire for us.)

      Reply

  50. TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
    I LOST MY SAFETY NET PHONE. THE NUMBER SI 661-497-****. WHERE DO I GET ANOTHER PHONE? I AM LOCATED IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. THE DISTRIBUTOR THAT I ORIGINALLY GOT THIs FROM IS NO LONGER AT THAT LOCATION. WHERE CAN I GO AT THE PHYSICAL LOCATION?

    JOYCE SCHATZ
    jchtz9@******.com
    PLEASE RESPOND BACK BY E-MAIL:jchtz9@******.com

    Reply

    • You need to contact SafetyNet directly, Joyce. This is an informational website that provides information on all the free government cell phone providers, not just SafetyNet. Good luck.

      Reply

  51. My name is Louis Albert Coleman Sr. I an 77 years old and I am on MediCal and Scan Health Insurance also you Social Security Disability as well, I have a veer low income and my electricity is also at a lower rate dut to income issues. I live in the mountains and I don’t get Cell phone reception but this phone would be good to have if I needed to contact my son or doctors or 911. I an in a wheel chair I can walk only 10 steps at a time so my legs joints are not there anymore. I am interested in getting a plan for voice and that’s all I don’t know who to text and don’t need data I am not computer savy. Please get back to my son as he’s e-mail address will be my contact. (626)910-**** or Son (626)437-****

    Reply

  53. My Safetynet no has been closed for one week so please find out then let me know..
    No : ********

    Contact no: is 209-*********

    Reply

  54. Hello, I am on ssi. I need a phone due to medical issues. Which requires wireless communication. Urgent assistance is required promply . I know your company is very busy. I appreciate your time, in resulting with my request for a cell phone.

    Thank you,
    Loralee Parker

    Reply

  55. I am low income senior us citizen, I like to know more about free cell plus 100mb data cell phone and low cheap internet. Please email mẹ Thanks

    Reply

  58. The cell phone that I have I have have been having problems with. When I have my cell phone in my purse the button gets hit and it drains the battery. I’m not on it all the time it is only for emergencs since I’m disabled and it wastes my minutes. I would like to either see if i can get me a new cell from your company. That have unlimited minutes and maybe no buttons on it. This has be happening to me for awhile now. Thank you

    Reply

  60. Is there a location in my area to get a cell phone or apply for a cell phone? I live in Palm Desert, CA 92260. Thank you in advance.

    Reply

  62. where is the safety net wireless located I am located in the south side by meadow view road station can anyone help me?

    Reply