T-Mobile just made a huge change that might affect you, even if you're not on T-Mobile

Earlier this week, we learned T-Mobile is offering free phone replacements for select customers affected by upcoming network changes. While T-Mobile has been notifying its direct customers about the need to switch phones due to this band change, it seems not everyone has received the message. After all, it’s not just T-Mobile customers that use the uncarrier’s network. Reddit threads are popping up across subreddits for Mint Mobile, US Mobile, Tello, and other T-Mobile-based providers asking why some users suddenly have access only to EDGE speeds or SOS mode. If this sounds like your current situation, odds are your phone doesn’t support Band 71 on 4G or N71 on 5G.

So what’s going on exactly? Simply put, T-Mobile has been aggressively rolling out Band 71 for years, and while it was previously using a few older bands for coverage in areas where Band 71 wasn’t present, things have changed on the backend and so many devices without band 71 are no longer operating correctly. More than likely T-Mobile has reconfigured a large number of its cell towers to stop using some of its older LTE bands like B2, B4, B12, B41, and B66 in place of B71 and N71.  It’s also possible that T-Mobile simply delisted some of these devices from accessing the network. We’ve reached out to T-Mobile for further clarification and will update this post as we learn more.

The changes primarily impact the following devices:

• Phones not designed for the North American market, including brands like Xiaomi, Nothing, and non-North American models of OnePlus, Motorola, Samsung, Google, and Apple devices.
• Older US-specific phones, particularly those over four years old, as many don’t support Band 71 even if intended for U.S. carriers.

To determine if your phone will be affected, avoid relying on the Mint Mobile or T-Mobile compatibility checkers, as they’re often inaccurate. As LeftOn4ya advises in the Mint Mobile subreddit, FrequencyCheck.com spells out what specific bands you do and don’t have. If you want to ensure proper support for T-Mobile’s network your phone at a minimum you’ll want:

• LTE bands: 2,4, 12,66, and 71
• 5G bands: n71 and n41

For high-band 5G support, you’ll also need bands 25/n258, 26/n60, and n261.

What if my phone doesn’t support the necessary bands?

If your phone lacks these bands, you’ll likely experience poor service — or none at all. If you’ve been satisfied with T-Mobile’s network, your best option is to upgrade to a compatible device. Alternatively, you could switch to a different network. AT&T may present similar compatibility issues, but Verizon and its network partners won’t be a problem. I highly recommend US Mobile or Visible. Both of these support eSIM so you can port out immediately before any problems arise.

You can sign up for US Mobile and pay as little as $17.50 a month for unlimited access if paid annually. Visible is another great choice with monthly plans starting at $20 a month and even better deals for those who pay annually.

Don’t want to leave networks? Now is a great time to buy a new phone with Black Friday promotions going on. You can check out our full list of Black Friday phone deals in our guide, but here are just a few of our recommended picks: