Screenshots from today's (1/11) email:
Helium Mobile Zero Plan will end on June 11, 2026
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Quote
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We have some important news to share regarding your Zero Plan.We've made the difficult decision to sunset the Zero Plan on June 11, 2026. The Zero Plan gave thousands of people free wireless service and helped build the fastest-growing, people-powered wireless network in the US. While we were able to offer this plan for a while, it's not sustainable long term. We're incredibly grateful to everyone who joined and gave us a chance. By focusing on our paid plans, we can invest in a better experience and stronger coverage for subscribers. If you take no action, you'll be automatically upgraded to the $15/month Air Plan on June 11. What This Means for You You can upgrade to the Air Plan ($15/mo) or Infinity Plan ($30/mo) on your own through the Helium Mobile App anytime before June 11. If you choose to leave Helium Mobile, you can cancel your plan and transfer your number to another carrier by going through the in-app cancellation flow. |
Top Comments
I bring this up because some of us would be on this plan only for a backup phone not normally used (like me).
So here is my first month of experiencing this new requirement.
The first couple of months on the plan I've had the phone not using it at all with location services on.
Once I started with this new twist I have no idea how but with virtually no use my data usage in the app states I've used 2.3GB out of 3. But I cannot get data to work now. I contacted them and they claim I ran out of data. But the meter has said 2.3GB usage for 2 weeks. It never updated higher and I do not use the phone. Plus I keep wifi on except for the first day, in order to use some data for only a few minutes.
So something is not jiving. They claim the stats may not be up to date, but they def should have been reflected properly by now (I would expect). Since I have no prior data usage, maybe they just have a bad tracking system...
Meanwhile they sent me 2 emails warning me no data was used and I needed to use data or I would lose the plan. When I inquired about these warnings each time, they claimed they were just sent in error the first time and they not only claimed the same thing the second time, but they also said they sent the same warning to everyone on the zero plan in error.
I find that very hard to believe.
So time will tell whether my data works properly or at all in my next cycle (when I should be replenished to 3GB available again). Or if my account gets canceled due to not using data, even though the CSR said I used all of my 3GB.
With the way things went this month, I feel like anything could happen, including losing my account and having to start all over with a new number.
If anyone has had weird stuff happening like this (under the new data usage requirement) please chime in.
From heliummobile.statuspage.io
Update - We are continuing to work on a fix for this issue.
Oct 23, 2025 - 15:29 PDT
Identified - Physical SIM cards are temporarily unavailable to order for Zero Plan activations. eSIMs are still available for all subscribers. Paid plan orders are not affected.
We are working to restock availability as soon as possible.
Oct 23, 2025 - 12:49 PDT
Tuesday Nov. 11 UPDATE: At about 6:00pm ET Helium sent me an email stating, "Incident Resolved...Physical SIM cards are now available again. Thank you for your patience." My wife ordered a SIM and received confirmation number/email.
Community Reviews
Helium Mobile Zero is a free backup or secondary line that can be handy for basic data, verification texts, and occasional calls on T Mobile coverage. eSIM activation is often quick and can work without much friction, and the app can be removed after setup. The main catches are the ID and selfie checks for some activations, physical SIM stock problems, and reports of odd usage tracking or data limits. The plan also appears to be changing, with taxes and fees now applying and the free offer ending for new users.
The Zero plan can work as a primary line on T-Mobile coverage, including receiving verification texts while traveling in Europe.
The signup and eSIM activation flow can complete quickly on some phones without a selfie or ID scan for eSIM.
The plan can be used as a backup line on a spare phone, and the setup no longer requires granting always-on location access.
The plan can support practical use cases like streaming music and Google Maps commute traffic on the 3GB allowance.
Physical SIM availability can be temporarily unavailable for Zero plan activations, even while eSIMs remain available.
Data usage tracking can appear inconsistent, including cases where the app shows data used while data access fails and emails warn about running out.
The free plan is scheduled to stop being free, with reports of required payment method updates and plan ending dates in 2026.
Account creation can fail with an "Account creation blocked" error during signup.
Common Questions (20)
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340 Comments
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Otherwise, people would start reselling them
Btw, there is an add-on now to have unlimited talk&text for $5/m.
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The Helium paid plans though are severely lacking though compared to other T-Mobile MVNO's.
Also if you want to switch device to device, you have to contact Helium support which can take 5-24 hours for a response.
I understood the pSIM is out of stock, but I can wait.
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If you can think of a better method to prevent individuals from exploiting and creating multiple free accounts / numbers. Feel free to share your insight on a different way to validate the service offered.
Are they just collecting users info and selling it off?
Force users into a monthly fee a year later or a large port out if they don't wanna stay?
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Are they just collecting users info and selling it off?
Force users into a monthly fee a year later or a large port out if they don't wanna stay?
Join The Conversation
Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!