Screenshots from today's (1/11) email:
Helium Mobile Zero Plan will end on June 11, 2026
|
Quote
:
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.
Common Questions (20)
AI-generated summary based on comments from the community. Updated ago
Join The Conversation
Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!
340 Comments
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Thank you for the information.
You can use physical eSIM (eUICC) in non-eSIM capable phones, 9esim is a good option
Edit: pSIM order is ok now. I just ordered one.
I have several questions as a new user:
1. Does the mobile service rely on the Helium app? That is, after I have my Android phone activated with the pSIM, can I close the app and can I uninstall the Helium app without impacting the mobile service?
2. If I move the pSIM from my Android phone to my iPhone, can it work out of the box, or do I have to install the Helium app on my iPhone and sign in?
3. Can I sign up another new account(with different email address) for a separate mobile service, with the same name(that is, same government ID), to use it on another phone? That is, multiple accounts share the same ID?
Please share your experience, thank you!
I'm not ready to jump on this deal. The push to normalize this kind of verification is wild. Even for free service.
Even postpaid doesn't go this far. Yes they run credit check but not a 3rd party storing your ID and facial scans for however long in some database somewhere that'll probably eventually get either sold or compromised if it isn't already.
I'm probably just going to renew good2go for a year for a cheap 2nd line.
Tried to create an a/c - it never completes it - tried it on wifi and Mobile data multiples time.
Anyone experienced this?
Fix?
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
I have several questions as a new user:
1. Does the mobile service rely on the Helium app? That is, after I have my Android phone activated with the pSIM, can I close the app and can I uninstall the Helium app without impacting the mobile service?
2. If I move the pSIM from my Android phone to my iPhone, can it work out of the box, or do I have to install the Helium app on my iPhone and sign in?
3. Can I sign up another new account(with different email address) for a separate mobile service, with the same name(that is, same government ID), to use it on another phone? That is, multiple accounts share the same ID?
Please share your experience, thank you!
Yes as of 2024 the account is now key'd to the sim and not the device. I dont know if you have to have the app on the new device, but the app does need installed on at least one phone. Back in the day people had mule phones, they would get an old phone, install the app/sim, and once everything was setup, move the sim to a completely different phone that never had the app installed. This was back in the day when telemetry was mandatory(its off now).
Its one account per id. helium doesnt have "lines" yet. At best you can have Sprout/kids lines attached to your id.
Does my current cell provider harvest my personal data? Probably. But if they do something really egregious, they have a lot to lose. Helium is getting to the point where they have nothing to lose.
Large companies blowing up is an exception. Small companies blow up ALL THE TIME. They just have nothing to lose.
Don't port your valuable number - number your live depends on it . They have complete control and ownership over your phone account/ phone number and can deactivate it for any reason at any time due to free line requirements. They seem like changing their policy on the fly, before was location tracking, now data usage , who knows whats coming next in the near future. If you missed their email policy change and don't comply shortly after your service and phone # will be history…
Yes as of 2024 the account is now key'd to the sim and not the device. I dont know if you have to have the app on the new device, but the app does need installed on at least one phone. Back in the day people had mule phones, they would get an old phone, install the app/sim, and once everything was setup, move the sim to a completely different phone that never had the app installed. This was back in the day when telemetry was mandatory(its off now).
Its one account per id. helium doesnt have "lines" yet. At best you can have Sprout/kids lines attached to your id.
About multiple account per ID, I found this from Helium Mobile's FAQs:
Can I use my identification information to sign up for multiple accounts?
-- Yes, however, Helium Mobile reserves the right to review and suspend accounts based on suspicious activity. Please review our terms and conditions for more information.
So I wonder if someone here may have tried to use the same ID to sign up another account with a different email address.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Join The Conversation
Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!