If you find this information helpful please click "YES" or "NO" in the section below the guide. THANKS

What most people do not know is activating their newly purchased Cricket Flashed Phone is as simple as 1-2-3. You can complete this process from the comfort of your own home, it only takes about 5-10 min of your time and there is no need to visit a local Cricket Store (will explain why later).

Prior to initiating the process I recommend you charge the phone for a minimum of 2 hours to prevent any data loss during activation.

AS EASY AS 1-2-3!!!

1. FIND THE ESN # OF THE PHONE. Once you have your phone in your hands remove the battery door and the battery. You will reveal a label similar to the one illustrated below, with severel numbers displayed. The number Cricket requires to activate the phone is called the ESN, depending on the phone you may also see it written as DEC. On most phones, especially those originally from Sprint or Verizon, the ESN is an 11-digit number usually beginning with "0", in some cases it may vary, but Cricket customer service is usually efficient in helping you locate if you should experience any trouble(we are also always available if you have questions). Write down the ESN, MODEL NAME, and MODEL #  for easy access durign the next step.

2. CONTACT CRICKET CUSTOMER SERVICE. From another phone contact cricket customer care at 1-800-CRICKET (1-800-274-2538). Once you get a customer service representative on the phone, inform them you would like to switch the phone on your current account. They will screen you with various security questions to verify your identity and then proceed to ask you the Model # and ESN you have written down. Once the ESN switch has been completed the new phone will activate on your cricket number (note: this process may take up to 30 min depending on the traffic of your local network).

IMPORTANT: DO NOT PRESS *228 even if the customer service representative directs you to do so. If you do it may alter the settings within the phone and disable connection between the phone and Crickets service signal. If you have purchased  from us, we include suplemental instructions unique to the phone you bought, that might contradict the " DO NOT PRESS *228" rule. If this is the case follow the instructions included with your order.

3. WEB SERVICE AND PICTURE MESSAGING. Once your phone has been activated you may find that the internet and picture messaging (may not be available with the phone you purchased, check the listing for clarification) do not work right away. DO NOT PANIC, as these to features use Crickets data service to function. This service may take upto 48 hours to begin working. If the problem persists we recommed contacting the seller for further troubleshooting.

We urge our customers to follow this procedure rather then taking it to a Cricket Store. Cricket stores make their money from selling cell phones not the service itself. The nature of business model puts them at odds with people who purchase phones from other sources. It is not unlikely their representative will not be trained on proper activation steps or would mislead you about their ability to do so since you are not bringing them business and might still purchase a phone from them.

If you find this information helpful please click "YES" or "NO" in the section below the guide. THANKS