You have full bars. Calls go through. Texts go through. But nothing loads, and every picture message you send just sits there with a red exclamation mark.
That combination almost always points to one thing: your APN.
An APN, or Access Point Name, is a short set of instructions that tells your phone how to reach the data network. Think of it like the address on an envelope. Your phone can be standing right next to the mailbox with a perfectly good letter in hand, but if the address is missing or wrong, nothing arrives.
That is why this guide is built in a specific order. First we help you find out whether the APN is even your problem. Then, and only then, we give you the values.
Please read this before you change anything. A wrong APN can break a connection that was working fine. If your data has never worked, editing settings is reasonable. If your data worked yesterday and stopped today, the cause is usually something else entirely, and the fixes below are safer and faster.
Step 1: Is the APN really your problem?
Find your symptom in this table first. It will save you a lot of typing.
| What you are seeing | Most likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Data never worked since you put the SIM in a phone you already owned | Missing or wrong APN | This guide is for you. Start at Step 2. |
| Calls and texts work, data and picture messages do not | Wrong APN, or an MMS limit on your device | Start at Step 2, then read the MMS section. |
| Everything worked, then data slowed to a crawl or stopped mid-month | You used up your monthly data | Skip the APN. Check your balance first. |
| No service at all, calls fail too | Account issue, or your phone is not compatible | Skip the APN. See “When the APN is not the problem.” |
| Data stopped right after a phone software update | The update wiped your settings | Reset network settings first, then Step 3. |
| It stopped after you did not use the phone for a while | You may have been dropped from the program | Skip the APN. Call Assurance right away. |
Step 2: Four free fixes to try before you type a single letter
Each of these takes under two minutes, and together they solve more Assurance data problems than manual APN entry does.
1. Turn Airplane Mode on for 30 seconds, then off
This forces your phone to log back onto the network from scratch. It sounds too simple to work. It fixes a surprising number of cases, and it costs you nothing.
2. Check whether you have any data left
This is the one people miss, and it is the single most common reason a working phone stops loading pages. The free Assurance Lifeline plan includes 10GB of high-speed data each month in most states. In California and on Tribal lands, it is 12GB.
Assurance’s own broadband label states: data access ends after you reach your allotment. Unused data does not roll over. So if it is the 22nd of the month and everything went quiet, no APN in the world will bring it back. Your data returns on your next cycle.
You can check your remaining balance by dialing 611 free from your Assurance phone, or through your online account. We walk through every method in our guide to checking your remaining minutes and data on Assurance Wireless.
3. Restart the phone
A full power-off and power-on, not just a screen lock. Give it a minute before turning it back on.
4. Use “Reset network settings”
This is the fix we recommend before manual entry, every time. It wipes any wrong values and lets your phone download the correct ones from the network on its own.
- Android: Settings → System → Reset options → Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth
- iPhone: Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset → Reset Network Settings
It will forget your saved Wi-Fi passwords, so have those handy. It does not delete photos, contacts, or messages.
Why we push this first: modern phones are designed to configure themselves. When you insert an Assurance SIM or download an Assurance eSIM, the correct profile usually loads within a few minutes. Manual entry is the backup plan, not the starting point.
Step 3: Know which network you are actually on
Before you can pick the right values, you need to know whose towers you are using. Assurance Wireless does not run its own network.
Assurance Wireless runs on T-Mobile. You do not have to take our word for it. Assurance’s own coverage map is published at a T-Mobile address, and their official eSIM setup instructions tell you, step by step, to select Assurance Wireless and then “connect to the T-Mobile Network.” Their privacy policy links straight to T-Mobile’s.
There is a good historical reason for the confusion you will find online. Assurance began life under Virgin Mobile, which ran on Sprint. T-Mobile bought Sprint, and the Sprint network was shut down in June 2022. Plenty of APN pages were written before that happened and were never updated.
What this means for you: when two websites give you different Assurance settings, the one built around T-Mobile is the one that reflects the network you are actually on today.
Step 4: The Assurance Wireless APN settings
We are going to be honest with you about confidence levels here, because we want you to trust this page, and get your issue resolved easily.
There are two profiles in circulation for Assurance. We are showing you both, and telling you which one to try first and why.
Do this before you change anything: open your APN screen and take a photo of it with another phone, or write every field down on paper. If the new settings do not work, you can put things back exactly as they were. This one habit has saved more readers than any table we could publish.
Profile A: the current T-Mobile network settings (try this one first)
These are the values T-Mobile itself publishes for phones brought onto its network. Since Assurance is a T-Mobile Lifeline brand, this is the profile most likely to work on a phone bought in the last several years.
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Name | Assurance (any name you like — this is just a label) |
| APN | fast.t-mobile.com |
| Proxy | Leave blank |
| Port | Leave blank |
| Username | Leave blank |
| Password | Leave blank |
| Server | Leave blank |
| MMSC | http://mms.msg.eng.t-mobile.com/mms/wapenc |
| MMS proxy | Leave blank |
| MMS port | Leave blank |
| MCC | 310 (should already be filled in — do not change it) |
| MNC | 260 (some phones show 240 — leave whatever is already there) |
| Authentication type | None, or leave blank |
| APN type | default,supl,mms |
| APN protocol | IPv4/IPv6 |
| APN roaming protocol | IPv4 |
| Bearer | Unspecified |
| MVNO type | None |
The two fields people get wrong most often. In APN type, use commas with no spaces after them. Type default,supl,mms and never default, supl, mms. That single space is enough to stop picture messages from working. And on Samsung phones you may see a radio button labeled Internet + MMS instead of a text box – choose that.
Profile B: the older “wholesale” settings
This is the profile left over from Assurance’s Sprint-era days. It still appears on many websites. If Profile A does not work after a restart, this is the one to try second.
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Name | Assurance |
| APN | wholesale (all lowercase; some phones only accept Wholesale) |
| MMSC | http://wholesale.mmsmvno.com/mms/wapenc |
| MCC | 310 |
| MNC | 240 (if the phone refuses to save it, use 260) |
| APN type | default,supl,mms |
| APN protocol | IPv4/IPv6 |
| APN roaming protocol | IPv4 |
| Everything else | Leave blank |
How to enter the settings on Android
Menu names vary a little by brand, but the path is close to the same everywhere.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Network & Internet (on Samsung: Connections).
- Tap Mobile network or SIMs, then choose your Assurance line if you have two.
- Tap Access Point Names. On some phones this sits under Advanced.
- Photograph this screen now before touching anything.
- Tap the + sign or Add to build a new profile rather than editing the old one. Keeping the original intact gives you something to fall back to.
- Enter the values from Profile A. Leave every field we marked “blank” completely empty. An empty field is a real setting, not an oversight.
- Tap the three dots in the corner, then Save. Many people miss this and lose their work.
- Go back to the APN list and tap the circle next to your new profile to select it. Saving alone does nothing until it is selected.
- Restart the phone, then test with a website rather than an app.
How to set up the APN on an iPhone
iPhones work differently, and this trips people up. Apple downloads a carrier profile automatically, so most iPhone users never need to type anything.
Try this first
Go to Settings → General → About and wait about ten seconds on that screen. If a carrier settings update is available, a prompt appears. Install it. This fixes iPhone data problems more often than manual entry, and it is the route Apple intends you to take.
If you still need to enter it by hand
Go to Settings → Cellular → Cellular Data Network and fill in:
- Cellular Data → APN:
fast.t-mobile.com, username and password blank - MMS → APN:
fast.t-mobile.com - MMS → MMSC:
http://mms.msg.eng.t-mobile.com/mms/wapenc - MMS → MMS Max Message Size:
1048576 - MMS → MMS UA Prof URL:
http://www.apple.com/mms/uaprof.rdf
If “Cellular Data Network” is not in the menu at all, that is meaningful information, not a bug. T-Mobile’s own support documentation says that when this option does not appear, the device is not unlocked, and you need to contact the carrier that sold you the phone. Assurance points to the same place, and their compatibility checker specifically does not tell you whether a phone is locked.
One more thing worth knowing: Apple wipes manual APN edits when you install a major iOS update. If your data dies the day after an update, you have not broken anything. Re-enter the values, or better, check for a carrier settings update first.
When picture messages are the only thing broken
If calls, texts, and web browsing all work but MMS fails, work through these in order.
- Turn mobile data on. MMS travels over data, not over the text network. It will not send on Wi-Fi alone.
- Check the MMSC line, character by character. A single wrong letter here breaks picture messages while leaving normal browsing untouched, which is exactly why MMS fails on its own so often.
- Check APN type. It must include
mms. Watch for stray spaces after the commas. - Empty the MMS proxy and MMS port fields. On T-Mobile’s network these should stay blank. Old guides tell you to enter a proxy address and a port number; that advice is left over from a different era and commonly causes the failure it claims to fix.
- Restart, then send a small photo to one person, not a group.
An honest caution for bring-your-own-phone customers. Assurance’s own BYOD terms state that certain services and features, naming MMS specifically, may not function or be available with Assurance Wireless service on a phone you brought yourself. We have not seen another guide mention this. If you have tried every value above on your own device and MMS still fails, you may be running into a service limitation rather than a settings mistake. Call Customer Care at 1-888-321-5880 and ask directly whether MMS is provisioned on your line.
Hotspot settings
Mobile Hotspot is included with Assurance service, and the data you share counts against the same monthly allotment as everything else.
Most phones need no separate APN for hotspot. If yours refuses to share the connection, there are two things to try:
- Android: add
dunto your APN type field, so it readsdefault,supl,mms,dun. - iPhone: in the Personal Hotspot section of the Cellular Data Network screen, enter
pcweb.tmobile.comas the APN and leave username and password blank.
Worth setting expectations honestly: Assurance’s terms say phone usage is prioritized over hotspot usage, so tethered speeds can feel slower than what you get on the handset. That is normal and not something an APN change will fix. If your hotspot problem is more stubborn, the troubleshooting steps in our guide to fixing a Lifeline hotspot that will not work apply here too.
When the APN screen is greyed out and will not let you edit
You open Access Point Names, and everything is locked. No plus sign, no editing, nothing.
This is usually deliberate. Carriers lock APN screens because incorrect manual edits are one of the biggest causes of support calls. So the lock is often protecting a configuration that is already correct.
Things that sometimes help, in order of how safe they are:
- Toggle Airplane Mode on and off, then reopen the screen.
- Turn mobile data off, then try editing. Some Android versions only allow changes with data off.
- Open the APN menu, tap the three dots, and choose Reset to default. This clears carrier-applied changes and often unlocks the screen.
- Power off, remove and reseat the SIM card, power on. This prompts the network to push a fresh profile.
- Check for a system update. Some updates lock or unlock these fields.
Two things not to do. Do not download an app that promises to unlock APN settings; no ordinary app can change protected system settings, and these exist to earn ad revenue from your download. And do not root your phone over an APN. Rooting can permanently disable a device you cannot afford to replace, and it will void any warranty you have.
If the screen stays locked, call Customer Care. An agent can push a configuration to your line remotely, which is both safer and faster than anything you can do by hand.
When the APN is not the problem at all
If you have worked through everything above and still have no data, one of these five is almost certainly the real answer. None of them are fixed by settings.
1. Your phone cannot make calls over 4G (no VoLTE)
T-Mobile shut down its older 2G and 3G networks. Every phone on the network now has to support VoLTE, which simply means making calls over 4G LTE. This requirement applies to Assurance and every other brand using T-Mobile’s towers.
If your phone is more than roughly eight or nine years old, or was imported from another country, it may not qualify no matter how perfect your APN is. Check your phone before you spend another hour on this: dial *#06# to display your IMEI number, then enter it in the compatibility checker on Assurance’s Bring Your Own Phone page.
We spoke with a street-team representative outside a community center in Houston who said the same conversation happens several times a day. Someone arrives frustrated about “broken settings,” and the real answer is a much-loved older handset that the network no longer supports. He keeps low-cost phones on the table for exactly that reason.
2. You went 30 days without using the phone
Lifeline rules require you to use your service at least once every 30 days. Miss that window and you get a 15-day warning; miss that too and your benefit ends. Many people only discover this when the data quietly stops.
One call, one text, or one minute of data use each month is enough. It is a small habit that protects a benefit worth far more than the effort.
3. You missed your annual recertification
Once a year you have to confirm you still qualify. The notice arrives by mail, text, or automated call, and it is easy to mistake for junk. If service stops around the anniversary of your enrollment, this is the first thing to check. Our Lifeline recertification guide walks through the deadline and how to complete it.
4. You are in a weak coverage spot
Signal bars measure the voice signal. You can show four bars and still have almost no usable data, especially indoors or in a basement. Step outside and test again before assuming your settings are wrong.
Nobody should ever charge you for APN settings
We want to be blunt about this, because people in genuine need are the ones targeted.
APN settings are free. Assurance’s Customer Care is free to call. Dialing 611 from your Assurance phone is free. There is no such thing as a paid “data unlock,” a “network activation fee,” or a configuration file you need to purchase.
Red flags to walk away from: anyone asking for payment to fix your data, any site asking for your Social Security number to “look up your APN,” anyone requesting your account PIN by text or social media message, and anyone calling to say your Lifeline service will be cut off unless you pay today.
If someone tries this, report it to the FCC’s Lifeline Fraud Tip Line at 855-455-8477 or email Lifelinetips@fcc.gov. You can confirm any company is genuinely approved using our short walkthrough on how to verify a Lifeline provider, and our Lifeline scam guide covers the tactics currently in circulation.
Every number and link you might need
| What you need | Where to go | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Assurance Customer Care | 1-888-321-5880, or dial 611 free from your Assurance phone | 7 days, 7 a.m.–7 p.m. CT |
| Coverage and availability questions | 1-888-898-4888 | — |
| Check if your phone is compatible | assurancewireless.com/byod (dial *#06# for your IMEI) | Anytime |
| Your account and data balance | myaccount.assurancewireless.com | Anytime |
| Unlocking a phone | The carrier that sold it to you, not Assurance | — |
| Assurance by mail | Assurance Wireless, P.O. Box 818, Killeen, TX 76540 | — |
| Lifeline Support Center | 1-800-234-9473 · LifelineSupport@usac.org | 7 days, 9 a.m.–9 p.m. ET |
| FCC Lifeline Fraud Tip Line | 855-455-8477 · Lifelinetips@fcc.gov | — |
Frequently asked questions
Because Assurance runs on T-Mobile’s network, start with APN fast.t-mobile.com and MMSC http://mms.msg.eng.t-mobile.com/mms/wapenc, with MCC 310, MNC 260, and APN type default,supl,mms. Leave the proxy, port, username, and password fields empty. If that does not work, try the older profile using APN wholesale.
No. We checked their whole Help Center and there is no APN page. Their troubleshooting section covers phone memory and voicemail passcodes only. Any table you find, including ours, comes from the network operator or from testing, which is why we recommend calling 1-888-321-5880 for the exact values on your line if the ones here do not work.
Signal bars show the voice signal, so full bars with no internet is normal when data is blocked. The three most common causes are using up your monthly data allotment, a missing or wrong APN, and being dropped from the program for not using the phone within 30 days. Check your data balance before changing settings.
Make sure mobile data is turned on, since MMS does not travel over Wi-Fi alone. Then check that your MMSC address is exactly right and that APN type includes mms with no spaces after the commas. Assurance’s own bring-your-own-phone terms also warn that MMS may not function on some customer-owned devices, so if nothing works, ask Customer Care whether MMS is enabled on your line.
Your carrier has locked them, which usually means the settings are already correct. Try toggling Airplane Mode, turning mobile data off, or using “Reset to default” in the APN menu. Never download an app claiming to unlock APN settings and never root your phone over this. Call Customer Care and ask them to push the settings to your line instead.
Most phones need no separate hotspot APN. If yours will not share the connection, Android users can add dun to the APN type field, and iPhone users can enter pcweb.tmobile.com in the Personal Hotspot section. Hotspot data comes out of your regular monthly allotment.
Usually not. iPhones download a carrier profile on their own. Go to Settings, then General, then About, and wait a few seconds to see whether a carrier settings update appears. Install it first. Also note that a major iOS update erases any manual APN edits, so re-entering them after an update is normal.
The free Lifeline plan includes unlimited talk and text plus 10GB of high-speed data in most states, and 12GB in California and on Tribal lands. Unused data does not carry over. When the allotment runs out, your data stops until the next cycle, and no APN change will restore it.
Never. APN settings are free, calling 611 from your Assurance phone is free, and Customer Care at 1-888-321-5880 costs nothing. Anyone charging you for settings, a “data unlock,” or a configuration file is taking advantage of you. Report it to the FCC Lifeline Fraud Tip Line at 855-455-8477.
Still stuck?
Do these three things in order: check your data balance by dialing 611, run “Reset network settings,” then call Customer Care at 1-888-321-5880 and ask them to push your settings.
APN values, phone numbers, plan allotments, and network requirements change, and some details vary by state and device. Always write down your existing settings before changing them, and confirm current details with Assurance Wireless Customer Care.