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What’s the lowest you should pay for a premium phone service? Gen Mobile is one of the many prepaid phone carriers here in the US. It has the cheapest prepaid phone plan at only ten bucks. And if that’s still too much, you can join the Gen Mobile free government phone program.
It’s not a lot of people know Gen Mobile has a free phone program. But if eligible, you can enjoy up to unlimited talk, text, and data (with 35GB of high-speed browsing) at no monthly cost.
In this guide, I’ve put together all the details you should know about the Gen Mobile free government phone. It covers how to qualify and apply, plus what you get.
Gen Mobile Free Government Phone: An Overview of the Program
| Feature | Gen Mobile |
| Founded | 2018 |
| Parent Company | DISH |
| Carrier Network | AT&T/ T-Mobile |
| eSIM support | NO |
| Free Minutes | Unlimited |
| Free Data | Unlimited (with cap) |
| Free Mexico/ Canada Call | Varies |
| Mobile Hotspot | YES |
| WiFi Calling | YES |
Gen Mobile is not a very old cellular brand, which could explain why you don’t know about it. It started around 2018 in California as a mobile virtual network (MVNO) of Sprint.
When T-Mobile and Sprint merged in 2020, Gen Mobile continued to serve its customers through the GSM (T-Mobile) network. But Boost Mobile, a brand of DISH Wireless, acquired Gen Mobile in 2021, which later saw them signing a new network deal with AT&T.
Boost Mobile acquired Gen Mobile to expand its market demographic with lower-priced phone plans. That includes the prepaid category selling from $10/ month and the free phone program from the government.
In the Gen Mobile reviews, we see the free phone program offer a monthly service plan at no cost. It also offers a one-time discount of smartphone in some states. But what you get depends on how you apply and qualify.
Crucial Things You Should Know about the Free Phone Offer
In this section, I’m going to break down the various things you should know about the Gen Mobile free phone from the government.
Gen Mobile Free Phone under Two Different Programs
Gen Mobile offers free government phones in two different programs: Lifeline and ACP program.
In the Lifeline program, Gen Mobile is an eligible telecommunication carrier (ETC). Thus, it can offer a free Lifeline phone discount and get reimbursed the full amount per month.
The amount the government reimburses Lifeline phone providers with free service is $9.25/ month. If on the federally-approved tribal lands, the Lifeline phone discount is up to $34.25. Thus, the Gen Mobile free phone plan allowances you get will be much better than the users in non-tribal areas.
Meanwhile, the Gen Mobile free phone program through ACP program offers a discount of $30/ month. If on the tribal lands, the service discount is up to $75/ month. So, like Lifeline, the free phone plans with the ACP program will have better allowances on tribal lands than on non-tribal areas.
Besides the monthly phone plans, the affordable connectivity program (ACP) often includes a one-time discount on the device. The device discount covers up to $100 to purchase a tablet, laptop, or computer desktop.
Similar Article: How To Get Gen Mobile Replacement Phone For Free
How to Get Gen Mobile Free Government Phone
The free government phone through Lifeline or ACP program is only available to low-income families. To be eligible, you must have a low income within the eligible cap or participate in a government-funded assistance benefit.
The low-income cap and assistance benefits eligible for the Lifeline and ACP programs sometimes vary. See below:
How to Qualify for Gen Mobile Free Government with Lifeline Program
To qualify for the Gen Mobile free phone with Lifeline program on low income, your total amount must be at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines. The total income amount is for all the working adults in your household. And the larger your household size, the higher the cap of the low income.
On the other hand, you can qualify for the Gen Mobile free phone with Lifeline if participating in assistance benefits like:
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Veterans Pensions & Survivors Benefit
- Veterans and Veteran’s Survivors Pension Benefit
- Federal Public Housing Assistance Program (FPHA)
- Free and reduced-price School Breakfast/ Lunch Program
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Food Stamps or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- Head Start, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and other tribal-based programs.
Note: Gen Mobile doesn’t offer a Lifeline program with WIC and a School Lunch/ Breakfast program in most states. Also, California is the only state I’ve been able to verify has a free phone with Lifeline. Other states may also have or not.
Speaking of others, Gen Mobile is only an ETC (with Lifeline license) in California and eighteen (18) other states. The eighteen other states include Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
How to Qualify for Gen Mobile Free Government with ACP Program
To qualify for the Gen Mobile free government phone with the ACP program, you should have a household income at or below 200% of the poverty guidelines. If not, you can qualify for the free phone with an eligible assistance benefit, such as:
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Veterans Pensions & Survivors Benefit
- Federal Pell Grant in the current award year
- Veterans and Veteran’s Survivors Pension Benefit
- Federal Public Housing Assistance Program (FPHA)
- Free and reduced-price School Breakfast/ Lunch Program
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Food Stamps or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
- Head Start, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and other tribal-based programs.
As you can see, all the assistance benefits eligible for Lifeline phone qualify for the ACP program. The low-income requirement of 135% poverty guidelines is also under the 200% cap of ACP.
So, you’re automatically eligible for the Gen Mobile free phone with ACP if enrolled in the Lifeline program with another provider.
How to Apply Gen Mobile Free Government Phone
The steps to apply for Gen Mobile free government phone vary on whether using the Lifeline or ACP program. If applying for the free phone with the Lifeline program, you just need to call customer support at 1-833-528-1380.
Once you connect to a Gen Mobile live agent, she will take you through the rules of the Lifeline program. Then she will get in touch with the local Lifeline administrator of your state to initiate your enrollment.
Before calling Gen Mobile to start your Lifeline enrollment, make sure you have your proof of eligibility and identity. The documents you can use as proof include:
- Proof of identity- examples are a copy of a valid driver’s license, birth certificate, government-issued ID, Green card, passport, certificate of citizenship/ naturalization, etc
- Proof of eligibility- examples are a copy of tax return, paycheck stub, statement of social security benefits, statement of income, unemployment benefits, or pension/ retirement benefits. If applying for the Gen Mobile free phone with an assistance benefit, you can use a statement of the benefit as proof of eligibility. An official letter of approval/ verification for the assistance benefit is also acceptable.
- Proof of Address- example documents are a copy of a valid driver’s license, tax return, utility bill, or mortgage/ lease statement.
Apply Gen Mobile Free Government Phone with ACP Program
We can say Gen Mobile doesn’t have the friendliest process to apply for the free government phone with the Lifeline program. It’s inconvenient as you have to call customer care, which MUST be within the dedicated office hours.
You can use the same approach of calling Gen Mobile customer care to apply for the free phone with the ACP program. However, the carrier does have the option to apply the ACP discount online.
A tiny hiccup is that the FCC has recently closed new enrollments for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). It’s only the consumers who managed to enroll before February 8 will continue to receive the free phone plan.
If already enrolled in the ACP program with another provider, you could transfer your service to Gen Mobile. The transfer to Gen Mobile could be to get better free phone allowances, which are more than some competitors.
What Do I Get in the Gen Mobile Free Government Phone Program?
The free government phone plan allowances you get with Gen Mobile depend on the program you use. If you applied for the Gen Mobile free phone with the ACP program, the perks are better than the Lifeline program. Then, the customers on the federal tribal lands get more allowances than those on the non-tribal lands. See the chart below:
| Features | Gen Mobile Lifeline (Basic) | Gen Mobile Lifeline (Tribal) | Gen Mobile ACP (Basic) | Gen Mobile ACP (Tribal) |
| Government Discount | $9.25/ mo | $34.25/ mo | $30/ mo | $75/ mo |
| Free Smartphone | Varies | YES | Varies | YES |
| Free Tablet | NO | NO | YES | YES |
| Talk Minutes (in Other States) | 1000 minutes | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Talk Minutes (in California) | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Text Messages | 1000 messages | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Text Messages (in California) | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| High-Speed Data (in other states) | 4.5GB | 11GB | 7GB | 35GB (10GB hotspot) |
| High-Speed Data (in California) | 4.5GB | 11GB | 7GB | 35GB (20GB hotspot) |
| Unlimited Slower Data | NO | NO | N/A | YES (2G speeds) |
| Add-On Minutes (in Other States) | $5/ 500 min | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Add-on Data (in All States) | $10/ 1GB | $10/ 1GB | $10/ 1GB | N/A |
| Free Emergency Calls | YES (411, 611, 911, & N11 numbers) | YES (411, 611, 911, & N11 numbers) | YES (411, 611, 911, & N11 numbers) | YES (411, 611, 911, & N11 numbers) |
Important Note:
If from a State Gen Mobile has a Lifeline phone program, you can combine it with ACP. In the ACP + Lifeline phone plan, you get unlimited talk and text, plus 16GB of high-speed data for free.
Most states don’t have the Gen Mobile lifeline program, though. In others like California that even have the Lifeline program, the ACP + Lifeline combo phone plan with 16GB of high-speed data isn’t free. It has a subsidized price of $10/ month.
Key Takeaway: The Bonus Gen Mobile Free Smartphone
When you apply Gen Mobile free phone with ACP, you have the option to select a bonus smartphone. Yes, the terms and conditions of Gen Mobile say “ACP doesn’t provide or subsidize phones”. The $100 device discount included with ACP is for a one-time tablet.
So, Gen Mobile offers the bonus smartphone on Lifeline and ACP program at their own expense. And for that, they can have unique policies with the offer.
One of these policies is that not all states will have the option to select a “free phone” during enrollment. My Californian address shows the selection of an ACP plan for $0 per month and a one-time free phone. (You can try to apply with your address to see if you also qualify for the free smartphone).
Even when they have the option to select a free smartphone, Gen Mobile doesn’t say the kind they give you. I also couldn’t find any information online on the Gen Mobile device they’d send. All in the terms and conditions is that the device you get will be “new or refurbished”.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is the Gen Mobile free phone offer real?
Yes, the Gen Mobile free phone is a real offer under the Lifeline and ACP program. In the two programs, Gen Mobile gets funds from the government to provide free phone plans to low-income individuals.
How can I get a Gen Mobile free phone from the government?
The process to get a Gen Mobile free government phone will depend on the program you use to apply. To apply with the Lifeline program, you’ll have to call Gen Mobile customer care at 1-833-528-1380. Then, the customer rep will contact your local Lifeline agency to start enrollment.
If planning to get a Gen Mobile free phone with the ACP program, you can visit the online enrollment form. Then, enter your area ZIP code and use the on-screen instructions to apply.
What towers does Gen Mobile use?
The network towers Gen Mobile uses at the moment are T-Mobile and AT&T. It’s a great improvement in coverage, unlike before 2021 when the MVNO only used the Sprint (CDMA) network.
Does Gen Mobile give free tablets to the government?
Yes, Gen Mobile is one of the ACP providers that give free tablets from the government through the ACP program. However, the carrier doesn’t say the kind of tablet they give you. You will have to sit in the dark waiting for whatever device they send.
Gen Mobile Free Government Phone Activation Fee
While there is much to talk about, these are the most relevant details you should know about the Gen Mobile free government phone deal. The phone deal is under the Lifeline and ACP, which means you must come from a low-income household to qualify.
Sadly, the ACP program is no longer accepting new enrollments at the moment. So, you can only apply with Gen Mobile as a new customer if transferring your free phone plan from another ACP provider.
The Gen Mobile Lifeline program is the only one you can apply for a free phone as a new customer. But it also has a drawback of availability, with less than twenty states covered. Then, you have to contact Gen Mobile customer care to apply, as they don’t offer online enrollment currently.
If lucky and get approved for the Gen Mobile free phone program, you should know the carrier often charges a one-time $39 activation fee. Californians are a bit lucky their Lifeline funds from the state often cover even such activation fees.
In other States, Gen Mobile has the activation fee as compulsory. But you can contact customer support to waive the fee for you.