carrier porting

How to Port a Vanity Phone Number to Google Fi (2026)

19 min read

Google Fi is a real US wireless carrier on T-Mobile’s network with built-in international roaming, and porting a vanity number to it is free and finishes inside the Google Fi app. Buy the number outright once from Digit Exclusive, sign up for Fi with a personal Google account, and the port-in runs at SIM activation via fi.google.com/account/transfer. We are not Google Fi. We are not a wireless carrier. We sell the vanity-number inventory; Fi provides the plan, the SIM, and the cross-border connectivity. The two purchases stack.

  1. Pick a vanity number from the US vanity catalog (browse premium or exclusive tiers).
  2. Buy it outright. Pricing starts From $200–$250. One payment. The number is yours, not rented monthly.
  3. Run the eligibility check at fi.google.com/account/transfer — Fi accepts mobile, landline, and most VoIP US numbers.
  4. Pull four fields from your current carrier: 10-digit number, full account number, account-holder name, billing zip — plus Number Transfer PIN.
  5. Activate the Fi SIM or eSIM, choose transfer my existing number, enter the four fields and the PIN, and let the cutover run (1–24 hours for wireless ports, longer for VoIP).

That is the flow at speed. The rest is a field manual for the Fi-shaped buyer: digital nomads, frequent international travelers, Pixel-loyal founders, and anyone whose phone number has to follow them across borders without a separate roaming SIM.

What Google Fi actually is, in plain English

Google Fi is an MVNO — a Mobile Virtual Network Operator — that resells T-Mobile’s 5G and LTE network in the United States and bundles automatic data and calling in 200+ countries on partner networks abroad. Fi is operated by Google and tied to a personal Google account. It is not a Google Workspace business product, and the personal-account requirement is a real constraint for some buyers.

  • The US network is T-Mobile’s. Coverage where T-Mobile is strong, Fi is strong. The pre-2024 US Cellular partnership is no longer the differentiator it once was; treat Fi as a T-Mobile MVNO for domestic coverage planning.
  • The international story is the killer feature. Fi data and calling work the same way in Lisbon, Tokyo, Mexico City, Bogota, and Hanoi as they do in Ohio — no per-country activation, no day-pass, no SIM swap. For founders, consultants, creators, and anyone running calls from outside the US for weeks at a time, this is the entire reason to pick Fi.
  • The port window is normal. Most wireless-to-wireless ports complete in 1–24 hours; landline-source and VoIP-source ports run 2–5 business days. Industry standard, not a Fi quirk.

The federal rules that make any of this possible are FCC 47 CFR Part 52 Wireless Local Number Portability, with a plain-language summary in the FCC consumer guide. Your right to keep number when switching carriers does not depend on the new carrier being a Big Three name. Fi must honor a clean port-in like any other US carrier.

Google Fi is not Google Voice (and the difference matters)

This is the most common confusion in the inbox. Fi and Google Voice are sibling products under the same Google umbrella; they are not the same thing. The right port guide depends on which one you actually want.

  • Google Fi is a real wireless carrier. SIM card, cell tower, mobile data, voice over LTE/5G, international roaming. Port-in is free. Replaces a traditional carrier.
  • Google Voice is a hosted phone service that forwards calls and texts to other devices. No SIM, no cell tower, no native mobile data. Port-in costs $20. Sits alongside or on top of a traditional carrier.

If you want one number that rings on a phone via cell signal, gets carried internationally, and replaces a carrier line, this is the Fi guide. If you want one number that forwards to multiple devices and lives inside Gmail and Workspace, see the Google Voice port guide. The vanity number you buy from Digit Exclusive can land on either; the digits do not change. Only the routing does.

Eligibility: device, account, and use-pattern

Fi has three eligibility surfaces. Skim all three before you submit a port; the number-side fields are not the part that fails.

Device eligibility

Pixel is the canonical Fi device and every modern Pixel (Pixel 5 and later) is fully supported with all features — visual voicemail, Wi-Fi calling, automatic network switching, dual-SIM behavior. Recent iPhones (iPhone 12 / iOS 16 and later) are supported with most features; eSIM activation works, voice and data work, but a few Fi-native features are Android-only by design. Many recent Samsung, Motorola, and OnePlus models are supported. Run the eligibility checker at fi.google.com/account/transfer for the current authoritative list before buying a SIM.

Account eligibility

Fi requires a personal Google account. As of 2026, Google Workspace business accounts cannot sign up for Fi service. If your only Google login is a Workspace one tied to a custom domain, create or use a personal Gmail-style account for the Fi line. The vanity number from Digit Exclusive is yours regardless of which Google login the Fi service is registered under.

Use-pattern eligibility

This is the rule travelers most often miss. Fi is built for US-primary use with international roaming as a feature, not for permanent expat use. Customers who spend the majority of a year outside the United States can trigger a Fi account review and, in extended cases, service termination. Fi does not publish a hard line. The honest framing for a digital nomad is Fi is the best on-the-road carrier in the United States, and a poor permanent-base carrier for someone who has actually moved abroad. Six weeks abroad, six weeks home, repeating — you are squarely in the Fi sweet spot. Two months home a year — you are not, and a US-numbered VoIP setup will serve the vanity number better.

The four fields Fi needs from your old carrier

Fi validates the port against the losing carrier’s database. Mismatches are the leading cause of port delays, not network issues. Pull these from your current carrier’s app and type them exactly as shown on file.

1. The full 10-digit number being ported

Just the ten digits. No country code, no formatting. If the number is parked on a transitional carrier after your Digit Exclusive purchase, that 10-digit number is what Fi needs — not the SKU from the order confirmation.

2. The full account number from the losing carrier

Fi wants the entire account number, not the last four digits. Verizon shows it under Account > Account Information. AT&T shows it under Profile > Account Info. T-Mobile postpaid shows it under Account > Profile. Mint and other MVNOs expose it under transfer-out settings. Google Voice uses the Google account email as the account-number-equivalent identifier.

3. Account-holder name and billing zip, character-for-character

The name on the Fi port-in form must match the losing carrier’s record exactly. If the losing carrier shows “ROBERT J SMITH” in caps, do not enter “Robert Smith.” Middle initials, suffixes, and punctuation matter. Billing zip is the zip on file at the losing carrier — not necessarily where you currently live, and definitely not where you happen to be travelling.

4. Number Transfer PIN from the losing carrier

Since 2022, the FCC has required all major US wireless carriers to issue a one-time Number Transfer PIN on demand:

  • T-Mobile postpaid: text NTP to 7678 from the line being ported, or generate it in the My T-Mobile app.
  • Verizon: My Verizon app, Account > Number Transfer PIN. Valid 7 days.
  • AT&T: myAT&T app or att.com/wireless/transfer-pin. Valid 7 days.
  • Mint, Cricket, Visible, Boost, US Cellular: in the carrier’s app under transfer-out.
  • Google Voice: Voice settings > Unlock my number. Outbound port-out from Voice incurs a $20 Google-side fee.
  • Google Fi (if leaving Fi later): port-out PIN is generated inside My Fi > Account > Transfer your number out of Fi.

Generate the PIN close to the moment you submit the Fi port-in. Expired PINs are the most common cause of stalled ports across every carrier in this guide.

How to actually run the port-in on Fi

Step 1: confirm device and order the SIM

Run the eligibility check at fi.google.com/account/transfer with your phone’s IMEI. If supported, sign up for Fi using a personal Google account, pick a plan, and order a physical SIM or activate eSIM on a supported device. Fi’s Flexible plan starts at roughly $20 per month for unlimited talk and text plus $10 per gigabyte of data; Simply Unlimited is roughly $50 per month and Unlimited Plus is roughly $65, with international roaming included on all tiers. Verify current pricing on fi.google.com.

Step 2: open the transfer flow at SIM activation

When the SIM arrives (or the eSIM provisioning code is ready), open the Google Fi app or go to fi.google.com/account/transfer and start activation. Choose transfer my existing number. Enter the four fields and the Number Transfer PIN. Fi runs an eligibility check on the losing carrier and assigns a port reference number you can track in the app.

Step 3: install the SIM and let the cutover run

Install the physical SIM or scan the eSIM QR code. Fi will provision a placeholder Fi-issued number on the SIM at signup; that placeholder is replaced by your vanity number when the port commits. Most wireless-to-wireless ports complete in 1–24 hours. Status updates land in the Fi app and via email.

Step 4: do not cancel the losing carrier early

This is the highest-cost mistake first-time porters make. Keep the old line active until Fi confirms the port has completed and you have placed a successful inbound test call from a different network. Cancel the losing line before the port commits and the number can fall out of porting eligibility, where the losing carrier may release it back to the available-inventory pool. Recovery from that state is sometimes possible and sometimes not.

Step 5: test on US network, then on international roaming

After Fi sends the port-completion notification, place a test call and a test SMS from a different network while still on US soil. Re-activate iMessage and FaceTime on iPhone — the Apple-ID-to-number handshake reruns post-port and can take 15–60 minutes. If you are about to leave the country, do one more test once your plane lands and your phone connects to a partner network: place an outbound call, receive an inbound call, send and receive an SMS, and load a data-only website without Wi-Fi. Fi roams automatically, but the first international handshake is the moment you want to discover any issue, not three days later when you missed a client call from Lisbon.

The trade-offs Fi asks you to accept

Most carrier-port guides skip this section because the writer is the carrier. We are not Fi. The international roaming is real and the network is real, but the Fi model has shape-edges that matter for some buyers and not for others.

Personal Google account requirement

Fi cannot run on a Google Workspace business account today. If your business identity lives entirely in Workspace under a custom domain, you will be using a personal Gmail-style login for the carrier relationship. The vanity number is still yours; the line still publishes the way you publish it. But the Fi billing relationship is a personal-account relationship, and that is a constraint worth knowing before you commit. For business buyers who need a business-account-of-record carrier, the sibling guides for AT&T and Verizon are the cleaner fit.

No retail walk-in, no port-in support phone

Fi has no retail stores and no consumer port-in support phone line in the conventional sense. Support runs through the Fi app, email, and live chat. For most buyers this is fine and frequently faster than a phone tree. For buyers who specifically want to walk into a corporate retail store to fix an account problem, Fi is the wrong fit; the T-Mobile port guide walks the postpaid alternative.

Permanent-expat use is not the use case

Said again because it costs people their service. Fi’s international roaming is for travel, not for relocation. Spend the majority of a year outside the US and you risk an account review. If you have actually moved abroad, the durable answer is to keep the vanity number on a US-based VoIP service that forwards globally, rather than on a US wireless carrier of any name. The number is yours regardless of which routing layer it lives on; the buy-once outright purchase is what makes that flexibility cheap.

If the port stalls or fails: how to recover

Most Fi port issues trace back to one of three causes. Treat the diagnosis as a checklist before reaching out to support.

  1. Number Transfer PIN expired or mistyped. Generate a fresh PIN at the losing carrier and resubmit through the Fi app. This alone resolves most stalled ports.
  2. Account number off by one digit. Re-pull from the losing carrier’s app, not from the printed bill or memory.
  3. Name or zip mismatch. Check the losing carrier’s account profile screen for the exact format and type it character-for-character.

If all three look correct and the port still stalls, open Fi support chat in the app with the port reference number ready. Ask the agent to read back the rejection reason, fix the field at the losing carrier, then resubmit. Most ports clear on the second attempt.

Why buy outright instead of leasing number from a vanity-number subscription

Most well-known vanity-number sellers package memorable numbers as monthly subscriptions running $9.99 to $50 per month. Combined with a Fi plan at $20–$65, that doubles or triples the monthly out-of-pocket on the line. Over five years, the rented-number stack runs $600–$3,000 in number-rental fees alone, and you do not own the number at the end. Compare that to a one-time purchase from Digit Exclusive: the number is yours forever, the only recurring cost is the carrier plan, and you can move the number to T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Mint, or a VoIP service later without buying it again.

That portability matters a lot for the Fi buyer specifically. Travel plans change. Someone who picks Fi today because they spend nine months a year on the road may pick a US-VoIP setup three years later when they relocate, then a postpaid carrier two years after that when they come back to the States. The vanity number rides through all of it. Use cases for the same outright model: personal vanity numbers for creators and side-hustlers, real-estate vanity numbers for agents whose phone is the brand. The companion sibling guides cover Mint Mobile for value-shoppers and the Google Voice path for buyers who want forwarding rather than a SIM. Area-code catalogs include California and New York for buyers who want a coastal-metro presence on the line that travels with them.

Related vanity-number resources

Related vanity-number resources

Frequently asked questions about porting to Google Fi

How long does it take to port a vanity number to Google Fi?

Most wireless-to-wireless ports complete in 1 to 24 hours when every field matches on the first try. Landline and VoIP-source ports run 2–5 business days. Field corrections add 24–72 hours per correction. Fi sends status updates inside the app and via email through the cutover window.

What does it cost to port number to Google Fi?

Fi does not charge a port-in fee. The only cost is the Fi plan itself, which runs roughly $20 per month on the Flexible plan plus $10 per gigabyte of data, $50 per month on Simply Unlimited, or $65 per month on Unlimited Plus. The losing carrier may charge a final-bill remainder; that fee is not from Fi.

Can I port a landline or VoIP number to Google Fi?

Yes. Unlike Google Voice (which only accepts mobile numbers), Google Fi accepts mobile, landline, and most VoIP US numbers. Landline-source and VoIP-source ports take longer than wireless-to-wireless — typically 2–5 business days — because they run through manual LNP routing rather than automated wireless port channels.

Can I port to Google Fi without a Pixel phone?

Yes. Pixel is canonical and every feature works there, but Fi supports many recent Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus, and iPhone models. Run the eligibility check at fi.google.com/account/transfer with your specific device IMEI. Some Fi-native features (visual voicemail, automatic network switching) work best or only on Pixel.

Does Google Fi work for permanent expats living abroad?

No, not as a durable solution. Fi is designed for US-primary use with international roaming as a travel feature, not as a permanent expat carrier. Customers who spend the majority of a year outside the US risk an account review and, in extended cases, service termination. For permanent overseas use, a US-numbered VoIP service that forwards globally is the more durable home for a vanity number.

Can I port a Google Voice number to Google Fi?

Yes. Open Google Voice settings, unlock the number, then submit the port through the Fi app using your Google account email as the account-number-equivalent identifier. Google charges a $20 port-out fee on the Voice side; Fi does not charge a port-in fee.

Do I need a Google Workspace account to use Google Fi?

No, and Workspace business accounts cannot sign up for Fi today. Fi requires a personal Google (Gmail-style) account. If your business identity lives in Workspace, create or use a personal Google account for the Fi billing relationship; the vanity number you publish is unrelated to the login on the carrier account.

After porting to Fi, do I need to do anything else?

Yes, in order: place a domestic test call from a different network, send a test text, re-activate iMessage and FaceTime on iPhone, and verify roaming on the first international trip after cutover. Then update Google Business Profile, signage, ad creative, CRM records, and the website footer.

Is the vanity number truly mine after I port it to Fi?

The number is yours from the moment you purchase it from Digit Exclusive, not from the moment Fi activates it. Porting is a routing change, not an ownership change. If you ever leave Fi, you port the number out the same way you ported it in. The number does not belong to Fi.

Does Digit Exclusive sell Google Fi service?

No. We are not Google Fi and we are not a wireless carrier. Digit Exclusive sells one-time-purchase US vanity phone numbers. Fi provides the wireless plan, the SIM, billing, and the international roaming on T-Mobile’s infrastructure. The two purchases stack: you buy the number from us, you buy the plan from Fi, and the port-in connects them.

Ready to start? The simplest sequence

Pick the number first. Browse all numbers, the premium tier, or the exclusive tier. Sign up for Fi at fi.google.com with a personal Google account, run the eligibility check at fi.google.com/account/transfer, and submit the port with the four fields and the Number Transfer PIN. Fi’s only quirks are the personal-account requirement, the no-retail support model, and the US-primary use expectation — all knowable, all manageable. Buy once. Own permanently. Carry the number across borders without buying it again.

Related carrier guide: For buyers who want a regional-carrier alternative, see the companion guide on how to port a vanity number to US Cellular.

Related number browsing: repeating digits

If you have not yet picked number, the cornerstone buy a phone number outright is the buyer reference — catalog entry points, five-step purchase flow, and carrier-transfer authorization timeline before the Google Fi port procedure below.

For the general FCC Local Number Portability reference covering this and every other major US carrier — the 5-step LNP process, FCC-mandated timelines, fees, and common porting issues — see the port-in guide how to port a phone number.

Subscription vs outright purchase: If you are weighing recurring subscriptions against a one-time purchase, our Google Voice alternatives for business comparison covers real 2026 pricing, A2P 10DLC failures, and Workspace-bundle traps for owned-number alternatives.

Or skip the search: If you have already decided to buy a number first, then port it to your carrier, our dedicated buy a phone number to port page covers the full decision tree (Verizon vs AT&T vs T-Mobile, port-out PIN requirements, NPAC processing timelines).

Ready to buy? Start here

Every guide ends at the same place: real one-of-one US numbers, sold outright, ported to your carrier under FCC §52. Pick your starting point below.