Porting Old Number to O2 Sim

[Khaos]

I've just left EE and taken out a pay monthly contract with O2 and just wanted to double check something before I do it.

I supplied my EE phone number and PAC during the signing up process. I know when the sim card arrives I just pop it in and it activates the sim and I've had the text message telling me to text SWAP to 20220 which I believe starts the porting process.

My question is do I send the 'SWAP' message from the EE or O2 sim as I'm not sure who starts the process.

Also I've got dual sim phones but not putting both sims in together, will stick the EE in my work phone so I can see when it loses signal.

Thanks for any info

[Khaos]

Yeah gave the PAC code and EE phone number when I took out the contract online.

They then text my EE number that I am porting over to O2, this was the text I received.

O2: Thanks for your order. Your SIM is on its way and will be with you in the next 1-3 days. To activate your SIM text SWAP to 20220

I have also been issued a temporary number for my sim card.

At first I thought when the sim arrives just pop it in and its all automatic, well until I got the text 😆 

It's when I looked in the forums, one post and O2 say only use SWAP if its O2 to O2 number then someone else has posted their number didn't start porting until they sent the SWAP text.

Guessing I will find out when I put it in 😆 

[MI5]

Texting the swap text initiates the port in process.

You text from the new O2 sim and providing O2 have all the correct details the port in will happen automatically from there.

[Khaos]

Thanks MI5, after reading the text again posting it on here I suddenly thought 'you know if I have to text SWAP to activate it then it must be the O2 sim' 😆 

That's what happens when you starting trying to read stuff at 3am and it doesn't quite sink in lol

[MI5]

You're welcome @Khaos 

[gmarkj]

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@MI5 wrote:

Texting the swap text initiates the port in process.

You text from the new O2 sim and providing O2 have all the correct details the port in will happen automatically from there.

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Forgive my ignorance (it's been a LONG time since I had to port a number), but since when was the texting from the temporary number part of the process?

It's not in the guide which is 2 years old (last edit is July 2021), so since then?

[MI5]

Last year or so.

So many guides now out of date.

[Derekb]

I had the same confusion (the process is not tested by actual users and is only half explained and ambiguous).  This is from my real life actual experience in Oct 2023 -  If you have nominated the PAC code at sign up then you do NOT have to fill out a form (as some guides and prompts will say) but you DO have to text "SWAP" to 20220 from the new O2 SIM (despite being told in some guides and prompts that thats only for an O2 SIM to O2 SIM).  You then get walked through (by text message) what to do next and it will include inputting the SSN number that comes with the new SIM so don't discard it!  In my case the phone number then immediately switched to the ported one.

[Oxonian]

@Derekb 

That's interesting information, thank you for sharing. 😁