Update: Helium Mobile just sent me an e-mail offering $50 in Cloud points (supposedly redeemable for gift cards to Airbnb, DoorDash, and Nike) for new customers if you open with the promo code GETLUCKY. Expires 11:59pm PT on March 18, 2025. Must be subscribed for at least 30 days in order to use points in Cloud Store. I’m still not a huge fan of their location tracking, but if you’re gonna go for this plan but haven’t yet, get the $50 in points!
Original post:
Helium Mobile is offering a “free” cellular plan that includes 100 minutes talk, 300 texts, and 3 GB of data per month (no hotspot). You have to upload a government-issued ID (name, address, date of birth, ID number), but you don’t need to provide a credit card. You also have to always allow Location Sharing so they can always track your exact location. Helium Mobile is a T-Mobile MVNO, so you will need a compatible unlocked GSM phone.
The free plan is currently waitlist-only unless you have an invite code, but one of the following invite codes should work to provide you immediate access. Click on the “Got an invite code?” link on the front page. Both iOS and Android apps are available. Try these:
- JGKOS6O (my referral code)
- HELIUMCEO
- HELIUMFREE
- BREAKFREE
They offer both eSIM and physical SIMs, but as of now the physical SIMs are out of stock and the expected wait time is at least a few weeks.
This is not the first cellular carrier to promote a “free” plan, nor the first to try and build a network of people sharing their WiFi for theoretically low-cost data (“Helium Hotspots”), and you shouldn’t be surprised that the reason beyond this new one is “something something crypto”. They never seem to last very long, and in the past have had hidden fees (FreedomPop) and sometimes required too much effort (RingPlus).
I probably wouldn’t bother using this as your primary number due to the hassle of porting in and out again possibly soon, but having an extra phone number can be useful for a variety of reasons. Some special offers are effectively limited to one per phone number, and sometimes you may not want to give out your primary phone number. You might have an old phone you want to use, or you could just add an eSIM number to your existing phone.
I’m concerned that the always-on location sharing would be a drain on battery life (in addition to your privacy). They say they use Fitness data which is less draining, but I’m still dubious. I would probably learn towards using an old phone.
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