
AT&T is a major carrier stalwart, with the nation's second-best 4G LTE and 5G networks. Accordingly, you'll enjoy excellent 4G coverage nationwide, including particularly strong rural signal strength, with growing pockets of fast 5G. Considering its mobile dominance, it's totally worth switching to Big Blue. I like AT&T so much that I use it as my personal phone plan.
Whether you're a current AT&T subscriber or switching carriers, you'll want to know how to add lines to your account. Because AT&T family plans save you a bunch, we suggest grabbing some relatives or friends to go in on a multi-line discount.
Generally, adding additional lines to your AT&T account requires picking a phone, selecting a plan, logging into your account, and updating your service. Let's explore the process for adding a line to your AT&T account.
How to add a line to your AT&T plan
Although the mobile landscape can be pretty complicated, adding lines is generally pretty easy. Getting a human on the phone for customer support is not so much. With AT&T, adding a line is a little different when you're getting a new phone through Big Blue versus going the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) route.
Getting a new phone
Purchasing a new phone from a carrier is a great idea. AT&T gives you plenty of Android and iPhone deals, like free or super cheap handsets. When you're adding a line and getting a fresh mobile device, you'll start by perusing phones on AT&T's website. Here's how to add a line to your AT&T phone plan when getting a new phone:
- Browse available phones on AT&T's website and select a new device.
- Pick Add a line on the device page.
- Log in if you're already an AT&T customer, or create a new account.
- Complete your order and checkout.
Bringing your own device (BYOD)
If you've got a beloved phone—maybe you're switching carriers and bringing your current device, or maybe you've purchased an unlocked phone like a OnePlus 11 that Big Blue doesn't sell—adding a line looks a little different. You'll go to the AT&T bring your own phone (BYOP) page, then proceed with adding a plan from there.
- Head to the AT&T Bring Your Own Device page.
- Select the number of lines and pick your preferred plan, then press continue.
- Choose either Join AT&T if you're not already a Big Blue subscriber or hit Change my plan.
- Finish checking out.
Prepaid
Just like paying your AT&T phone bill, things work a little differently for AT&T prepaid customers. As an AT&T prepaid customer, I can vouch for this. Here's how to add a new line onto an AT&T prepaid account:
- Log into your myAT&T account.
- Pick the Add Line option.
- Add your new line(s).
Best AT&T cell phone plans
Whether you're an existing AT&T wireless subscriber switching plans or you're changing carriers, you'll need the right plan. The best AT&T plan overall is Premium 2.0. You'll get truly unlimited priority data, 100GB of mobile hotspot data, and great international perks.
On a budget, we recommend Value 2.0. Big Blue’s Unlimited Starter package offers unlimited talk, text, and 5GB of high-speed data with 3GB of mobile hotspot. There’s a risk of deprioritization, or slowed down data, after you use your 5GB of priority data, but chances are unless you’re streaming 4K videos, you won’t notice.
Our favorite AT&T prepaid plan is the Prepaid Unlimited with 5G + 10GB Hotspot plan. It's an annual plan you can snag the most affordable service AT&T has to offer. You enjoy unlimited talk, text, and data with a generous 10GB mobile hotspot allowance. Although most prepaid plans, including Big Blue's, are pretty no-frills, you do get some international call and text benefits.
And if you're an AT&T postpaid customer adding lines to a family plan, you can cobble together a Frankenstein's monster, with each member using their own preferred plan. AT&T dubs this “Unlimited Your Way,” since everyone can get the unlimited plan that fits their mobile data and hotspot needs.
For instance, as a heavy data user constantly streaming De La Soul on Tidal, playing Diablo Immortal on my phone, and using my phone as a hotspot for gaming, I like the Prepaid Unlimited with 5G + 10GB Hotspot plan. But my partner, who mostly checks her email and listens to music on Spotify, can snag the base Unlimited Starter package. We both get the mobile data and hotspot data we need while paying the respective discounted family plan prices for those tiers.
Bundle and save
Cell phone bills can get pretty expensive, especially if you need an unlimited plan. One of the best ways to save money on your monthly bill is by bundling service. Chances are you need a cell phone plan and home internet. AT&T lets you save up to 25% by adding an unlimited plan (Premium, Extra, or Value) onto a home internet plan. Check out the best AT&T phone and internet bundles to save.
Best AT&T MVNOs
While we recommend AT&T’s cell service, and I’m even a Big Blue customer, big carriers aren’t always the way to go. Mobile virtual network operators, or MVNOs, don’t operate their own cellular networks, but instead piggyback off of major carriers. By eschewing a costly-to-maintain cell tower infrastructure, not offering as many perks, and cutting back on enormous mobile data or hotspot thresholds, smaller carriers save you a pretty penny. Our favorite AT&T MVNOs are Cricket Wireless and Consumer Cellular.
Cricket Wireless provides various plans, from its entry-level Sensible 10GB option to its Supreme Unlimited plan. We recommend its top-tier Supreme Unlimited plan, which gives you a buffet of talk, text, and high-speed data, a 50GB mobile hotspot allowance, 150GB of cloud storage, and HBO Max with ads. Cricket’s premium unlimited plan is a rare MVNO offering with perks. While it’s cheaper than AT&T’s base Unlimited Value 2.0, Cricket throws in more goodies. And you can make it a family plan to further lower your monthly bill.
Consumer Cellular is a great AT&T MVNO as well. We like its AARP discount, outstanding customer service, and choice of AT&T or T-Mobile networks. For most folks, we recommend its 10GB plan which provides more than enough monthly data for streaming music, checking social media, and occasional video watching. But you can find everything from a 1GB tier to an unlimited data option.
Check out the most popular AT&T MVNOs below:
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I add lines to my AT&T account?
You can add lines to your AT&T account by selecting a device, picking the add a line option, and logging in or registering for an account. If you're bringing your own device, you'll use AT&T's BYOD page. And if you're a prepaid customer, you'll log in to your AT&T prepaid account portal to add lines.
Is it cheaper to add a line on AT&T?
Yes, it is cheaper to add a line on AT&T; prices drop with each additional line.
How many lines can be added to an AT&T unlimited plan?
You can add up to 10 lines to an AT&T unlimited family plan.
Can you transfer a phone line to another account on AT&T?
Yes, you can transfer a phone line from one AT&T account to another. So if you’re an existing AT&T customer, you can easily join another Big Blue account for a multi-line bundle.
Why can't I add a line to my AT&T account?
If you’re having trouble adding a line to your AT&T account, it could be a security or billing issue. Therefore, we recommend contacting AT&T customer service.
Moe Long
Senior Writer

