Free Government Phone & Tablet

A free government phone comes from Lifeline, a federal program that pays a monthly discount to phone companies so they can give low-income households a phone and service at no cost. In most states the discount is $9.25 per month, and up to $34.25 on Tribal lands. Providers such as Assurance Wireless, SafeLink, AirTalk Wireless and TruConnect turn that discount into a free phone with free talk, text and data.

You qualify if your household income is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if anyone in your household gets SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Veterans Pension, or certain Tribal programs. One Lifeline benefit is allowed per household.

The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) that once paid for free tablets and extra data ended on June 1, 2024. Any site still promising a “free ACP tablet” is out of date. Lifeline is the only active federal program, and most free phones are budget Android models. A few providers offer refurbished iPhones, and our guides show which ones and what they actually require.

This section covers everything in one place: which providers serve your state, how to prove eligibility through the National Verifier, what phones you can expect, and how to get a tablet or iPad with a Lifeline plan.