You're standing in the middle of a Best Buy or scrolling through a crowded Reddit thread, and you see it. The Cricket 14 day trial. It sounds like the perfect "get out of jail free" card for anyone suffocating under a massive Verizon or AT&T bill. But we've all been burned by "free" offers that end up costing forty bucks in "activation fees" or hidden taxes that appear out of nowhere like a jump scare in a bad horror movie.
Honestly, the way we buy cell service is broken.
We sign up for these multi-year contracts or "auto-pay" loops without actually knowing if the data will even work in our own kitchens. That’s why the Cricket 14 day trial—formally known as the "tryCricket" app—is actually a big deal. It’s a literal test drive for your phone. You don't have to change your number. You don't have to talk to a salesperson who smells like stale coffee. You just download an app and see if the bars stay high when you're in the basement.
How the tryCricket app actually works in the real world
The technical term for this is an eSIM trial. Most modern phones, like the iPhone 11 and newer or the recent Samsung Galaxy S series, have this tiny digital SIM card inside them that allows you to run two phone lines at once. When you start the Cricket 14 day trial, you aren't replacing your current service. You're layering Cricket on top of it.
Think of it like a second lane on a highway. Your main number stays with your current carrier, but your data starts pulling from Cricket's 5G network.
Cricket is owned by AT&T. This is important. If you live in a place where AT&T has a massive tower right outside your window, Cricket is going to scream. If you're in a dead zone for the "Big Blue" network, this trial is going to be a total waste of time, and you'll know that within about thirty seconds of hitting the "activate" button.
To get started, you need the tryCricket app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. You’ll provide some basic info—name, email, zip code—but the beautiful part is they don't ask for a credit card. No "oops, I forgot to cancel and now I'm out $60" moments here. It just turns off after two weeks.
The fine print that nobody reads but you definitely should
You get 3GB of data. That’s it.
In 2026, 3GB feels like a snack, not a meal. If you start scrolling TikTok at 4K resolution or downloading a massive OS update on this trial, you’re going to burn through your "14 days" in about forty-five minutes. This isn't meant for a binge-watching session. It's meant for testing signal strength. Can you make a call from the grocery store? Does your GPS lag when you’re driving through that one weird wooded patch on the way to work?
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Also, it includes unlimited talk and text, but it's a temporary number. Don't go giving this number out to your mom or your bank. It’s a burner. It’s strictly for testing the pipes.
Why Cricket is even doing this
Wireless carriers are desperate. The market is saturated. Almost everyone who wants a smartphone already has one, so the only way for Cricket to grow is to steal customers from Metro by T-Mobile or Mint Mobile.
They’re betting on the "network effect."
Most people stay with bad carriers because switching is a giant pain in the neck. You have to port your number, get a new SIM, and hope the service doesn't suck. By offering the Cricket 14 day trial, they remove the "hope" part of the equation. They want you to see that AT&T’s 5G network—which Cricket uses—might actually be better than what you’re paying for right now.
It’s a low-risk move for them. Providing 3GB of data costs the company almost nothing, but the "Customer Acquisition Cost" (CAC) drops significantly if they can prove the service works before you ever step foot in a retail store.
Does your phone even support this?
This is the biggest hurdle. If you’re rocking an iPhone 8 or an older budget Android, you’re out of luck. You need eSIM capability.
- iPhone: Anything from the XR/XS era or later.
- Android: Pixel 4 and up, or the recent Samsung Galaxy S21/S22/S23/S24 series.
- Unlocked status: Your phone must be unlocked. If you're still paying off your phone to T-Mobile or Verizon, they might have a lock on the SIM slot, which will block the Cricket trial from even starting.
Check your settings. On an iPhone, go to Settings > General > About and look for "Carrier Lock." If it says "No SIM restrictions," you're golden. If not, you’ve got to pay off that phone before you can play the field.
Comparing the "Try Before You Buy" landscape
Cricket isn't the only one doing this. T-Mobile has their "Network Pass," which is actually way more generous—giving you three months of unlimited data. Visible (owned by Verizon) offers a 15-day trial.
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So why pick the Cricket trial?
It boils down to the towers. In many rural parts of the US, AT&T (and by extension, Cricket) still holds the crown for coverage where T-Mobile drops off. If you're a hiker or someone who lives out where the mail is still delivered by a guy who knows your dog's name, the Cricket trial is likely your best bet for finding a signal.
The psychological trap of the trial period
Let’s be real for a second. These companies know that once you install their "second" SIM and see it works, you’re halfway to switching. It’s called the "Endowment Effect." You start to feel like that coverage belongs to you.
But you have to be smart. Use the trial to check your "micro-climates."
- The Work Desk: Does the signal penetrate your office building?
- The Commute: Are there "dead zones" where your Spotify cuts out?
- The Bedroom: Can you actually browse the web without relying on shaky Wi-Fi?
If the Cricket 14 day trial shows "SOS" or one bar in these places, it doesn't matter how cheap the plan is. No amount of savings is worth a dropped call when you're trying to order pizza or talk to your boss.
What happens when the 14 days are up?
Nothing. That’s the best part.
The eSIM just becomes inactive. You can delete the tryCricket app and remove the cellular plan from your settings. Your phone goes back to exactly how it was before. No "retention" agents will call you. No "final bills" will arrive.
If you do like it, they make it incredibly easy to switch. You can pick a plan—usually ranging from $30 to $60 depending on how much "unlimited" you actually need—and then they’ll help you move your real phone number over. Just a heads up: the best deals at Cricket, like the free phones or the $25/month "multiline" discounts, usually require you to bring a number from a non-AT&T carrier.
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Practical Steps to Get the Most Out of Your Trial
Don't just download it and forget it. To actually see if Cricket is worth your money, you need to be a little bit methodical.
First, toggle your data. Once the trial is active, go into your phone's cellular settings and "force" the data to use the Cricket eSIM. This ensures you aren't accidentally using your old carrier's data and thinking Cricket is great.
Second, check the speeds. Download an app like Ookla Speedtest. Run it at noon. Run it at 8:00 PM. MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) like Cricket are sometimes "deprioritized." This means if the towers are super busy, the guy paying $90 a month to AT&T gets the fast lane, and you might get slowed down. Use the trial to see if that "deprioritization" actually happens in your neighborhood.
Third, look at the perks. Cricket’s top-tier plans include Max (the streaming service formerly known as HBO Max) with ads. If you’re already paying $10 a month for Max, that’s a direct saving you should factor into your math.
The verdict on the 14-day window
It's a zero-risk move.
If you are frustrated with your current bill, the Cricket 14 day trial is the most honest way to see if the grass is actually greener. You don't need a new phone. You don't need a credit card. You just need ten minutes and a decent Wi-Fi connection to download the profile.
Just remember: 3GB is a tiny bucket of water. Use it to test the signal, not to watch Netflix in the car. If the signal holds up in your specific world—your house, your job, your gym—then you’ve found a way to potentially cut your phone bill in half without losing the connectivity you depend on.
To move forward, check your phone’s "Unlock" status in the settings menu first. If it's clear, head to the App Store, grab the tryCricket app, and start the clock. You'll know by tomorrow if you're overpaying for your current service. Once that 14-day window closes, the trial simply vanishes, leaving you with the data you need to make a real decision about your mobile plan.