enTouch Wireless Free Government Phone: Plans, Devices & Support
Last verified: · by Arif
enTouch Wireless is the consumer brand of Boomerang Wireless, LLC, a Dallas company and a founding member of the National Lifeline Association. Federal data shows it active in 14 states. Its own site claims 37. The thing most write-ups get wrong is the device: enTouch limits the free phone to new Tribal and California LifeLine enrollments, and everywhere else you get a SIM card and supply your own handset. It also runs physical stores, which very few Lifeline carriers do.
enTouch Wireless at a glance
- Network
- AT&T and T-Mobile 4G LTE (the carrier names T-Mobile on its About page and publishes both coverage maps)
- States served
- 14 states
- Device policy
- Free smartphone (Android): free phone only for new Tribal and California LifeLine enrollments; everyone else gets a SIM card and uses their own phone
- Plan
- Non-Tribal: 300 minutes, 300 texts, 4.5GB. Tribal: unlimited talk and text with 4.5GB and a free phone. California: unlimited talk and text with 4.5GB to 8GB. Kentucky: unlimited talk and text but only 1GB
- Support
- 1-866-488-8719
- Apply
- official application
- Login
- my account
- Check status
- —
Does enTouch Wireless give a free iPhone?
No. enTouch Wireless does not ship iPhones under Lifeline, and you get a free Android smartphone instead. See our free government iPhone guide for the providers that do.
How to apply
- Understand what arrives in the post before you apply, because for most people it is a SIM card and not a phone. enTouch limits the free handset to new Tribal Lifeline and California LifeLine enrollments. Texas, Oklahoma non-Tribal and West Virginia are all published as SIM-only. You need an unlocked phone of your own.
- Check that your state is really served. The list on their own site is not the list that counts. Their site claims 37 states plus Puerto Rico in one place and 33 in another. Federal Lifeline data shows this carrier active in 14: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington and West Virginia.
- Get your three documents to match before you upload anything. Their own rule leaves no room. Your name and address must match your state-issued photo ID or the application is turned down, and the proof has to be dated within the last 12 months.
- Apply online, by paper, or in person at one of their stores. In-person Lifeline enrollment is rare in this program and it is their real advantage. California residents cannot use the paper route and have to enroll online or with an agent.
- Once active, use the phone at least once every 30 days. After 30 days of no calls, texts, data or purchases they send a notice and then de-enroll you 15 days later, leaving only 911. One outgoing call a month prevents it.
Why applications get stuck, and the fix
- You expected a phone and got a SIM card
Cause: The free handset is limited to new Tribal and California LifeLine enrollments; every other state is SIM-only
Fix: Check the asterisk before you apply. If you have no unlocked phone, a carrier in your state guide that ships a handset is the better route. Their SIM works in any unlocked phone on the AT&T or T-Mobile bands, and activation needs the ICCID number from the SIM package.
- Application turned down over the ID, not the eligibility
Cause: Their rule is that the name and address must match the state-issued photo ID exactly, and proof documents must be dated within 12 months
Fix: Fix the ID first if you have moved. A twelve-month-old benefit letter will fail even if you are still enrolled in the program, so request a current one before applying rather than after being rejected.
- Recertification by phone is refused
Cause: Application IDs that begin with the letter D require documentation and cannot be handled on the phone line
Fix: Renew online or by post instead, and allow five to seven business days for enTouch to receive the confirmation. California and Texas customers do not recertify with enTouch at all; those states run their own administrators.
- Service cut off even though nothing changed
Cause: The 30-day non-usage rule fired. No calls, texts, data or purchases for a month starts a notice, then a 15-day countdown
Fix: Make one outgoing call a month. If you are already disconnected, call 1-866-488-8719 during their weekday hours, since there is no weekend support and no online status tool to check what happened.
Fees and hidden costs
| Fee | Amount | Notes | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activation, California LifeLine | $39.00 | Published in their terms of service; no activation fee is published for any other state | 2026-09-18 |
| Paid upgrade to unlimited talk and text | $25.00 | Optional monthly tier on top of the free benefit. Tribal households reach unlimited free, so this tier is for everyone else. $26 buys 5GB and $30 buys 6GB | 2026-09-18 |
Common questions
Does enTouch Wireless give a free phone?
Only if you enroll as a new Tribal Lifeline or California LifeLine customer. Their own FAQ carries that limit in the asterisk. In Texas, non-Tribal Oklahoma and West Virginia their state pages say plainly that you receive a free SIM card and no phone. So for most applicants this is a bring-your-own-phone carrier, and you need an unlocked handset before you apply.
Is enTouch Wireless the same as Boomerang Wireless?
Yes. Their terms of service and privacy policy both name the entity as Boomerang Wireless, LLC doing business as enTouch Wireless. Federal Lifeline data carries listings under both names for the same company, which is why you may see the two used interchangeably.
What states does enTouch Wireless serve?
Federal Lifeline data shows this carrier active in 14: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington and West Virginia. Their own site claims 37 states plus Puerto Rico on one page and 33 in its FAQ, so treat the bigger number as marketing and check your ZIP in the application.
What is the enTouch Wireless plan?
Non-Tribal customers get 300 minutes, 300 texts and 4.5GB a month at $0. Tribal customers get unlimited talk and text with the same 4.5GB, plus the free phone. California runs its own ladder up to 8GB for Tribal households, and Kentucky is an outlier with unlimited talk and text but only 1GB. Paid tiers start at $1 and reach $30 for 6GB.
What is the enTouch Wireless customer service number?
1-866-488-8719, or dial 611 from an enTouch phone. Hours are Monday to Friday, 10am to 10pm Central. There is no weekend support and no online application status checker, so a stuck application means calling during the week. Support is offered in English and Spanish.
Does enTouch Wireless have stores?
Yes, and that is genuinely unusual here. They publish a store locator and invite people to walk in to apply or get support. Most Lifeline carriers are mail-order only. We could not verify how many stores there are or where, because the locator loads its results dynamically, so check it for your area rather than assuming there is one nearby.
Gov-Grants.org is an independent guide, not a carrier and not a government agency. We never charge fees, and every fact above links to its source with the date we checked it. Program details change; confirm on the official site before applying.