Mobile Phone Guides UK 2026
Hand-written guides for switching network, topping up PAYG, choosing the right phone for your job and using your handset to its full potential.
PAC Code Guide
How to get your PAC code by text and keep your number when switching UK mobile network. Text PAC to 65075.
PAYG Top Up Guide
Top up your pay-as-you-go SIM by app, online, voucher or text. Per-network guides for EE, O2, Three, Vodafone, giffgaff, Voxi, Lebara and Tesco Mobile.
eSIM Guides by Network
How to get an eSIM on each UK network, which plans support it, what it costs and how to move from a physical SIM.
Family SIM Plans UK
Which UK networks discount extra lines or share data across a family, and when separate SIM-only plans work out cheaper.
Best Phones for Business UK 2026
A buyer's guide to business phones, UK business mobile plans, security models and VAT treatment for sole traders, SMEs and IT teams.
Phone Hotspot & Tethering Guide
Share your phone's internet with your laptop, tablet or smart TV. Step-by-step for iPhone, Samsung, Pixel, Honor and Xiaomi with UK network tethering policies.
Is My Network Down?
How to check whether EE, O2, Three or Vodafone has an outage, which brands share each network, and fixes to try while you wait.
Credit checks by network: EE, O2, Vodafone, Three, iD Mobile and more
Every major UK network credit checks pay monthly phone contracts, because the phone is bought on a credit agreement. Vodafone, iD Mobile and Three also check pay monthly SIM-only p...
Phone contract credit checks: what score you need and how they work
There is no single credit score that gets you a phone contract. Experian, Equifax and TransUnion each use a different scale, and networks judge applications with their own scoring,...
Phone contracts with an IVA, CCJ, default or bankruptcy
A CCJ or default makes a phone contract harder to get, but each network decides. An IVA is different. Under standard IVA terms you must not take credit over £500 without your super...
Getting your first phone contract with no credit history
You can get a phone contract with no credit history, but approval is never certain. Networks check your identity, your address and your credit file, and an empty file gives them li...
Refused a phone contract? Why it happens and what to do next
Being refused a phone contract does not go on your credit file, but the search from your application does. Before you apply again, find out which credit reference agency the networ...