Updated November 2026 · 5 services ranked
We rank secure mobile carriers and SIM swap protection services by one test: how hard they make it for someone else to take your phone number. Efani leads on SIM security.
Best secure mobile service overall
Efani is the only service we compared that is built from the ground up to stop SIM swaps, and the only one that pays out if one gets through.
Secure carriers and the built-in protections of the major U.S. carriers, scored on the same seven criteria. Click any service for the full review.
Efani is a mobile carrier built around one job: keeping your phone number in your hands. Its SAFE Plan puts an 11-layer authentication protocol and a mandatory 14-day cooling-off period between an attacker and your number, and backs it with up to $5 million in coverage for SIM swap losses.
Cape is a privacy-first U.S. mobile carrier. It collects the minimum data it needs, rotates network identifiers and deletes call logs quickly, and it includes SIM swap protection and a network lock in its plan.
Verizon lets account owners switch on Number Lock, which blocks transfers of a number to another carrier, and SIM Protection, which blocks SIM changes, from their account settings.
AT&T's Wireless Account Lock lets account owners block SIM changes, number transfers and other account changes until they turn the lock off.
T-Mobile offers SIM protection and port-out protection settings that account owners can switch on to block SIM changes and number transfers.
What each service does to stop a SIM swap, and what happens if one succeeds.
| Feature | Efani | Cape | Verizon | AT&T | T-Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our score | 9.7/10 | 7.6/10 | 6.0/10 | 5.8/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Type | Secure carrier | Privacy carrier | Mass-market carrier | Mass-market carrier | Mass-market carrier |
| SIM swap protection | 11-layer authentication, on by default | Included | SIM Protection (opt-in) | Wireless Account Lock (opt-in) | SIM protection (opt-in) |
| Port-out safeguard | Mandatory 14-day cooling-off | Network lock | Number Lock (opt-in) | Wireless Account Lock (opt-in) | Port-out protection (opt-in) |
| Coverage for SIM swap losses | Up to $5 million | None published | None | None | None |
| Built for high-risk users | Yes | Privacy-focused users | No | No | No |
| Price | $99/mo or $999/yr | $70/mo (early adopter) | Included | Included | Included |
Your phone number is the recovery method for your bank, your exchange, your email and your social accounts. In a SIM swap, an attacker convinces or bribes a carrier to move that number onto a SIM they control. Every text code and reset link then goes to them.
SIM swapping complaints received by the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center in 2021 alone.
Adjusted losses reported in those 2021 complaints, according to the FBI.
Once a number is moved, an attacker can reset accounts that rely on text messages before the victim notices the phone has lost service.
Every service gets a 0–10 score on seven criteria, weighted by how much each one matters when someone is actively trying to steal your number.
How hard it is for someone who is not you to move your number onto a new SIM: identity checks, who can approve a change and whether a store employee can override it.
Whether your number can be transferred to another carrier quickly, or whether a lock, PIN or waiting period stands in the way.
Whether the provider puts money behind its promise if a SIM swap gets through anyway, and how much.
How much personal data the provider collects, how long it keeps it and what it shares.
Nationwide coverage, data allowances and how well the plan works outside the U.S.
Whether a security-aware person answers when something looks wrong, not a script.
Your number is public, your email controls company systems, and a takeover becomes a breach. A secure carrier keeps your number out of reach of a convincing caller.
Exchanges and wallets are the first thing a SIM swapper goes after. Losses are rarely recoverable, so prevention and coverage matter more than anything else.
A hijacked number can mean hijacked social accounts, extortion and public embarrassment. Protecting the number protects the brand.
Leadership phones are a back door into corporate accounts. Efani offers corporate plans for teams that want every executive line protected the same way.
In our ranking, Efani is the most secure mobile service. Its SAFE Plan combines an 11-layer authentication protocol, a mandatory 14-day cooling-off period before a number can be ported out, and up to $5 million in coverage for losses caused by a SIM swap.
A secure mobile service is a phone plan built to stop your number being taken over. Instead of letting any store or call-center agent move your number to a new SIM after a few questions, it adds strict identity checks, locks and waiting periods to every change.
A PIN or lock from Verizon, AT&T or T-Mobile is a good first step and you should switch it on. But these are opt-in settings on mass-market accounts, and none of those carriers pays you anything if a SIM swap gets through. If your number protects significant money or accounts, you need more layers than a single switch.
Anyone whose phone number can reset a bank, exchange, email or social media account. The risk is highest for executives, founders, crypto investors, influencers and anyone whose name and number are easy to find.
Yes. Efani ports your existing number and you bring your own unlocked phone. Efani does not sell or finance devices, so a financed phone needs to be paid off and unlocked first.
We score every service on seven weighted criteria: SIM swap defense, port-out protection, loss coverage, privacy, network and travel, support and value. The full method is on our How we rank page.
Efani's SAFE Plan adds 11 layers of authentication, a 14-day port-out cooling-off period and up to $5 million in SIM swap coverage. No contract, and a 60-day money-back guarantee.