What Happened to Helium Mobile's Free Zero Plan?
Former Zero Plan users may be paying $15 a month without noticing. Here's the timeline, the plan changes, and how to stop the charges.
Helium Mobile's Zero Plan was a no-cost phone plan, and it no longer exists. Helium Mobile first added taxes and fees and changed the plan's data terms in January 2026. It then closed the plan to new sign-ups in April and ended it for everyone on June 11, 2026.
Customers who didn't make a change by that date were moved to Helium's $15-per-month Air Plan and started paying for service. If you had the Zero Plan and haven't checked your account since spring, you may already be paying.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on September 17, 2026.
How the Zero Plan Wound Down in Three Steps
At launch, the Zero Plan gave customers 3GB of data, 300 texts and 100 minutes of calls each month for free, according to PhoneArena's coverage of the first free 5G plan. That offer changed three times in 2026. The Helium Mobile Help Center page "What happened to the Zero Plan?" lays out this sequence.
The page shows no update date, so check it again before you rely on any specific term.
- **January 27, 2026:** Subscribers started paying federal and state taxes and fees, and the data terms changed. The plan was no longer fully free.
- **April 27, 2026:** New customers could no longer sign up for the Zero Plan.
- **June 11, 2026:** The plan ended for all remaining subscribers.
Why Helium Mobile Ended It
Helium Mobile emailed Zero Plan customers to say the plan would end on June 11, 2026. The company said a free plan was "not sustainable long term." The decision also went back on what the company said earlier. When it closed sign-ups in April, Helium Mobile said existing Zero Plan users were "not impacted," as Android Authority reported.
About a month later, it ended the plan for those same users. Anyone who stayed because of the April promise ended up with only a few weeks' notice.
Who Got Moved to the $15 Air Plan
Subscribers who did nothing before June 11 were switched to the Air Plan automatically and started being charged $15 a month. Group Plan members were moved too, so family and shared accounts were affected as well as individual lines. Here's how the two plans compare: The Air Plan gives you more data and unlimited talk and text.
That's only a better deal if you need it. Someone who used a Helium line as a backup phone or for a child's occasional texts now pays $180 a year for service they may barely use.
- **Zero Plan (original):** $0, 3GB of data, 300 texts, 100 minutes
- **Air Plan:** $15 per month, 10GB of cellular data per billing cycle, unlimited calls and texts
What to Do If You Had the Zero Plan
The automatic Air Plan charges keep going until you make a change. It's now well past June 11, so check whether you've already been billed. If you're moving your number, don't cancel the Helium line first.
Start the transfer with the new carrier while the old line is still active. Canceling first can mean losing the number.
- Open your Helium Mobile account and confirm which plan each line is on.
- Check the payment method on file for recent $15 charges.
- If you run a Group Plan, check every line, not just your own.
- Decide whether the Air Plan's 10GB and unlimited talk and text are worth $15 a month to you.
- If they aren't, pick a different Helium plan or move your number to another carrier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still sign up for Helium Mobile's Zero Plan?
No. Helium Mobile stopped taking new Zero Plan sign-ups on April 27, 2026, and ended the plan for all subscribers on June 11, 2026.
Were Group Plan members treated differently?
No. The Help Center says Zero Plan members on a Group Plan were also moved to the Air Plan.
How much data does the replacement plan include?
The $15 Air Plan includes 10GB of cellular data per billing cycle, plus unlimited calls and texts.