I’ve created this page to be updated whenever I find a new deal on the Motorola w376g TracFone. For now, I still haven’t found it cheaper anywhere than the TracFone website. But if I do, I’ll update this page and post about the new deal on the main section of my blog. [EDIT 10/27/08 - TracFone has now reduced the price on this phone to $29.99, the lowest it's ever been].
For now, you might also want to check out my three-part review on the w376g. I know it’s a little lengthy, but I wanted to do my best to cover all the details. Here are the links to the review:
Part 3
[EDIT 7/29/08 - This phone is on sale this week for $39.99 from Circuit City as well as their website. Here is a link to the product there. It is also on sale at Sears and, reportedly, KMart, for the same price, although it is not available online from either of these retailers.]
[EDIT 9/7/08 - This phone is once again on sale this week for $39.99 from Circuit City as well as their website. It is also available at Walmart now at this same price.]
[EDIT 10/13/08 - Walmart has once again dropped their price on this model, down to 29.78. It is available from their website, with a $5 shipping charge. ]
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Hi. Thanks for the review. I’m considering getting this phone for my daughter, but it’s important that we be able to download pictures from the phone to our computer. Is that doable? We previously had an LG225 and got the data connection cable, but we’re still not able to figure out if we can download pictures from that phone.
Hi Tom
Sorry to say, this might not be the phone for you. There is no way to download photos to the computer via cable or bluetooth. You MAY be able to email the pics from the phone to a regular email address, but that will cost units and, as far as I’ve heard so far, still subject to some bugs that need to be worked out. Hope this answers your questions.
Thanks much for the quick reply. Do you know if it’s at all possible with the LG 225 phone (again, we did get a data transfer cable, but I can’t seem to get it to work)? And/or, is it possible with ANY Tracfone?
I don’t think it’s possible to transfer pics directly with any TracFone model. I think your only option, regardless of the TracFone model, is to email it.
OK, thanks again.
Hi, I just bought this phone and it’s great and all, actually I love it. However, I was wondering if anyone has figured out how to get ringtones on it (other than through their website). It’s not that I don’t want to pay for my ringtones or anything, it’s just that all their music is English stuff… and that’s not what I listen to. I’ll gladly pay Tracfone double what they’re charging if only I could get like 그래도 남자니까 by MC 몽 on there or something. Anyway, I remember hearing someone was able to successfully send a midi file to their other phone (not a W376g) – have you heard of this working with a W376g? At least a midi would be something… not anywhere near as nice as a MP3, but it’s something.
Thank you so much for your time!
go to myxer.com, upload song off of computer, input phone numelow link with phone, BOOM. new ringtone just for you.
Hi Kaya
You are exactly right about using a midi rather than mp3. Actually, I just posted about it a few days ago-
http://pbush14.wordpress.com/2008/07/22/how-to-get-more-ringtones-for-your-tracfone-w376g-or-w370/
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Has anyone else had trouble getting MP3 ringtones purchased from the Tracfone website to load on this phone? I purchased one the day I activated my new phone. I followed the directions on the text message it sent, it started downloading and then said the file was too large and stopped. I hadn’t stored anything on it since it was brand new. I spent forever on the phone with their tech support and after trying to download a different MP3 with their help and getting the same results, they ran out of ideas and said it must be the phone. They’re mailing out a new phone, but I’m not so sure that’s the problem. I could be wrong, but suspect that was just the easiest thing to do at that point.
Thanks for the reviews of W376. I’m considering going to a store right now and purchase it. My current contract with another carrier doesn’t end till September, so I think I can buy the W376 now and activate in September?? I want to take advantage of this phone and the DMFL before offer is gone.
By any chance would you happen to know when tracfone will lower the price on the w376g?
And another question would you know whe tracfone is coming out with a newer phone?
Hi. Sears has the w376 on sale this week (7/27-8/2) for $40.
Question about taking pictures: What can you do with them if you can’t download them to a computer, send them to another TracFone, or if emailing them is buggy? I can’t see much use to a camera phone if you can’t get the pictures out.
- jim
Okay, I successfully sent an email to my phone with a jpeg attached, so now I have my own wallpaper. However, the current date on the home screen is on Park Jungsu’s head.
But anyways, I went into the Prepaid section and got the display of both the minutes and due date off, but then the actual date appeared on the screen. Anyway of getting it off too? Or, am I just stuck with the date on my poor Teukie’s head? lol
There is no way to get the date on the home screen off. I have the same problem with my w370 covering up Carrie Underwood’s face in the pic of me and her
As for price if you wan’t to get what might be the best deal on the W376g right now In the
Illinois/Michigan area or anywhere there are Kmart & Meijer stores. I suggest you: Find a $5.00 off your purchase coupon that have been printing out alot at the Meijer store registers these past weeks, Bring this weeks Kmart ad to Meijer have them match the price, Go today monday 08/04/08 senior day get 15% off, If you work there or know someone with a team card get 10% off. If you can do all 4 you should be able to buy this phone for as low as $26.77 B4 tax! As I hope to do…
Got it for $27.78 after tax
Should’ve been about $28.78 but I think there was a mistake in my
favor, oh well haven’t had much time so haven’t even opened yet, also doesn’t mention anything about
FM radio on the Package.
Hello, Could someone tell me if my old W370 battery will work with the new W376g? Thanks,
Where can I get a car charger for the w376g? No accessories are listed on the TracFone website. I emailed them, and they said no accessories are available. Oh come on – how can you sell a cell phone, but not have a car charger available??? I think that’s pretty important.
Does the w376g take the same car charger as the w370? There are a few generic ones being sold for the w376g on eBay – can I trust them? Or how about the Motorola VC700 – will that work?
Hi, They do have it on the tracfone website. I just bought the phone and the accessories popped up after i hit buy. It came today.It was $14.95
[EDIT 7/29/08 - This phone is on sale this week for $39.99 from Circuit City
I missed the Circuit City Sale last week. Do you know if it is going to go on sale again anywhere?
Hi Barbara
I don’t know of any sales this week, but I’m sure there will be some soon considering how many different retailers now carry this phone. I’ll post when I become aware of new deals.
Does anyone know about firmware for the W376g. Can it be flashed using unblocked firmware so bluetooth can communicate with a bluetooth PC?
just got the w376g for $30.00 at Family Dollar in Wisconsin.
wow nolla, that’s a great price. Do you happen to know if it’s the same price at all Family Dollar stores?
Not sure if it is available at all Family Dollar stores. But, I couldn’t pass up the deal. I played with the FM radio feature and was pretty impressed. It picks up the scrolling marquee that some stations insert into their signal. Sounds pretty good on phone’s loudspeaker. The FM feature alone is worth 30 bucks!
I’m going to try to hook up regular stereo headphones with a 3.5mm to 2.5mm adapter from radioshack and see what happens.
Emailed photos seamlessly! It did take away 1 minute to send photo to my e-mail addy, but the pictures were very good for a camera phone. I was pleased. Just wish we could download through cable to PC. Once you get the e-mail addy in your contacts, you can scroll down without having to enter e-mail addys every time.
Fran
This phone looks good and i am thinking about buying it however, i want to know how good tracfone’s service is. (I live in Michigan)
Hi Glen
If your area has good service from either ATT (formerly Cingular) or T-Mobile, then this phone will work well, as it works on those networks through TracFone’s contract.
For those who consider this phone, I initially got it with T-mobile service (as indicated by the SIM card with title TF64SIMT5 (ending in T5 indicates T-Mobile service). I had significant troubles with data services on my phone (got errors when accessing internet, and could not send/receive pictures). Additionally, I had a weak signal at my office with this phone. I complained to Tracfone.
Meanwhile, on various forums, I found out that this is not an uncommon problem, and the best solution is to get an AT&T SIM card in any way that you can. I called Tracfone repeatedly and they eventually sent me an AT&T SIM card (last 2 digits C4) and it made all the difference. Much stronger signal at the office (and everywhere else!) now. No errors like I was getting before. So try to get AT&T service if you get this phone.
I had the same signal problems until Tracfone sent me and AT&T sim. But I’m still unable to access the web or even get ringtones via my computer. I get error messages like “your phone number does not match our records” or a whole page of old fashioned DOS-like error messages on my computer. And on my phone (after a minute or two) I get “network down”. As usual, Tracfone gave me a ticket number and asked me to wait (this time four hours). I’ve had this phone for three weeks and the first two weeks, it wasn’t working because Tracfone couldn’t manage to port my TMobile number to the new phone until I finally called TMobile (who had done their end of the transfer the day after I ordered the phone) myself and got backk to Tracfone with a name and number they could call to verify this. After several more calls over the course of a week, and insistance on speaking with a supervisor, the phone was finally working. Then the ringtone problem arose. Hence the new SIM. And still no ringtones. I am beyond dissatisfied with Tracfone’s customer service. Is the company run by incompetents, or do they just assume we are buffoons who will go along with anything?
Hi Cubbysmom
Sounds like you’ve been through “TracFone Hell.” From what I’ve heard, there are many cell companies that do a poor job on the porting of a cell number, but TracFone seems to be one of the worst. I think it’s mainly incompetence in this particular area. Here’s hoping that your TracFone experience is smooth sailing from here on out.
Tom, I bought a w346g on your recomendation, how do you turn on the speaker phone option, I cannot figure that out, and cannot find it in the manual, it says use the speaker on button, but, I cannot find one?
That should have been a model w376g, that I cannot figure out how to use the speaker option? Sorry for the wrong number input.
Hi d
Again, I don’t have the phone in front of me to try it at the moment, but I’m pretty sure it’s an option that shows up once you have started a call. I think it’s the right “soft key,” but I could be wrong on that.
Recently I purchased the Motorola W376g and love the phone. The manual is a bit sparse though. Can anyone help me with accessing the hands free speaker? Contrary to the manual, there are no “SPKR ON/SPKR OFF” buttons as referenced either on the phone or on any the menu screens. Thanks.
Hi Kevin – see the comment immediately above yours – I think that answers your question.
Thanks to all for the useful info here. There is now a complete Motorola manual for the W376g at:
http://www.motorola.com/Hellomoto/Master%20Lists/Product%20Manuals/Static%20Files/US-EN/W377g_UG_.pdf
I just bought the w376g. I am planning to move from Colorado to Massachusetts, and I used the MA zipcode as my primary area when I bought it since it will be my primary area once I move.
My question is: can I activate it here in Colorado in order to have it while I travel across the country, or do I need to wait until I get to MA.
This phone was not one of the available phones for my area when I put in my current zipcode, but it is available in the city areas of Colorado.
Hi Jerry
You should have no problem activating the phone, while still in CO, but using the ZIP code of your future home in MA. It may take a while to activate if you don’t have ATT or T-Mobile coverage near your current home. The reason for this is that the phone must “talk” to the network in order to complete the activation process. If that’s the case, I would suggest taking it with you for a few days as you travel around to and from work, or running errands or whatever, in case you would happen to travel into an area with network coverage. Hope this helps. If you have any more questions, post them here and hopefully I can help.
After reading all your reviews and checking out features of these phones, I’m seriously considering buying the w376g. I was thinking about the LG225 and almost bought it last night until I saw the ad for this one.
One thing I wondered about the inability to transfer photos from the phone to a computer – everyone says they’ve disabled this feature. Is there some way to reactivate this feature, a software item that can be downloaded, etc.?
It sounds like the bluetooth technology to talk on the phone is fine but nothing else with ‘tooth is available. All I need is to use it to talk on the phone, so that should work for me. Are there ‘tooth headsets that are fairly cheap?
Also, if you purchase a w376g not through Tracfone with some of those features activated, would you be able to activate it with Tracfone, or does it have to be one specifically purchased through them?
If you had to choose between the two, which would you buy, considering you can’t send photos to your computer with either one? Oh, could you send the photos to a digital camera that could then get them to your computer?
Hope these questions make sense/aren’t too lame.
I still haven’t found or heard of a way to transfer pics off this phone other than emailing them.
BT headsets can be found for around $10 if you are patient and know where to look. I found two for around this price – one refurbished Motorola from a buy.com special, and one Aptiva (Office Depot’s in-house brand) that was $50, but with a $40 rebate available.
If you want to use a phone with TracFone service, you MUST purchase it as a TracFone. You cannot buy an “unlocked” phone, then use it with TracFone service.
Comparing the two, I would probably go with the Motorola for the bluetooth function, unless you do a lot of texting. In that case, the predictive text function on the LG is a lot better than that on the w376g.
Hi,
Has anyone had good (or bad) luck getting the bluetooth to connect with a handsfree speaker like the blueant ones? I’m hoping to be able to use the bluetooth for that if possible.
Thanks!
Valerie
The W376g was on sale at Family Dollar from 8/11-9/3. The back page of a back-to-school ad book. I went to the closest one, but they didn’t carry it. So I went to Meijer to have them price match it. They did, but now I have a question. When I went to get the phone from the racks, there were 2 different labels: W376g SIM4 & W376g CDMA. The packaging was slightly different: the SIM4 looked like the normal packaging, the CDMA had Danica Patrick on the front left side. I had to grab one as the service desk was closing, but don’t know what the differences are. I have the one that was labelled CDMA. Is there a difference between the 2? Or were the labels in error? Thanks.
Hi Mike
The CDMA label was an error. This model does not come in CDMA – only GSM.
Thanks. That’s what I thought, but I started second guessing myself. Your site has been very informative. I really appreciate all the work you’ve done. Also thank to Nolla for the heads up on the good deal.
i bought mine at wal-mart for 39.99 and its been at that same price for about a month now and still is
pbushx2,
Did you ever do a followup on the sim card reader from dealextreme? Does it work? Can you manually enter names and phone numbers into the application and download into a blank sim card of a w376?
TracFone W376g is on sale this week at Circuit City for $39.99 (Reg. $49.99) from 9/7/08 – 9/13/08.
Norm – I did indeed follow up. Here’s a link to the details:
http://pbush14.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/bonus-codes-updated-sim-card-reader-details/
pbushx2,
How do you remove the sim card? There’s a strip of metal band across the card. I see an arrow to push in that direction but the card does not move. Is it spring loaded? I tried pushing the edge with my fingernail and lifting but it’s not moving.
Norm – to remove the SIM card, you need to slide the card out from under the band. The band does not move. Does this help, or am I misunderstanding your question?
pbushx2,
OK, it just slides out. I was just making it more difficult than necessary.
Thanks.
Hi,
just got a W376g. Only took one day to port over the number. Called today and got it activated in about 10 minutes. I used the 52766 on the 60min card and got 30 bonus minutes.
Thanks for Kevin for attaching manual link. I still have a question though.
I put a number in the address book on the SIM and can’t figure out how to assign a speed dial number (1-9) to it. Can anyone help with that?
I’ll probably have some more questions?;-)
This is a fantastic blog and a great resource on Tracfone products. I’m going to be upgrading to a Motorola w376g this week and I have a quick question. Does the offer for “Double Minutes for Life” still work if I transfer my number and minutes over from my old phone? I don’t want to jeopardize this great offer. Thanks!
Hi Kyle
Thanks for the great compliment. To answer your question: yes, the DMFL will apply regardless of whether you get a new number or if you transfer in your old number and minutes.
W376g available at Target too @ 39.99
Thanks so much for the rapid response! I’m going to order it now!
Still pretty new to this process, so this might be a more basic question than usual. Is there a way on any Tracfone to block anonymous calls? I know it can be done with landline phones, but can that same code (or a diferent one) be used on a cell phone? Especially when paying by the minute, this can be pretty annoying.
Hmmm, that’s an interesting question. I don’t think I’ve ever tried that as I’ve usually been fortunate enough to get “new” numbers when I activate my TracFones, so I don’t get many anonymous calls. Maybe someone else can help out with this?
Well I ordered the phone on Wednesday afternoon and got it via FedEx on Friday afternoon, which was great. I was surprised by how fast it got to me. So I began charging the phone and went to Tracfone’s website so I can begin the activation process as well as switching the phone number and minutes from my old phone to my new w376g. After going through much of the process of entering numbers, etc., I received an error message accompanied with a message telling me to call Tracfone at their number, (800) 867-7183. At this point, I thought, OK—no worries.
I then called Tracfone and spoke to a very kind Customer Service Rep. who walked me through the whole process of deactivating my old phone and transferring its minutes and its number to my new one. I was told that it could take up to 72 hours and if it still has not gone through by then, to call them back at their 800 number with the ticket number she gave me.
It’s been about 36 hours since I went through this process and I still haven’t received my number or minutes. I know that the 3 days haven’t passed, but is this normal? I have read of people who have gone through this process in a day or even under an hour. I also checked the status of my ticket number on their website, which gave me nothing but a generic message about calling them if the case isn’t resolved in 24 to 48 hours.
I’ll keep you guys up-to-date on what happens. I’m really hoping that I’ll just wake up either tomorrow or Monday morning and see my minutes there. So, as I asked, is this normal procedure?
Wish me luck!
Kyle –
I’ve had this happen to me before. Usually it’s very quick, but on one or two occasions I did have to wait a day or two. (This is over a history of a few dozen transactions for myself and various friends/family members.)
OK thanks for all the information. I called them today with my ticket number to tell them that it’s been 72 hours and I had not yet received my number and units. The CSR told me to wait another 24 hours since the porting-over actually went through the day after I called. So hopefully I’ll be writing back tomorrow with a smile on my face. Thanks again!
~Kyle
I called back again today and I’ve got some good news! The CSR walked me through the activation again and manually transferred over the phone number and minutes. I got them within 2 minutes after she told me that. Very nice! Thanks again for all your help! I’m sure I’ll be using this blog a lot in the future.
~Kyle
Thanks for the blog. I found the 376 at Walmart last night for $39.99. Now IDK if I want it or the new LG!!!
Can’t anyone help out with this question I asked on Sept 10th?
I put a number in the address book on the SIM and can’t figure out how to assign a speed dial keypad number (1-9) to it. Can anyone help with that?
Tracfone has finally agreed to send me an AT&T (Cingular) Sim card, after about five calls and several hours on the phone. I would like to know why Tracfone is so reluctant to replace the T-Mobile Sim card, which is not performing satisfactorily, but I don’t think the supervisors I was talking to would tell me, or they may not know. My problem was reception. With my old W370 Tracfone I was getting five bars reception at home. With the W376g I bought for my wife, I was getting one bar, and sometimes none. I knew this meant that if she were to go to an area where the reception was 3-bars on the W370, she wouldn’t be able to use her W376g. Of course that’s not acceptable. But the Tracfone service department always asks if the phone is signing on to the net, if you can make a call, and if you can receive a call. If the answer is yes on these three things the case is closed. I could have both phones turned on, the W370 getting five bars and the other with one bar and sometimes none, and it made no difference to them. Each time I called they would go through a long routine of checking my service area, even checking with the nearest cell tower to confirm my connection and other checks, when I was looking at the answer…..one bar on one phone and five bars on the other…..T-Mobile Sim in one and AT&T Sim in the other. That was not a factor covered in their instructions. I got nowhere until suddenly my W376g was unable to connect with the network and they were unable to call me on it, if you understand. Now I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my Cingular Sim. It seems to me that the W370 and the W376g are basically the same, except for the camera, and the reception should be the same. I sure hope so. I have experienced excellent Tracfone service from the W370, with great reception even in remote areas like Santa Elena Canyon in Big Bend National Park.
Hi,
I was in the Wal-Mart in Eagan, Mn this afternood and they carry Tracfone Motorola W 376g with the double minutes for $29.98. This is $20 less the the Tracfone site. No minutes included.
db
what are the band or bands of this new tracfone motorola w763g. Becasue I have look all over the net and nothing is said or info given.
I hope to received reply soon
Thanks
Billy
Hi Billy
That’s an interesting question that I really should know the answer to, but do not. I will have to look into it, or perhaps a reader knows. If you don’t mind my asking, why do you need to know? Perhaps there is another way that we can get you the info that you need, without knowing the exact bands used by this phone.
Thanks!
maybe this is the answer:
850/1800/1900 MHz
found at:
http://www.phonearena.com/htmls/Motorola-W376g-phone-p_3053.html
Any word on a Tracfone with a qwerty kybrd coming? I find texting on my 376g a pain.
Hi TL –
To my knowledge, TracFone does not have anything like this in the works. There are a couple of signs that point to a new model of phone coming our way soon, though – namely the dropping prices on the w376g and the 600g. I also know that there has been some speculation that a new CDMA phone will be introduced before too long, taking the place of the LG 3280, which has been the top CDMA phone for a couple of years already.
Also, regarding your texting needs, I personally do not care for the iTap predictive text system used by Motorola. I much prefer the T9 system that can be found on LG and Nokia models. If you do a LOT of texting, you might also want to consider switching to one of those, although the only other camera phone with T9 is the rather pricey 600g. But, if it bothers you enough, it may be something to think about. You can find my review of the 600g here:
http://pbush14.wordpress.com/2008/08/13/tracfone-lg-600g-review-part-1/
Hello Patrick,
I just used Code 50508 on a 60 minute card for a 60 minute bonus and it worked just fine. 10/20/2008
ThanX and regards, ArtM
Sort of a basic question: Voice mail: With my previous carriers, we were able to retrieve our messages from a landline, is this possible with TracFone’s or is there a trick to this.
Thanx
Roscoe
Hi Roscoe
You can check your voicemail from a landline. To do so, you’ll first have to make sure that your voice mail is set up. Once you’ve done that , you can dial the number of your TracFone from a landline. Wait for your recorded greeting to start playing, then press “*”. (If “*” does not work, it may be “#”). You will then be prompted to enter you PIN number, which you should have determined when you initially set up your voice mail. After entering your PIN, proceed just as you would when checking VM directly from your TracFone.
This is just an FYI reply. Read through all of your reviews and finally decided to upgrade my Nokia 1100 to a Motorola W376G (it was that or the LG) Anyway, bought it direct from TracFone over the internet and it arrived a couple of days later. Spent 24 hours making sure the battery was charged and then went to work transfering my old number to the new phone. Of course, an error and I called CS and had an amusing time entering long strands of numbers. Or at least I was amused.
That was Wednesday and it is now Friday and they said that it’ll be another 24 hours.
Explanation: The Nokia uses a specific carrier as does the Motorola. In wanting to tranfer the phone number from the Nokia to the Motorola, TracFone is having to get permission from the Nokia carrier in order for the Motorola carrier to “use” it.
At least I think that’s what she said…. *grin*
So, I’m waiting another 24 hours and hopefully, I won’t need to call CS again. In the 4 years that I had the Nokia – has it really been that long? – I have never had to call Customer Service. But I must say, they are very polite and really seem to want to help their customers…or at least, this customer.
BTW, thanks for the blog and the reviews. I think I’ll keep reading just to stay up-to-date in what’s going on.
Hi Bonnie –
There is a quick way to check on something, that might help us figure out the reason for the delay. Look at the SIM card in the back of each phone. In both phones, the SIM card is under the battery. So remove the battery and look at the SIM cards.
In the middle of each SIM, on the side facing you, you will see a string of letters and numbers that looks like “TFSIMC4″ “TFSIMT5″ or “TFSIMD6″. You might also see the number 64 in the middle there. The key difference among these strings is the last two digits – this indicates the carrier. If both phones have the same last two digits, both phones have the same carrier, and transferring the number should be relatively easy. I suspect that the problem you are having results from the fact that the two phones have different carriers’ SIMs in them.
It doesn’t actually matter which manufacturer makes the phone. The factor that determines your carrier is your ZIP code, and which carrier TracFone prefers to use in that ZIP code. Hope this helps, and good luck!
Bought a W376g 11/20/08 on line at tracfone. Used the promo code 23444 and got an add’l $3.00 off. Net $26.99
First off,
This is a real nice website with very helpful info on the 376g. Thank You.
I just purchased the phone for my wife and find it to be a great value for only $30 at walmart.
1. Owner’s Manual? As one poster said, The manual that comes with the phone is very basic and doesn’t explain much about the more advanced features. Go to Motorola’s website. After some searching you will find the free download for the 376g in adobe. Real Nice! Save it.
2. Yes, It is an extreme pain getting Tracfone to transfer your existing airtime and minutes to your new tracfone! We go through this everytime. They want to do it the easy way by having you leave your phone on to receive the info and airtime units. Unfortunately if you are in a rural area with fringe reception between towers or your zip don’t match the tower they are sending the info over you will have problems that way. You call them back and they put you over the same procedure again and again! Finally we came across a very nice lady who went through the code entry process. They don’t like doing it that way because you have to listen carefully and enter so many codes, but this is a surefire method. So consider asking them to do it that way.
3. Pictures:
This phone or just about any cellphone are not meant for sending high quality large photo’s to a pc! They are intended for picture swapping between phone users. Like the baseball game or race you are at, etc. Hey look at this, don’t you wish you were here, lol! It is definitely not going to take the place of your Canon or whatever quality camera you use. You are a fool if you think it will. As far as LG’s ability to download the pics for free to your pc via bluetooth, Big Deal! Do you really want to spend the extra money for a bluetooth setup and time involved in installation for your pc so you can download small low quality pics from your phone to pc for free!! I don’t mean to offend, but that is just stupidity!
It is very simple and easy to send a picture from your Motorola 376g to pc if you have one special one you really like. The first thing you want to do is go into your phone book and enter your email address. The dot as in entering mail.com is extremely hard to see by the number 1. Anyhow it is the first push. Then go into multimedia menu and find the picture you like. Click it on and attach it to your email address. Then you have to hit send a couple times and it takes about a minute. It will also take a unit and a half off your minutes! Wow!!! Then when you turn your pc on it shows up in your email as your cellphone number with multimedia message for subject. MAKE SURE if you have Outlaw Express or some other email client you go into your main email provider and allow it to send the email to your Outlook if you have it set to just allow people in your address book to get through. Otherwise you will be waiting for a long time!
Just remember they are nothing to brag about. A special photo may warrant being saved, even at low quality. I think the phone is a fantastic phone and great value for that price. Remember to download the REAL Manual from Motorola site.
Hope this helps some of you, it’s not hard at all to send photo’s from the 376 via email. If I can do it, anyone can
When one is saving a name and number on the 376g, you are given a choice of saving it to “phone” or “SIM.” Do I interpret it correctly that saving it to “SIM” enables the possibility of moving the address book to another Tracfone in the future (malfunction of phone and subsequent replacement, or updating to new model)?
Thanks, Ron, for taking the time to share your thoughts on this phone – I’m sure it will be helpful to others!
Godzilla – yes, you are correct. One possible problem with saving to the SIM, though – I don’t think you can assign a picture to a contact saved on the SIM.
I just purchased my first Tracfone; the Motorola W376g. I like it vey much. Porting my Verizon number over was a cinch, and your blog has been very helpful. My question is: After entering phone numbers for people in the area that I live, and then trying to call them, I get a message that the area code must be used. Is this normal with Tracfone? that you have to have the area code in the phonebook entry? I’ve never had to do this with any other cell phone.
Hmm, that’s an interesting question. In the past, I think that I had to use the 10-digit number with my older TracFones. Lately, though, for local numbers the 7-digit number has been enough to make the call. So I’m not sure what’s going on with yours. However, I do remember reading an article within the last month or two stating that eventually ALL phones, both landline and mobile, will be required to use all 10 digits when dialing. I’m not sure how this affects your situation currently, but thought it was worth pointing out.
I have a W175g (It’s great for a cheap phone) and can not send messages to an email address. It is definitely possible to send text and images to an email address with this one?
Thanks for this great resource!
Hi Dave, sorry I missed your question about sending to an email address. Yes, it is definitely possible with the w376g. I haven’t tried sending a picture in a while, but I know that others have been able to do so successfully.
I hadn’t planned on getting a W376g, but after many days on the web and many hours on the phone with 4 Tracfone reps, I gave up trying to get a W370 bundle (see my postings on the W370 blog). Got the W376 from Circuit City for $27.99. Painless transfer of my old number and minutes to the new phone. Even got 2 months on the deal. Added a 400min-1yr airtime card online and promo code 84232 still worked to get 250 min bonus. So in the end, not actually much more expensive than the W370 bundle.
I don’t use a cell very much, so I’m set for a long time, and maybe will even learn some new tricks with this phone (too bad the more useful advanced features are crippled).
This site was very useful, and I’ll be back regularly!
I like everything about this site and will apply it in using the new W376g I bought last Thursday morning. But I’m still waiting to get the new Sim card they said I needed. First they said Regular Mail, then DHL, and then I tried again tonight for a Tracking #, and was told it was Fed Ex this time.
The Feds came and went today, because I was looking for the DHL truck. And then the language problem of course. I’m on my fourth Tracfone operator so far, before I can even get my old number and minutes to the new phone.
And I have more minutes to add, and will double those and try a bonus code. Then a ring tone download. I hope this will all be worth it.
It seems to have worked for Mike.
Wish me luck tomorrow.
Good luck Bigb. In my experience, SIM card replacements have always arrived in a letter-sized cardboard envelope via DHL. But, I’m not sure what the status of DHL is at the moment – I think they recently announced they will be eliminating their US domestic operations and focusing on international delivery. So maybe TracFone now uses a different carrier. In any case, I’m sure that all the big carriers are extremely busy right now – I know my UPS guy has looked very stressed lately! Hopefully tomorrow is the day for you, though.
Hi!
I was wondering if there was much difference between the quality of pictures between the Motorola w376 and the LG 600G?
I personally felt that the voice quality on the Motorola w376g is significantly better than the LG 600g. That’s not to say that the 600g is unacceptable, but the w376g is very good.
I found this on some website a few days ago, and tried on line and at the Walmart store to track it down, with no luck. I would like the accessory bundle, but an extra phone would not hurt either.
Quote –
“Also pick up this W175 bundle for $10:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/prod…uct_id=10304116
Free shipping to your local Wal-Mart. Anyway, the accessories fit the W376G (carrying case, earbuds, car charger), and the battery from the W175 is the same as the W376G so you would have a spare battery.
Plus of course you have 20 minutes of usage (& 60 days) on the W175.”
If anybody has any luck with this, or something like it, post here.
Brian
I finally was hooked up after the Fed Ex guy showed up. But my first ring tone cost me 22 units. Oh well, thats how you learn. I’ll try to go with MIDI in the future.
An easy way to put wallpaper on your phone is to just boot up your picture and frame it on your screen. Snap it and save. What ever little resolution you lose is probably not worth $2.99.
I have not had a problem with my pics so far.
http://WWW.Savethecougars.org
On the above comment, I meant the computer monitor.
So far so good on the phone. The switch from Verizon to the AT&T carrier was amazing. With my old Nokia 1100, I used to run out to my backyard to make and receive calls when the signal strength was sporadic. And all within site of a cell tower !
Now I have max signals, and I almost have to hold the phone away from my ear. I’m back in the 21st century !
One question I have, is about deleting my inbox messages. No matter what, I can’t seem to get them out. Any help ?
go to MSG Center Menu > Message Setup > Auto Cleanup
and make sure its not set to “Keep X Msgs”, where X can be 5, 10 20
If this is set, it won’t mass delete messages
BigB – How are you trying to delete the messages? I do a mass delete by going to Messages, then click the main menu button, then select cleanup Messages, then select Text Msg Inbox, then All.
I don’t recall seeing any answers about car chargers for the W376g. I can’t seem to find info on the required input. I have a charger for a TomTom GPS which has the right mini-USB and puts out 5V/2A. Anyone know if this is right for the phone?
Mike, see the above posting on a published W175 bundle for $10. I’m still trying to track it down and I will keep all updated.
ortizmro – that worked, thanks !
I’ve tried twice to send pictures as attachments to my computer e-mail provider using the instructions on this forum. Minutes were deducted, and I haven’t received any error messages on the phone or e-mail, but nothing has shown up for two days.
My addy is correct, so what gives? Maybe I could get a clarification on this forum before I make that dreaded phone call to Calcutta and speak with Steve or Jane over there.
Hi Patrick and all,
Just wanted to let you know I took my W376g out of the box to charge the battery today, (even though activation won’t be made until mid Jan 09),and play with it a bit. Did the same with the LG 3280 I picked up. I have to say I was pretty disappointed with the 376. First, I guess I have giant hands/fingers or something because I could not navigate the 4 way main button area without hitting things I didn’t want to pretty often. Also I found navigating through the menus and putting info in the pnonebook to be much more labor intensive than with the LG 3280. Finally, I thought the web browser button is in a very bad location. All in all, without even making a call on either phone, I’d say the LG 3280 is much more user friendly for me. I may return ths moto 376 and go for the LG 200c as a bare bones replacement for me or the wife, even though I don’t think TracFone will want to activate CDMA phones in our neck of the woods, I’m sure we can work that out using another zip code.
Hi again all,
Just an update to my above post. Apparently Dollar General has a policy not to accept returns on cell phones, even if unused. So, guess I’m stuck with the Moto 236. I’m sure we can live with it for a while, even with the features I really dislike. Can anyone tell me if it is possible to disable the annoying sound this and the w260 make when you first turn them on and the Moto logo comes up?
One other thing, as someone has already posted, I did find that you can recharge this phone from the USB port of an IMac without adding any software. It will only charge, but that’s better than nothing. Cheers! We wish you all a very Happy Holiday season. Peace.
hi i found in circuit city the 376g and my question is if the cellphone use simcard, its price was 28.99 but they tell me that they dont know and coulndt tell me, can your answer me please
Yes, this is phone does require a SIM card. The SIM card will be included in the package with the phone, and you will need to use the SIM that it comes with to activate the phone.
This may be a stupid question, but how do you get minutes and days
transferred to a second Tracfone?
if the second phone is already active, you will need to call TracFone’s customer service number (800-867-7183)
If the second phone has not been activated yet, what should I do
then?
Thank you
At Walmart in New York they are $24.99
E munch
You can activiate your phone at that same # (800-867-7183) or you can go to tracfone’s website http://www.tracfone.com and activate it from there. It gives you the option to transfer your units. I’ve actually had a bit of trouble doing this, and have to call on the phone after trying online, but some people have no problem.
E Munch – ptracie was correct regarding how to activate your new phone. However, you can also (probably) transfer the phone number and minutes from the old phone to the new one at the same time you activate the new one. Whether or not you can do this depends on whether your old and new phone are the same technology. If they both require a SIM card (a small dime-sized chip under the battery), then they are both GSM phones and you should be able to do the transfer online. Or, if NEITHER has a SIM card, they are both CDMA phones andn you should also be able to do it online. If one has the SIM card, and the other doesn’t, you will need to call the 800 number. Also, keep in mind that I’m describing situations in which you want to transfer your old number to the new phone.
Here are some links that might help you out if you do the transfer online:
Tutorial – Tracfone Online Transfer from GSM to GSM
Tutorial – Tracfone Online Transfer from CDMA to GSM
Tutorial – Tracfone Online Transfer from GSM to CDMA
Tutorial – Tracfone Online New Phone Activation
When my Tracfone w376g has a “received call” the number is 1 000 000 0000 which I do not recognize so I ignore it. I receive this call almost daily and usually when I am in an ackward position (aircraft Mechanic). I would appreciate knowing who or what is sending me this call. I suspect Tracfone as the culprits bombing me with all their promotionals. Anyone know the answer? Keep the blue side up.
I’ve never heard of that problem. I doubt it would be TracFone calling you daily – they usually are not that persistent. Does your caller ID work for other incoming calls?
Jack – might be someone trying to reach someone that used to have your number. For a while I, too, was getting calls from some numbers that I did not recognize, and just ignored them. After a while, they just stopped.
Target has the W376g Tracfone on sale currently in store for
$ 29.99 – I just bought it for my daughter and she loves it.
It also comes with the double minutes for life of phone. We
are now looking for a cover – does anyone know if the W370
covers will work?
Is the SIM card part of the battery? I bought mine from Tracfone.com & it didnt list a SIM card as part of the contents & just had directions to put in battery. Mine is activated already.
Wonderful Info
I just got the W376g from Tracfone for 29.99
less 3.00 with free shipping.
The cover would not fit so i had to wait 4 or 5 days for Tracfone to ship another which was a refurbished phone .I was not to happy with it called them back but they claimed
that the phone had the same guarantee so I went along with them rather than wait.I think the battery in this phone is not too good because it has run down pretty much after transferring my phone numbers.I want to change the battery with the phone I am going to send back to them ,but I am afraid I will loose my phone book & numbers.Can anyone help me on this?
BTW I tried to use the new cover with the original phone but it would not fit.
I am also disapointed that I could not get double time when i transference my units,but I like the phone after using the Nokia 1100 ,which is a great workhorse
Hi Bernard
You definitely can switch out the batteries – don’t worry about losing your contact info or anything. But also keep in mind that the poor battery life of the w376g is something that others have complained about before. In fact, I even wrote a post about the w376g battery issues here.
The SIM card is separate from the battery. It comes already installed in the phone and is located beneath the battery.
Anyone know how to block numbers using this phone? I looked at the manual online and found nothing, maybe it doesn’t have this feature?
I really hope I didn’t miss it, but this is going to sound stupid, do I just swap sim cards from phone to phone to transfer phonebook entries? Is there anything else that has to be configured online?
Also, Meijer and Walmart only place to get the w376, I think you MUST be home in person to accept the delivery of a cellphone.
pbushx2 – get some google ads, I’ll hit ‘em.
Hi Dave
Thanks for your praise for the site. I’ll have to think about the “donation” idea, but for now I can’t place google ads on here due to WordPress’s terms and conditions. Which is fine – it’s their playground, so they make the rules. I’m just grateful it’s so easy to get a blog up and running, and keep it that way! Also, keep an eye out for an email from me sometime soon – I’d like to get in touch with you if possible.
Also, regarding the requirement that you be home to sign for a cell phone delivery (at least from TracFone), that is true IF you use FedEx shipping. UPS, I’ve found, will leave the package at your door if you don’t answer. This option costs $2 more than standard FedEx shipping, though. I’m usually home at the time FedEx comes through my neighborhood, but if I know I won’t be there the extra $2 is definitely worthwhile for me.
ps, I’ll even send you a few bucks by paypal, this site has been so useful, place a tip jar on the top and I’ll definitely hit it.
Hi there… I have the W375g and I was wondering two things. Does this model have Itap? And also when I go to my “Calling waiting” scroll on my phone to look at it, it reads “Call Waiting not available”. I thought all models have call waiting?
Neko
Neko – yes, the phone has iTAP, although when you first get the phone it is not the default editor for text messages. To set this up do as follows: Messages, Create, SMS/EMS, then select the Main Menu key (center button), scroll to Entry Setup and select, then select Primary setup, and choose iTAP English (or whatever language you prefer). Then choose a Secondary setup if you want (I choose “None”).
Not sure why you don’t have Call waiting – I have it available on mine. You might need to call Tracfone to find out about that one.
Thanks so much ortizmro! Now I just have to learn how to use it
I just bought the W376g but the caller ID won’t work, I have stored several numbers in the phone but it won’t tell me the name associated with that number just the number, do you have directions for me to set it up, maybe I am doing something wrong, or do you know of a website that can help.
Thanks in advance.
Keith – try turning off the phone, taking the battery out, then re-insert the battery and turn it back on. This has fixed it for some.
Others have done this and in addition added a new phone book entry, then turn the phone off then back on, then delete the just-added entry, and reported that this fixes the problem.
I’m getting the “Call Waiting Not Available”. Is there any way to fix that myself or do I have to call Tracfone, I really hate calling them
Another question.. Is there anyway to turn “off” the sound when you start up the phone? My sons laugh at it saying it sounds like a cheap video game
Will the W375g (bluetooth) connect to a docking station via blurtooth?
I’m not sure I understand what kind of docking station you are talking about. Could you be more specific? Also, just to be clear, this page is about the w376g for TracFone. I point this out because Net10 has a w375g.
xbombero – In general, the only things that the Bluetooth on the w376g has been found to connect to are: wirelesss Bluetooth headsets, and wireless Bluetooth systems in cars. The w376g does not support PC connectivity via Bluetooth or USB.
Hi, I just wanted to say that you can go to other websites on the w376g than just the Tracfone website. To do that you hit the web browser and wait for the home page to load. Then, you hit the menu button and web browser options pop up. Scroll down and hit “Go to URL”. Then a screen comes up where you can enter the website you want to go to. I tried that and went to http://www.mlb.com and it worked great.
Mark
Mark – I’m not sure how to explain it, but I’ve heard a few other people say that their w376g’s have unrestricted web browsing. Most, however, do not, mine included. I just tried it again with mlb.com, and got “Error 403 – Unauthorized,” or something like that. Do you know anyone else with the same model phone? If so, what are their experiences? I wonder if it’s dependent upon location?
Thanks, for the response. I personally do not know anyone who has the w376g, but I live in the chicagoland area near a lot of towers, so that might have something to do with it.
I have a question regarding the SIM card in the W376g. It appears that all come with the T-Mobile SIM card. That’s bad news for me as T-Mobile has very poor coverage in my area. If you own an existing Tracfone, in my case a tried and true Nokia 1100, can you simply move the SIM card from the 1100 to the W376g? I expect you can’t, but just wondering. This is the way the European cell companies work. Just go out and buy a new phone, remove the SIM card from your old phone, and install it into your new phone, and bingo – everything is transferred. It really should be that easy.
Hi Colloquor
Which SIM card you receive depends on your area. If you are ordering from TracFone’s site, you can dictate which type of SIM you’ll receive by messing around with the ZIP code you enter when asked “where will you use your phone the most?” For example, 53703 is a ZIP code that offers AT&T coverage, but NOT T-Mobile. So if you use that as the ZIP where you’ll use your phone most when you order, you’ll be assured to get a AT&T SIM. And if you are shopping in a local store, you can look at the bottom of the package for a string of letters and numbers that includes the model number and ends with either P4 or P5. P4 means you’ll get an AT&T SIM, while P5 means T-Mobile. And, if none of those work, you can call and complain to TracFone that you need an AT&T SIM, and they’ll send you one for free via express mail.
Unfortunately, you are correct that simply switching SIMs would be much easier, but TracFone does not allow that. Each SIM, once activated in a phone, can be used ONLY in that phone. And, any SIM in a TracFone handset must also be a TracFone-issued SIM card or the phone won’t function.
I just tried to go to weather.com on my tracfone Motorola w376g and got the same “error 403 message; forbidden”. This was on Hwy 80 from Tahoe to Sacramento, and again from my home in Sonoma County. Worst of all, they deducted .50 even though they wouldn’t connect (is that 50 cents or a half message unit?).
Please, someone, let us know how to get web access; it one reason I bought the phone in the first place!
It probably depends on where you live and some phones just seem to have that and others don’t.
Hello,
I sent an earlier message from another part of your blog regarding the possible use and activation by Tracfone of a cell phone (“Red” Moto C261 — which was but is no longer sold by Tracfone) which was not purchased from Tracfone (or a packaged Tracfone). I did receive a new SIMM card from Tracfone for an old Moto C139 whose service and SIMM had expired.
What I forgot to mention is that the C261 that I located at a third party retailer is “Unlocked” — no SIMM chip. Will I be able to use the SIMM chip that Tracfone sent me in the C261? And is there a company policy which will prevent Tracfone from activating this phone because I didn’t purchase the phone from them? Am I stuck in having to purchase a “Black” C261 from Tracfone?
Thanks again for your helpful blog.
R.
HI CR
If the phone has been unlocked, it won’t work on TracFone, so it looks like you’ll have to get a new C261. The bad news, apparently, is that it is only available now in black. The good news is that you can get the phone free with an airtime card purchase. The denomination of the airtime card will vary depending on your ZIP code. Also use code 23444 to save $3 off your order. And, they are offering free shipping on all orders over $19.99 right now. Finally, you should be able to sell off that unlocked phone via craigslist or ebay.
P.S.
I forgot to mention that I will also be purchasing a W376. Both phones (C261 & W376) are for emergencies only.
P.P.S.
Does Tracfone require both the serial number of the cell phone as well as the SIM chip number before they activate your phone or is the SIM number sufficient?
CR – they will ask for both numbers.
This is for Kieth, regarding Caller ID.
Make sure that the number you stored in your address book contains the 10 digit number. (Area code + phone number), not just the phone number, or it may not be recognized.
BEEP! No matter how fully charged my W376g is, I occasionally get one BEEP. Not the continued beep to indicate that the battery is low though. I thought it might have been an indication of an incoming call or message, but there was no message on the phone. No one except my husband (sitting in the room with me when the phone beeped) has my phone number, except tracfone, but they leave annoying messages. So the second question: is there any way of stopping tracfone from ever ever calling with special deals?
I spoke to tracfone about that beep (my entry 2/22), and was told that it is a warning that my signal strength (not the battery charge) is inadequate and they are warning me that I cannot make a call.
humanone
Thanks – I have the same issue even with normal full signal. I show RM (roam) at all times so given my T Mobile SIM I assume I am on AT&T all the time.
I have never seen my service time status (Home) with no RM displayed.
Now I know that service must have dropped for some reason with the 376g sitting on a table not moving.
I was getting concerned pbushx2 had abandoned us “followers” but you supplied the info.
What type of headset do I need to get in order to listen to the radio? Would it be a regular hands free headset (like the little single earbud type) like you would use to make the phone handsfree? Or is it something special I should be looking for? I have a little earbud from a previous phone that I found in my collection of wires, but this phone doesn’t seem to recognize it even though it fits. Which means it might not be a Moto earbud, if that would even make a difference. Thanks so very much for your help.
pepper
Yes the earbud type. This comes in the Motorola Accessory kit for this family of phones. You might find it cheaper bundled with a clearance Motorola Tracfone for $10 as I did last week at WalMart. Needed the Car charger, the earbud, the spare battery, and after registering the phone, I transferred the 60 days and 20 minutes to my w376g. Tossed the phone in a drawer as it can always be restarted with a 60 minute card for temporary use. I think this was $10 well spent.
BTW – I found that the current question responses are to be found at the end of Part 3 of this Blog but I came back here to check and so I responded.
Regards
Jack
Thank you so very much. I will check my local Walmart today and see if they have it. I hope so!!!! Definitely a great deal! The earbud I had at home must be from either a Nokia or an LG. I really should keep track of what wires belong to what…or better yet, should just clear out the darn drawer of wires! Take care and thanks so much again.
I have a Tracfone Motorala W376g that I purchased from Walmart in Rochester, MN. I had to activate it from/with a Rochester, MN zipcode to avoid the hassle of working with customer service to get a simm card for my area. It says “Roaming is Restricted” every time I shut my alarm off. This is a nusance only. The real problem is that every time Itry to send an email, I get the “Roaming is Restricted” message and the email goes to my drafts box. What does “Roaming is Restricted” mean and are there any work-arounds? I want to share photos taken with the phone and also want to send myself ringtones.
Hmm, it sounds like you might replace the SIM card after all.
To figure out what kind of sim is in your phone, navigate to the “prepaid” section of your phone’s menu, and look for the “SIM Serial Number” option. Select that, and look for the first six digits of the serial number. If it starts with “890141,” you have an AT&T SIM. If it starts with “890126,” then it’s a T-Mobile SIM. If I had to guess, I would say that your new phone probably has a T-Mobile SIM. Assuming that’s the problem, the good news is that you can call TracFone and request a free AT&T SIM to replace the T-Mobile SIM in the new phone, if you tell them that the T-Mobile SIM results in unsatisfactory performance. Try this number: 1-800-339-9345. Be persistent and tell them that you are not happy with your phone using the current SIM card. They may resist at first, but if you persist you can get what you want.
Can you receive picture messages on the motorola w376g. I have had people send me some but I do not receive them. Also can you bluetooth any ringtones with someone else?
Hi n12
My wife has a w376g, and I’ve been able to send her pictures from my LG 225 TracFone. However, on the w376g, the bluetooth is limited such that you cannot communicate with other phones.
First of all I want to thank you very much for the time and effort you put into this blog. It has been extremely helpful to me, and believe me I have had plenty of time to study it while I await the transfer of my Motorola C139 Tracfone to my new Motorola w376g Tracfone. I am on Day 4 of this endeavor with no end in site. As it stands right now my c139 says “Unregistered SIM” and my new w376g says 0.00 Minutes, so I can not use either one of them. Funny thing is that a friend of mine and I bought our w376g phones on the same day, from the same store, we had the same old tracfone, a c139, to transfer to the new w376g, we live in the same area and it only took him an hour to transfer phone number and minutes.
Any way, I do have a question that I have not been able to find any comments on. When sending a picture to the w376g from email. What is the best way to place the picture in the email? Do I just attach the picture as a file or do I insert the picture inline in the body of the email. I now know from reading the blog that I have T mobile and that I will probably be using 10#@tmomail.net. I have already tried to send a picture as a file attachment to my friend mentioned above and as of yet, not had any success. I have been able to successfully send him a text message from my email using the 10#@tmomail, so I know that works. I have also received a text reply from his w376g in my email.
Thanks to all for any info.
BTW I am a Tracfone “Lifer” – have had one since 2000
Hi Marsha
Thanks for the kind words. Unfortunately, I’m not sure which is the best way to send photos by email, as I’ve never tried. Also, the problem may be a result of it being a t-mobile SIM.
As far as the transferring issues, are both you and your friend going from one t-mobile sim to another? If you are switching between t-mo and ATT, and your friend stayed with the same carrier, that could explain the delay.
hi all… I got a w376g phone I found the speaker on it but i can’t figger how to turn it up so I Can use it. can someone help me.
I’d like to know the same thing. I like my phone but the volume sucks…speaker and ear. The ring volume is more than adequate, but I have a hard time hearing anyone. If I use the speaker, I have to hold the damned thing right up by my head. Kinda defeats the whole idea of having the speaker option!
I have the same problem with my motorola 376g I do not know how to turn the volume up when the speaker on shows up can anyone explain what to do. Also on my phone to set up the different ringtones for different people I have to go into multimedia and pick from the downloaded sounds. Well when I assing a different sound to a different person, why is it that the ringtone does not change for the new person, it stays the same as the previous one. Can someone explain to me how to do this so I know which person is calling me.
I’m a late commer to the w376g. I finally got one last friday. I want to repeat what the above poster said about accessing the web using “go to url.” That works on my phone as well. When I first got the phone the browser would not open, after a series of calls to Tracfone; they eventually gave me a code which fixed the problem. I can go to any webside as well.
I would recommend with any problem or question to call Tracfone customer service. I’ve had to call them numberous times to tweek this phone, as well as my last Tracfone. I find them to be very helpful and eventually have solved all the problems I had with the phone. It might to take a couple/three calls to resolve a particular problem, although usually one call does the trick. I had to call 3 times to trouble shoot the browser and get it working.
hmm, I wonder if the fact that customer service had to manually enable the data features in their system has anything to do with why your phone now has unlimited web access? I’m going through a similar problem with my T301G, so maybe I’ll end up with unrestricted web access too.
Call them and try to figure it out. Post back with what happens. Good luck.
I just bought the W376 from Kmart, it’s on sale for $19.99.
Im late ! Target has the w376G on sale from 7-13Jun 9 for $19 & it includes Lifetime Double Minutes. This sale ends TODAY sat12jun9…so I have to hutty & be sure.
I want to buy it bc then I’ll be able to take pics, as my current c139 is a very basic phone.
But I have read you all’s comments that pics taken cant be transferred via cable. So I must email them from the phone to myself. Each time I do this its cost 9units. But TF does lifetime rollover now so perhaps this phone could be solely for pics?
So PB is it worth it? Bc once I buy TF I cant return it so I have to be sure.
Target closes @ 10pm , it 8:23a now so I have 15hrs 2 decide.
Thanks.
sorry lilkunta, I wasn’t at a computer today until now – too late to get Target’s sale price. However here’s a great deal I just posted about a few weeks ago:
http://pbush14.wordpress.com/2009/05/28/free-motorola-w376g/
Hi! I just got my refurb 376g today, and it’s great! Something weird is going on, though: In the list of ringtones that came with the phone, some of the ringtones now have a “lock” icon next to them, and no longer display the option of letting you set them as a ringtone.(This wasn’t the case initially- just happened after a while)- Anyone know what is going on and how to fix it?
That’s strange, I’ve never experienced a similar problem, so I’m afraid I can’t help you. Maybe another w376g owner will be able to help you out here…
Thanks for replying, anyway. I figured out how to set them as ringtones (D’oh! I was just doing it wrong!)- but the icons are still there…. I think it has something to do with the “#” and “*” displayed at the top of the ringtone menu (I saw the buttons displayed, so I tried pushing them- not sure what they do, and it doesn’t say in the online manual…and whatever they do, pushing them again doesn’t undo it)
PB: No problem. After being online I asked friends. They advised against the razor bc they feel if dropped even 3in they break.
So for now I’ll wait.
But that link you showed me is great! Thanks.
I think the best deal right now on this phone, is on Tracfone’s website- Refurb 376g + 60 Min card + DMFL. for $19.99. Activate it online; Activate the 60min card seperately, and use promo code 62627. All tolled, you get 160 minutes of service, and service for 5 months! Unbelievable for $20! (& my 376g came with an AT&T SIM, and gets great reception even in this spotty rural area!)-This is my first cell since giving up my contract service 8 years ago…and I am impressed with the phone & the service!
Is there anyway to import or add contacts to the contact list without manually typing them in? I have 300 contacts and i would really like to find out if there is a simple method of importing?
A SIM card reader would probably help you out.
You might want to check out this page from the archives:
http://pbush14.wordpress.com/2008/06/26/tracfone-sim-card-reader/
I’ve had a problem with downloading a ringtone onto my Motorola W376G… I can’t confirm my ringtone from the browser message. It has been many problems with internet on my phone since i’ve had it. I have called customer service entirely too many times. If there is help out there please help! Thanx
~Tracfoner
I’am planing to get this phone but the bad reviews are giving me a second thought about buying it. So can somebody please help me choose if I should buy this phone or not?
By the way I’m going to buy this phone or not from Net10 a sister company to Tracphone, I have bought phones from both companys and Net10 personally I think is better.
can i recieve picture messages from someone else’s phone?
Yes, I’ve been able to.
I got my 376 from kmart, on sale for 20 bucks, usually 30.
I activated it yesterday, The tracfone rep said there was no way to import my phonebook form my 370, but, he did say I can download photos from the 376 if i had a Bluetooth adapter on my laptop. I propmtly ordered a USB Bluetooth dongle from Amazon, 6 bucks including shipping. I’ll let you know if it works once it arrives.
Hi Craig,
I’m afraid the Trac rep is misinformed. I’ve never heard of anyone being able to transfer data via USB with this phone. The LG 600g can, though:
http://pbush14.wordpress.com/2009/08/07/tracfone-lg-600g-now-free-with-60-minute-card/
i am trying to download ringtones off the internet onto my phone. i clicked buy on the page, and it told me to click go to on the browser message they sent me. i clicked go to, but it said roaming is restricted. is there any way to fix that?
I have the same question as “Neko” had back in Feruary.
“Is there anyway to turn “off” the sound when you start up the phone?”
Also, is there a way to turn down the brightness of the screen? This would conserve the battery.
Thanks
cham – I don’t know of any way to do either of those things. You can, however, reduce the amount of time that the backlight stays on, which will also improve battery life.
nice phone for 20 us.got it in a family dollar in miami for my girlfriend but the only problem is the “no pc connectivity” thing.
can t be that dificult to get pics off the phone on the pc????
just by email? cant be possible. any progress ????
the tracfones reps dont know anything. u have to call 5 times to fix a problem. if u can get another company ,dont get bothered by tracfone. itreally is a nightmare company. (phone is cheap and okay!!!)
Beginning tomorrow 10/8 until Sat. 10/17, our local Shopko here in Southern Wisconsin has the Tracfone W376 on sale for $18.88.
Thanks for the nice site!
After reading all the reiview and ciscussion about the Moto w376g, we each bought one. We got the universal Accessory kit but the car chargers do not work. Where can we get a couple of car chargers for these phones?
Thanks in advance for your help.
We discovered that one of the attachments was faulty. The other works just fine.
I cruised through your site here looking for a way to turn the date off on my phone.
Has anyone figured that out yet?
Thanks for you help and great job on your site here.
Well, I ordered a refurbished 376g from Tracfone on Sunday for $20 and that included double minutes lifetime on the phone and 60 minutes (doubled to 120). How could I miss? I got the phone on Friday. I immediately requested a phone number transfer (“PORT”) from my T-mobile account that I’d had for around ten years. That seemed to go through quickly. I was then led through a series of code entries via the internet and my phone to get it up and working with my new (old) number. After a number of attempts and downloads to my phone from Tracphone as I patiently waited and followed instructions (turn on and off, enter these numbers etc. etc.) I was told that my phone was ready to go. I had FIVE, count em’ FIVE bars of reception.
How could I miss?
I tried to call out. Nope. I’d get a message “The service you are attempting to use has been restricted or is unavailable. Please contact customer care for assistance. Message MN94265.” If I tried to call into the phone I’d get the message that the mailbox had not been set up yet. In other words the call wouldn’t go through.
I called customer service and was led through three conversations with three different escalating representatives (some with accents difficult to understand). They’d each ask for my phone serial number and then my SIM serial number. They’d have me enter some codes. One tried to call my phone themself. No success. They asked if I’d ever had another SIM card in the phone. NO, I hadn’t. I got the phone in the mail yesterday and installed the SIM that came with it. That’s it. Well, the SIM that I’ve got doesn’t match the phone for some reason. They’re sending me another SIM card. That’ll be a few days. Nice!
The SIM I have (which gets five bars of reception but won’t allow me to make or receive a call…is that a problem?) is a T-Mobile card according to other entries on this site. Since this is a refurbished phone was it originally linked with an AT&T card and can’t be reprogrammed to work with a T-Mobile? Who knows?
I’m a bit frustrated right now and not looking forward to transferring (manually????) all the phone numbers from my old Motorola cell phone to this refurbished and recalcitrant Motorola 376g cell phone. Would a SIM card reader do it or do I need that and some fancy, expensive software and will messing with “THE SIM CARD” mess it up further when it arrives so it won’t work?
I hope my experience has been a help to someone out there and if you have any info for me on the transfer of data (I don’t do fancy -publicly irritating- ring tones etc…get a life!) I’d appreciate it.
I also go the error with MN94265, but dreading the call to customer support I googled it first and found this page. When I called support, I mentioned the error code right away and said that another person found the trouble to be the sim card. However, she had her script and so I had follow through all items such as punching in a long code to set the phone number manually and turning the phone on and off many times. Finally she gets to the sim card, and that was the problem.
After that it works, but now the phone number listed in the phone it not its real phone number.
I’ve just lived through a nightmare with Tracfone Customer service but am happy to say I finally got what I needed. After getting zero reception with my tracfone at work, in spite of a couple of friends having the same 376g, I started researching and luckily came across this wonderful information site and discovered, sure enough, I had a sim card that was compatable with T-mobile, my friends had At&T, I started calling Tracfone customer service the weekend after Thanksgiving and after nine phone calls of none less than 30 minutes, I am happy to say I finally received and just now re-activated the AT&T sim card. I spoke to Marvin, Hubert, Keisha, Veneika, Jamal, Nino and Merlin to name a few all of whom were very difficult to understand, none of whom helped me until Nino a supervisor said he’s send out the card and I actually finally received it over a month later.
I’m not sure why I stuck with it as long as I did, but I like the phone and it’s features.
Only one more problem now and that is when I try to buy minutes from the Tracfone website, I get an error message at the top of the page, “Undefined Service”. Does anyone here know what that means? I truly can’t bear the thought of beginning another phone marathon with customer service, so would greatly appreciate any help you may be able to provide.
It is only because of the expertise of this website that I was able to troubleshoot the original problem and for that I am very grateful!
Thanks in advance for any ideas about what “Undefined Service” might mean.
Hi Judy
I’m very sorry to hear of your marathon support sessions. In the future, if you need to call TracFone refer to this post:
http://pbush14.wordpress.com/2009/08/30/tracphone-support/
One of the most helpful TracFone reps, based in Miami, offered his help.
I have never heard of the “undefined service” before. I would suggest contacting elston to see what he has to say about it.
Thanks for the assistance. I thought maybe you’d enjoy hearing the next chapter. I went back to the webpage to try buying additional minutes one more time, didn’t get any errors, purchased 200 minutes and on the receipt page then noticed the wrong phone number for my phone. Huh??? I immediately checked my phone number on the phone and suprise,suprise it was the same as on the webpage receipt. Huh??? I immediately called, AGAIN, was on the phone with Jun for 20 minutes while he tried troubleshooting, then was transferred to Julie for at least 30 more minutes (my portable phone battery died so I lost track of time). The end result was that they could definitely NOT restore my original phone number. HUH??? I next asked for some compensation for all my frustration and was given 10 free minutes. Less than what it will now cost to notify everyone I have a new cell number!!! Truly an unbelieveable saga… I’m done. I’ll try to use up the minutes I just purchased, but if anything else goes wrong, the phone goes in the trash.
That really stinks. I don’t know how they could lose your number like that. Did you tell them that you’ll no longer be a customer unless they can restore your old number? Also, did you try executive resolutions? Check out this old post if you haven’t already:
http://pbush14.wordpress.com/2009/08/30/tracphone-support/
Tracfone. What can I say? The telephone customer service keeps you on line three-fourths of forever.
HOWEVER about that “UNDEFINED SERVICE” when you try to purchase days and units? I was given a solution by listening to my customer service rep at Tracfone.
Your account is linked to the credit card that you use/have used.
Try buying minutes with the credit card that you used LAST time on-line to buy minutes from Tracfone. It has to be associated WITH your account already, i.e., the card you first used is kept on record at Tracfone.
I live in the Long Beach/Los Angeles section of LA County. I have a computer technician with a shop here that I trust. It has a website. The name is Zenix. http://www.zenixs.com 562-726-1281. It is by the 405 Freeway and Orange Avenue in Long Beach,CA. I AM NOT PAID TO ENDORSE THE SHOP. I am a local customer who was very pleased with the service and rates. Customers have to park across the street, though.
April 6, 2010
I just bought the Motorola 376g at Walmart w/dbl minutes for life for $19.88. (new phone, not a reconditioned one offered on website)
It has 10 minutes preloaded once the phone is activated. I was happy that I was able to import my AT&T cell number to this Tracfone prepaid.
I bought the 376g last weak for $14.99 on sale. very unhappy w/ it. it wont send pics to my e-mail or other phones, it just says error but still deducts 2-3 minutes each time. tracfone was no help, after being on the phone 4x w/ them, the guy said he dont know what to tell me.. i have 3 trac phones, i’m switching to net 10, or BOOST $40 a month unlimited…… trac phone is outdated and a total ripoff!!!!!!
how do you text with a motorla w 376g trak fone
I have a motorola cell phone and it is one of my old phones and I put a go phone sim in it and everytime i turn on my phone it says unregistered sim. And then it will say to check the sim, so i have no idea how to fix this so if u could help out i would appreciate it.
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