Yahoo Mobile and Visible are two low-cost cell phone service providers that are owned by Verizon and use its top-rated network, but is one better than the other?
As a Visible customer, I wanted to learn about Yahoo Mobile because it launched an unlimited data plan that’s nearly identical to the one I have with Visible. Their websites even look alike!
Yahoo Mobile and Visible: What You Need to Know
But there are a few differences between these Verizon-owned brands. In this article, I’ll review what you need to know if you’re thinking about switching to either Yahoo Mobile or Visible. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents:
- Plans and Pricing
- Network Coverage
- Data Speeds
- Mobile Hotspot
- Video Streaming
- Phone Options
- Customer Service
Plans and Pricing
Yahoo Mobile and Visible offer simple prepaid plans that require no credit check.
With Visible, you get a single line of unlimited talk, text and 4G LTE data on Verizon’s network for $40 per month. Yahoo Mobile offers the same plan for a penny cheaper at $39.99 per month, plus you get ad-free email with Yahoo Mail Pro. There are no hidden taxes or fees.
| Yahoo Mobile | Visible |
| Unlimited text, talk and high-speed data | Unlimited text, talk and high-speed data |
| Unlimited mobile hotspot for use with one connected device at a time | Unlimited mobile hotspot for use with one connected device at a time |
| Yahoo Mail Pro for ad-free email | On Verizon’s 4G LTE network |
| On Verizon’s 4G LTE network | $40/month for a single line of service |
| $39.99/month for a single line of service | Pay as low as $25/month per line with Party Pay |
| Taxes and fees included | Taxes and fees included |
What Is Party Pay And How Does It Work?
The biggest difference is that Yahoo Mobile doesn’t offer Party Pay, while Visible does. This is a new twist on a family plan that drops the monthly price to as low as $25 per line.
- 2 people: $35/month per line
- 3 people: $30/month per line
- 4 people: $25/month per line
With Party Pay, members don’t share the bill. Each member of the party has their own Visible account and is responsible for paying their portion every month.
Since billing is separate, you can add anyone to your party. I know two members of my party, but the third is a stranger.
When you sign up for Visible and Party Pay, you’ll be given a link to share. It’s like a personal referral code. When someone uses your link, they can join your party and you’ll both save money.
I’ve seen people share their links on Reddit and even in the comments section of my articles and YouTube videos.
Network Coverage
Verizon owns Yahoo Mobile and Visible, so it’s no surprise that the services use Verizon’s 4G LTE network. If Verizon’s network is strong where you live, either discount brand should be a good choice.
However, you should know that Yahoo Mobile and Visible’s coverage isn’t identical to Verizon. Here’s what a Visible customer service representative told me over live chat:
“While Visible uses Verizon’s network, we specifically operate on their 4G-enabled towers, so there may be some towers on their prepaid and postpaid network that aren’t accessible to Visible users. That said, we do have domestic roaming available through some third-party towers, which helps make our service accessible in some areas where Verizon 4G isn’t available!”
Enter your ZIP code using the coverage maps on Yahoo Mobile and Visible’s websites to learn more.
I’ve used Verizon’s network for most of my adult life. As a Visible customer, I haven’t had any major issues with call and text performance. Verizon is the #1 network where I live.
Data Speeds
Yahoo Mobile and Visible both include an important disclaimer on their websites about data speeds: “In times of traffic, your data may be temporarily slower than other traffic.”
From my experience, Visible has never slowed my data to the point where I couldn’t watch a video, stream music or surf the web.
To test data speeds, I like to use SpeedTest.net. When I sat down to write this article, I conducted a speed test of my Visible service using a Google Pixel 3a device.
The download speed was more than 30 Mbps, which is plenty fast. Some prepaid carriers have speeds below 10 Mbps.
If you have service with Yahoo Mobile or Visible, I’d like to hear what you think about data speeds. Run a speed test and leave a comment below with your results!
Mobile Hotspot
Mobile hotspot is a great feature to have in a cell phone plan, so it’s nice that Yahoo Mobile and Visible offer unlimited mobile hotspot with their plans.
This fine print applies to both carriers: “Speeds capped at 5 Mbps and limited to one tethered device at a time.”
Although there is supposedly a 5 Mbps speed limit, I’ve had speeds higher than 10 Mbps while using my laptop with Visible’s mobile hotspot feature. It has come in handy during power outages.
Video Streaming
If you want to stream video in HD while using cellular data, Yahoo Mobile and Visible aren’t for you. Like most low-cost providers, video typical streams at 480p, which is SD quality.
This has never been a problem for me because my phone screen is so small — 480p is just fine.
If you want to stream HD-quality video while using your phone, you can always connect to Wi-Fi at home or work. But just know that when using cellular data, SD is what you’ll get.
Phone Options
Yahoo Mobile and Visible allow you to either bring your own device (BYOD) or purchase a new one. If you want to buy a new phone, there are about two dozen devices for sale on each website.
Here’s a sample of the devices and prices that I found in August 2020:
| Yahoo Mobile | Visible |
| Apple iPhone SE: $384 | Apple iPhone SE: $384 |
| Samsung Galaxy S20: $984 | Samsung Galaxy S20: $984 |
| Apple iPhone 11: $696 | Apple iPhone 11: $696 |
| Google Pixel 4: $696 | Google Pixel 4: $696 |
| Motorola moto G7 power: $179 | Motorola moto G7 power: $179 |
Even though the phone prices are the same, promotions may vary. When I first put together this article, Yahoo Mobile didn’t offer nearly as many deals as Visible. However, the deals were comparable at last check.
With either carrier, phone financing is available through a third-party service for as low as 0%.
Customer Service
Although Yahoo Mobile and Visible are owned by Verizon, you can’t go into a Verizon retail store to get customer support for the discount brands.
There are no Yahoo Mobile or Visible stores, and they don’t provide an 800 number to call. To contact Yahoo Mobile or Visible, your choices are live chat, Twitter or Facebook Messenger.
Both carriers says that customer support is available 24/7 through the methods that I’ve listed.
Final Thought
Yahoo Mobile and Visible offer unlimited data plans at an affordable price, but Visible is a better value for two main reasons:
- Party Pay: With Visible’s Party Pay feature, you can reduce your monthly bill to as low as $25 per line. Yahoo Mobile doesn’t offer Party Pay.
- Phone Deals: When I checked online, both carriers had sales on select devices. However, Yahoo Mobile hasn’t always offered great promotions like Visible.
If you’ve been leaning toward Yahoo Mobile for the ad-free email, you can always purchase Yahoo Mail Pro as a standalone service. It’s only a few dollars a month.
To learn more about Visible, read my full review and my list of the best cheap cell phone plans and deals!
MORE CONTENT FROM MICHAELSAVES.COM:
- 9 Things to Know Before You Sign Up for Visible
- Visible vs. Xfinity Mobile: Which Is Better?
- 9 Things to Know Before You Sign Up for Xfinity Mobile
- 4 Best Ways to Lower Your Cell Phone Bill
Sept 13, 2020 I just checked yahoo mobile site and it is offering phones deals like visible with gift cards, etc
It sure is! I will update my article.