While most mobile carriers compete to offer better “unlimited” plans that often come with strings attached, Helium Mobile takes a different approach. The company provides a Zero plan that doesn’t cost a dime and offers pretty impressive value, along with unique options such as Cloud Points and user-provided hotspots.
Affordability is the carrier’s main selling point, but does it live up to the hype, or is it just another tactic to attract users?
In this comprehensive Helium Mobile review, we’ll take a closer look at the carrier’s plans and features. We’ll also examine its coverage and security to offer an objective overview of its quality and reliability and help you determine if it’s worth switching to.
What Is Helium Mobile?
Helium Mobile is a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). It provides mobile phone services without owning its infrastructure; instead, it “borrows” network capacity from T-Mobile.
Helium Mobile is also a decentralized 5G cellular network. This part is separate from T-Mobile’s infrastructure and relies on crowd-provided hotspots. Users deploy hotspots, building a unique network you can automatically connect to if the coverage is strong enough. Individuals who deploy hotspots are awarded Helium’s cryptocurrency (HNT) or USD payouts.
Thanks to its hotspot capability, Helium Mobile flips the centralized telecom model and creates a user-owned alternative to telco monopolies. Many mobile carriers leverage this capability to offload traffic in high-demand areas, thus improving service quality and reducing infrastructure costs.
An In-Depth Overview of Helium Mobile
To give you an objective review of Helium Mobile, we’ve carefully analyzed the following aspects:
- Coverage
- Privacy and security features
- Plans and pricing
- Customer support
1. Coverage
Helium Mobile operates on T-Mobile’s infrastructure, providing excellent coverage. According to T-Mobile, its 5G network provides coverage to 98% of Americans, while its 4G network serves as a supplement, covering 99%. These numbers are impressive, not only according to T-Mobile but also other online sources.
The Helium Mobile website offers a coverage map that enables you to quickly check if service is available in your area.
T-Mobile offers “base” coverage, while the Helium Network (built by the people around you) provides an extra coverage layer to ensure you never lose service. While this can be an excellent perk, a significant limitation is that the network works efficiently only in areas where enough people have deployed their hotspots (such as coffee shops, universities, or restaurants).
If you live in a rural area, you probably won’t be able to rely on the user-provided Helium Network, and T-Mobile’s infrastructure may be your only option. To ensure you get strong coverage, check whether Helium’s “standard” network is available in your area.
Overall, the coverage provided by Helium Mobile is consistent and reliable, mainly due to the Helium Network. We haven’t come across user complaints focusing on this aspect; in fact, subscribers generally praise the carrier’s coverage, stating that it’s often significantly better than what the competition offers.
2. Privacy and Security Features
Helium Mobile is transparent about its privacy and security policies, and you can find detailed documents on the company’s website.
In terms of data collection, there’s not much difference compared to other commercial carriers. Depending on the exact service you choose, Helium Mobile can collect the following:
- Account information
- Transaction and billing information
- Location information (like ZIP code and state)
- Customer proprietary network information (CPNI)
- Information about your usage of Helium Mobile’s services
- Device and performance information
For privacy-conscious users, this amount of collected data can be alarming, especially since Helium Mobile can get information such as your device’s unique identifiers and the browser you’re using.
The most concerning part, however, is that Helium Mobile can access your precise location if you use features such as Discovery Mapping or other mapping services. This information supports the Helium Network of user-provided hotspots. So, while participating in the Helium Network supports decentralized connectivity and is financially rewarding, it comes at a price as the carrier can track you wherever you go, and you can’t disable this.
Helium Mobile uses the collected data to communicate with you, improve its services, and advertise its offers. The carrier doesn’t sell your data.
As for security features, Helium Mobile’s website doesn’t go into too much detail. Other than mentioning they use “reasonable security measures required by law,” there’s no other information on how security is handled, which may leave users concerned. It doesn’t help that the website states they can’t promise that your use of their sites is completely safe.
3. Plans and Pricing
Helium Mobile is best known for its affordable plans. Below are the available Helium plans, features, and prices:
Plan | Features | Price |
Zero | 3 GB, 100 minutes, and 300 texts | $0 |
Air | 10 GB and unlimited texts and calls | $15/month |
Infinity | Unlimited data, calls, and texts | $30/month |
The Helium Mobile free plan is the most popular option, allowing you to use it without signing a contract or providing credit card information. You can also bring your own device and number, and there are no hidden fees or taxes.
So, what’s the catch? According to Reddit users, the Zero plan comes with strings attached:
- The Helium app and the enabled location cause quick battery drain
- You have to use cellular data each month; otherwise, your plan will be cancelled
Prior to October 1, 2025, Zero plan users were required to share anonymized location data with Helium Mobile. According to Helium, this was a requirement because it allowed easier usage tracking and coverage improvement; however, it’s no longer necessary since the network has grown enough to track demand through data usage.
All Helium plans enable you to earn Cloud Points for completing specific tasks, such as referring a friend or using a certain amount of cellular data. You can exchange these points for gift cards for different stores and services, including Nike, Amazon, Uber, Chipotle, Spotify, etc.
Note that none of the plans earn crypto; for that, you’ll need to set up and maintain a Helium hotspot.
4. Customer Support
Helium Mobile’s customer support team is available via the following channels:
- Email: support@hellohelium.com
- Phone: (855)-775-6895
Unlike many other carriers, Helium Mobile doesn’t offer 24/7 support. The team is available during “normal business hours,” but the website doesn’t state what those hours are. Despite this, most Helium Mobile users are pleased with the team’s helpfulness and responsiveness.
The carrier also has a comprehensive help center where you can find more details about features, pricing, and add-ons, troubleshoot issues, or get answers to your questions.
Concierge support is also an option with Helium to assist all users who may feel overwhelmed by switching carriers. It’s completely free and available to those who need help with leaving their old carrier, bringing over an existing number, installing a SIM, or activating a new plan.
Helium Mobile Reviews: How Do Users Feel About It?
Helium Mobile customer reviews are a mixed bag.
Users generally appreciate the coverage, data speed, and customer support. Ease of setup is another advantage often mentioned across reviews; the process takes only a couple of minutes and is straightforward.
As expected, the carrier’s affordability is its key strength. Users report saving a lot of money after switching to Helium, especially those who enabled mapping and successfully reduced their monthly bills.
Regarding negative aspects, several users reported issues with redeeming Cloud Points for gift cards. One user in particular states that Helium notified them that they had violated the terms and conditions without further explanation, so they were unable to receive gift cards. Another user had issues with redeeming points for referrals because the customer support kept using “rule changes” as an excuse.
For many users, the biggest concern is privacy. One subscriber mentions that Helium is invasive and requires sensitive information, as well as a range of permissions, to sign up and use the services.
The Verdict: Should You Use Helium Mobile?
Helium Mobile’s key advantage is affordability, and it delivers on that promise with its Zero plan. For $0 per month, you receive data, calls, and texts; if you prioritize budget-friendly options, this carrier can be a good choice.
It’s essential to be aware of the plan’s limitations, particularly regarding the data allowance; for many users, 3 GB per month is insufficient. This option can be attractive for light internet users or those who need an additional line and want to avoid paying extra for it.
The biggest downside and, for many users, a deal-breaker, is Helium Mobile’s privacy policy. The carrier collects vast amounts of user data, including their precise location to provide service, which is a direct invasion of privacy. Helium is transparent about its data collection practices, but the terms are unacceptable for privacy-conscious individuals.
Security is another issue. The lack of information on the exact security measures Helium Mobile uses to protect its subscribers is alarming and undermines user trust from the start.
Individuals who value privacy and security should consider a Helium Mobile alternative that:
- Uses robust security and privacy protocols
- Has strict data collection policies
- Relies on an innovative infrastructure to reduce the risk of data breaches and leaks
The carrier that checks all the boxes is Cape. A combination of advanced options, a robust network architecture, and minimal data collection practices makes it an excellent choice for users who prioritize privacy and security.
Meet Cape: The Secure Carrier Designed for Today’s Threats
Traditional carriers collect detailed records of your calls, texts, and locations. That data becomes a liability—fueling surveillance, breaches, and leaks.
Cape takes a different approach. We’re a privacy-first carrier that collects only the bare minimum required to keep your service running. What little data is necessary is stored briefly, never shared, and never sold. With less data to compromise, you’re better protected from the start.
Like Helium, and many other smaller mobile carriers, Cape is an MVNO. However, there’s an important distinction: Cape is a heavy MVNO while Helium is a light MVNO.
Most MVNOs in America, including Helium, are light MVNOs, meaning they don’t own their towers and rent off other mobile network operators (MNOs). They also don’t own their own mobile core nor do they provision their own SIMs, which means they inherit the security weaknesses of the MNO’s network infrastructure.
Cape is unique because it is the only heavy MVNO in the country. This means that while we also don’t own our own towers, we actually do own our own mobile core and provision our own SIMs. With this infrastructure, we can actually implement a privacy-first network. Read our Cape mobile core blog post to learn more.
Cape’s mobile core was built from the ground up with security in mind. It’s cloud-native, software-based mobile core, which allows us to tackle security issues with more modern fixes. A mobile core is the backbone of a cellular network that controls the complex systems to connect people across endpoints. By running our own network, Cape can control how data flows through your device and implement modern security protocols.
Cape Features
Other security-first features of Cape include:
Feature | Description |
Your account is secured with a cryptographic signature generated from a 24-word recovery phrase, stored only on your device. Not even Cape can access it. This ensures only you can authorize sensitive changes like SIM transfers. | |
Cape doesn’t ask for your name or billing address. Payments are tokenized through Stripe, with financial records stored completely separate from your account information—so your identity can’t be linked to your subscription. | |
Our proprietary signaling proxy validates network requests in real time, blocking suspicious activity before it connects. This keeps your location data private and protects against telecom exploits. | |
Both voicemail content and metadata are encrypted and then re-encrypted with your private key, making them accessible only from your device. |
Cape offers all the benefits of a premium carrier, even with the added security and privacy safeguards. At $99/month (taxes and fees included, no hidden costs), you get:
- Unlimited 4G and 5G with fast speeds
- Unlimited talk and text
- Free international roaming (for eligible countries and devices)
Get the Cape-Level Protection To Secure Your Communications
You can sign up for Cape using our anonymous onboarding process here.
We’ve partnered with technology leaders Proton to help you build a privacy-first ecosystem. You can choose between Proton Unlimited and Proton VPN Plus when you become a Cape subscriber—and you only pay an extra $1 for six months.
