An In-Depth REALLY Wireless Review

The mobile security market is expected to reach USD 26.76 billion by 2032. More and more customers are switching from big telcos to security-first carriers—and REALLY Wireless is a prominent player in the market.

The carrier introduces several innovative features to protect user data and ensure comprehensive coverage. This REALLY Wireless review examines those features to outline their real-life performance and help you decide if the service is worth switching to.

What Is REALLY Wireless?

REALLY Wireless is a privacy-focused mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) offering secure cellular services. It was founded in 2022 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas. Its target audience encompasses security-conscious U.S. customers.

The carrier combines traditional MVNO access on T-Mobile’s 4G/5G network with its proprietary decentralized wireless (DeWi) network. The DeWi network uses home-based radio nodes to expand REALLY’s coverage beyond the T-Mobile service area and avoid dead zones.

As a digital-only carrier, REALLY doesn’t have physical stores. This means everything from the signup process and number porting to customer support is done online, which helps users from remote locations get started.

REALLY makes a simple promise to customers—a secure, reliable network with minimal risk of data breaches or unethical privacy practices. While the carrier mostly makes good on this promise through robust security, you should look into it more closely to get to the full picture of what to expect.

REALLY Review: The Great, the Good, and the Bad

To evaluate REALLY’s offering thoroughly, the following sections will focus on the service’s key aspects:

1. Security
2. Privacy
3. Coverage
4. Features
5. Plans and pricing
6. Customer experiences

Security

Due to weak legacy infrastructures and outdated security protocols like SS7 and Diameter, traditional telcos leave plenty of room for SIM swaps, interceptions, and other attacks with potentially severe consequences. To shield users from them, REALLY uses AES-256 and TLS 1.2 encryption for all traffic on the T-Mobile side.

Thanks to encryption, your data is turned into unreadable ciphertext while traveling between servers and being stored in REALLY’s databases. Even if someone stole the encrypted data, they wouldn’t be able to read it—in theory.

The problem here is that TLS 1.2 is 17 years old, so it’s pretty outdated and vulnerable to external attacks. As this protocol is used for encryption in transit, this means there’s still a chance of successful interceptions and data breaches.

REALLY handles security much better through its DeWi network by not storing user data in the first place. It only collects minimal network performance metrics and safeguards this data through several layers, including:

• AES-256 encryption while data is being transmitted
• AES-256 encryption for data resting on the servers
• Application-level encryption

Overall, REALLY’s security is much more solid than what you’d get with a traditional carrier, so switching is a step in the right direction toward secure communication. Still, the encryption the carrier uses is far from unbreakable for a skilled hacker, so your data isn’t completely safe.

Privacy

REALLY’s privacy tagline is “no spying, no tracking, no hacking.” Seeing as the service collects minimal data, it delivers on this ambitious promise better than many competitors.

Signing up doesn’t require the data that many carriers ask for, such as:

• Name
• Email
• Address

Instead, all you need is a phone number that will be used to identify your account. REALLY promises not to sell or otherwise monetize on this data, so you’re safe from Big Telco’s profit-motivated practices.

When you reach out to support, your account is referenced through a random ID, so no actual identifiers are used or stored. The service only stores the phone number and usage data like numbers called and received, which is necessary to ensure CALEA compliance.

While this data is encrypted, users still don’t have full control over it (which would be an ideal scenario when signing up for a secure phone service). That’s because AES-256 encryption falls under so-called server-side encryption, meaning REALLY’s servers create and store encryption keys.

A solution like end-to-end encryption (E2EE) would be a much better alternative here. It ensures that the decryption key is created on your device and never reaches the provider’s servers, so only you can access your data.

Still, REALLY takes users’ privacy more seriously than many alternatives, so the privacy and security features you do get are pretty solid.

Coverage

REALLY piggybacks on T-Mobile’s network, so it has a largely similar service area. The only difference lies in the area covered by the carrier’s DeWi network.

The way it works is straightforward—users can sign up as hosts to use their devices as nodes and share the internet connection with other REALLY users. REALLY offers crypto rewards to incentivize users to expand the mesh network, which should help the coverage expand as more users join.

Unfortunately, REALLY doesn’t seem to be close to their goal of ensuring no dead zones. There aren’t more than a few hundred nodes outside of Austin, most of which are centered around the city.

This means that for now (as of this writing), you should look at REALLY’s coverage as a near equivalent of T-Mobile’s. You can check the carrier’s coverage map to determine the 4G/5G service availability in your area.

Features

REALLY offers an eSIM option without physical SIM cards. While this might bother some users, it’s common among secure mobile services because an eSIM doesn’t carry a risk of card theft or physical SIM swaps.

As for specific features beyond the security and privacy ones, you get:

• A phone app for account management
• AI-powered spam call and text blocker
• Mobile hotspot (20 GB at 5G speed)

REALLY announced that they’d be launching a VPN service as well, which should further enhance your security beyond network-level protection.

There’s no phone support, though you get what REALLY calls “dedicated concierge customer service,” which is available via email and chat. While the response times are typically short, text-based support may not be ideal if you’re dealing with an emergency like a security incident.

Speaking of incidents, REALLY offers a $1 million ID theft insurance policy. In case you suffer any financial losses as a result of identity theft performed through REALLY’s network, the company will cover them up to this amount.

Plans and Pricing

REALLY has a straightforward plan—for $99/month, you get unlimited calls, text, and data (although the speed is throttled after 50 GB). Note that the cost doesn’t include the applicable taxes and fees, so you must pay them separately.

The service also offers unlimited calling to over 175 countries, as well as data for over 200 countries (though roaming charges apply). The international coverage is quite extensive, which makes REALLY a solid option for frequent travelers.

Besides the individual plan, REALLY has separate family and business plans, with pricing available upon request. They offer the same services as the individual plan, so the pricing is mainly determined according to the number of lines you need.

For each Limitless Plan (individual plan) sold, REALLY donates a plan. The company also offers a 10% discount for:

• Military staff
• Teachers
• Healthcare workers
• First responders

Overall, the pricing is reasonable when you factor in the security and privacy features you get. It’s pretty much the same as what you can expect from most prominent secure services, so the premium you pay for secure communication isn’t extensive.

Customer Experiences

So far, REALLY has established a solid track record—customers are generally happy with the service, and some who have switched from traditional telcos say they don’t regret doing so.

In addition to useful security features, users praise REALLY for solid coverage. Quite a few customers switched from Verizon and claim their reception is much better, even in the more remote areas.

Still, it looks like REALLY has a few issues to iron out. Some users complained about the setup process, saying they couldn’t port the number themselves but needed help from REALLY’s customer support.

Speaking of which, customer care seems to be the most common complaint. As mentioned, REALLY only offers support through email and chat, which bothered some customers who ran into issues with the service.

For example, one user said it took over a week to delete a line due to the delayed customer support chat. Still, the issue was remediated by no other than REALLY’s executive, which demonstrates the company’s commitment to positive user experiences.

The Verdict: Is REALLY Worth It?

If you’re currently on a traditional carrier and want more security and privacy, REALLY can be a decent choice. This is especially true if you also plan on leveraging its DeWi either as a user in a remote area or as a host to share your network and earn rewards.

Thanks to REALLY’s encryption, your data will be concealed from T-Mobile and protected from external attacks—but only to an extent. REALLY’s encryption protocols could surely benefit from an upgrade to give users more peace of mind and provide protection from more elaborate attacks.

On the bright side, you get:

• The privacy perks of minimal data collection
• Generous plans and solid coverage
• Additional useful features like AI spam blocking

For clarity’s sake, here’s a quick summary of REALLY’s pros and cons:

If you want high-level protection through advanced security features, you may want to look for a REALLY alternative with measures like E2EE and robust SIM swap safeguards. To enjoy these comprehensive measures, check out Cape.

Cape Makes Security the Standard: Here’s How

Cape is America’s privacy-first mobile carrier, providing premium, unlimited, and nationwide call, text, and data. Unlike other providers, our service is built from the ground up with privacy and security at its core.

Mainstream carriers track you and store your data, often without your consent. Cape takes a different path—we collect the absolute minimum amount of information to provide you with service.

Any information we do collect is retained for the minimum amount of time possible. Most carriers store call data records (CDRs) for years, sometimes indefinitely. Cape stores yours for just 24 hours, and we have a commitment to never sell your data.

Cape service includes security features that no other carrier offers:

• Minimal Data Collection: During onboarding, we don’t ask for your name, Social Security number, or address. We only collect what’s necessary to provide you with service, and we retain it for the minimum amount of time possible.
• Identifier Rotation: Every SIM card has an International Mobile Subscriber ID (IMSI), a unique identifier which your device uses to register with cellular networks. Most carriers assign a fixed IMSI that stays the same for the life of your account, making it easy for your carrier, advertisers, and bad actors to identify and track your device over time. Cape breaks that pattern by allowing subscribers to automatically rotate their IMSI every 24 hours, so you appear as a different subscriber every day, making it much more difficult for anyone to follow or track your movements.
• Secondary Numbers: Your phone number is a target for data brokers and scammers. Retailers, websites, apps—everyone is routinely asking you to share your number with them, which exposes you to a variety of risks. Many turn to VoIP numbers to use as secondary lines, which can be helpful, but cost extra, don’t work with 2FA, and aren’t encrypted. Cape provides subscribers with two free additional SMS/MMS lines that are middle-to-end encrypted. With secondary numbers, you can reserve your primary number for communicating with your close friends and family, and use the other for anything from shopping and signing up for discounts, to receiving secure OTPs.
• Disappearing Call Logs: Call and text records reveal a lot about you, from who your closest relationships are to when and where communication took place. With traditional carriers, your call and text metadata doesn’t just disappear; it’s retained, analyzed, and folded into a lasting customer profile. At Cape, we’re built to forget and delete these records after just one day.
• SIM Swap Protection: A SIM swap happens when an attacker convinces your carrier to transfer your number to their device, allowing them to receive your calls and texts, trigger password resets, and gain access to your accounts. Cape protects against SIM swaps by removing humans entirely from the loop. During sign-up, you receive a 24-word phrase that generates a private key tied to your number. This phrase is the only way to move your number to a new device or carrier. No one, not even Cape, can transfer your number without your phrase, giving you full control over your number.
• Network Lock: Traditional cellular networks were designed for interoperability, not security. Outdated and legacy network protocols like SS7 have vulnerabilities that allow attackers to hack in and track your location, intercept your calls and texts, and steal sensitive information. Cape’s Network Lock uses a proprietary signaling proxy to verify that your device’s physical location matches the network it’s trying to attach to. If anything looks suspicious, like a mismatched location, we block the connection.
• Encrypted Voicemail: Voicemails can reveal more than you think, from personal messages to authentication codes, yet most voicemail systems are outdated and unencrypted. Cape encrypts your voicemails so that only you can access them.
• Secure Global Roaming: While you’re traveling abroad, your phone connects to local telecom providers to provide you with connectivity. But not all networks are secure, and not all governments treat privacy the same. Cape routes your traffic through our U.S.-based mobile core. Our Secure Global Roaming gives you the convenience of international data roaming without exposing your identity or communications. You get up to 15GB per month of international roaming included in your plan.

These features are made possible because we’re a “Heavy” Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO).

Other MVNOs (such as Mint Mobile, Cricket, etc.) simply ride on top of the mobile core, SIMs, and physical infrastructure of their underlying MNO partner. At Cape, we actually own our own mobile core and provision our own SIMs.

This gives us control over how accounts are authenticated, what data we do and don’t collect, how long we retain it for, as well as the ability to build proprietary features like Identifier Rotation. No other carrier on the market has this capability.

Reclaim Your Privacy: Switch to Cape Today

Ready to ditch traditional telcos and switch to a privacy-first mobile carrier? Visit cape.co/get-cape to sign up.

Thanks to our partnership with Proton, you can also take your privacy a step further and get Proton Unlimited or Proton VPN Plus for only $1 for the first six months.