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dbrose

macrumors 68030
Jul 20, 2011
2,548
2,963
Just double checking: Your iOS region is set to United Kingdom, right?

Yes it is but not relevant.
I contacted a friend in the states who let me use her credit card and it worked no problem. So definitely zip code and card combination.

It’s annoying that it literally just adds the data plan. There is no qr code or anything. So would be a nightmare if I had to swap out my phone or something.

Looks like you can only install it on the device that you purchase with and no option to reinstall again.
 
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gtmead09

macrumors 6502a
Sep 22, 2016
507
795
So couple found items.....

First wife had xs max and we found some app that don’t like esim, for example shipt wouldn’t work on esim over lte. Worked fine on Wifi..... also worked fine on my XR which was physical sim. Duplicated issue on my xs which was esim.

Second, imessage wouldn’t register the phone number, only show iCloud email.

We moved back to physical sim, it resolved both issues. AT&T is our carrier.
 

George Knighton

macrumors 65816
Oct 13, 2010
1,391
346
So couple found items.....

First wife had xs max and we found some app that don’t like esim, for example shipt wouldn’t work on esim over lte. Worked fine on Wifi..... also worked fine on my XR which was physical sim. Duplicated issue on my xs which was esim.

Second, imessage wouldn’t register the phone number, only show iCloud email.

We moved back to physical sim, it resolved both issues. AT&T is our carrier.

When you were trying to use the eSIM for data, was the physical SIM turned on? If it was, did you try it with the physical SIM turned off?

It is possible for a developer to point to "Number One," which will be the physical SIM, but I do not know why anybody would ever do that.
 

gtmead09

macrumors 6502a
Sep 22, 2016
507
795
When you were trying to use the eSIM for data, was the physical SIM turned on? If it was, did you try it with the physical SIM turned off?

It is possible for a developer to point to "Number One," which will be the physical SIM, but I do not know why anybody would ever do that.

Negative, neither phone that was acting up with the Shipt app had a physical sim in them. There was some other older apps that acted up as well. But those are apps that are in long need for a modernization update.
 

AxelFoley

macrumors regular
Feb 16, 2015
211
195
Negative, neither phone that was acting up with the Shipt app had a physical sim in them. There was some other older apps that acted up as well. But those are apps that are in long need for a modernization update.
Google Voice and Google Hangouts have connecting issues when an e-sim is active along with a physical sim. Both apps have dialing over LTE issues however they dial out fine over Wifi. Deactivate one of the sims and all is well. This only applies to making and receiving calls over Google Voice / Google Hangouts. I have written to Google on this.
 

dbrose

macrumors 68030
Jul 20, 2011
2,548
2,963
Ok so now I have my TMobile eSIM ready for next week.

Can people advise on the following

My current UK sim and email address are registered for iMessage and FaceTime

If I disable my physical whilst in the US will i still be able to receive iMessages sent to my UK number over iMessage as this should just be data.

Currently I receive on iMessage for my work phone number, personal and email address will my t mobile number just be added to the list and I can receive on all? Essentially I want to still get iMessage for my UK number without my UK number being active.
 
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MacNil

macrumors newbie
Mar 22, 2011
6
0
You are correct regarding Google Voice. I ported my home phone number to Google Voice and gave up on a traditional home phone. So friends still have both. With this it would kind of work for me.

However better is actually Skype. It let you set your "Caller ID". I was just not aware of it during my last travel. I just tested it. I set Caller ID to my own number and it worked.

So this will be fairly hassle free at the next travel.

Here is my setup:
- Physical SIM: T-Mobile postpaid
- eSIM US: AT&T prepaid (for areas where T-Mobile has low coverage)

Travel to Europe:
- eSIM Telekom prepaid
- Phone line remains on Physical SIM - T-Mobile has unlimited international text and data with Edge speed
- Data I toggle (for calls and Navigation I keep T-Mobile - for other stuff I switch to the Telekom eSIM with LTE data) / With Instant Hotspot I connect my iPad to the eSIM data.
- Call forward of US T-Mobile to Skype (I have a Skype number and the incoming calls are free)
- Outgoing calls with Skype with Caller ID of my T-Mobile number

No removing case, no switching SIM. Just turn on Telekom eSIM and set the call forwarding. When I return, tun on AT&T eSIM and remove call forwarding.

Very low cost and with the eSIM setup much better than trips last year. Either local SIM and I gave up my US number completely (Hassle: couldn't forward text messages). Or we used the AT&T International plan with $10 + taxes/fees per day. 2 weeks was > $180.


I'm thinking about the same setup. Which prepaid AT&T plan do you use ?
 

Shirasaki

macrumors P6
May 16, 2015
15,533
10,791
Still waiting for Telstra to support eSIM. Current workaround is not the best way to do I think.
 

George Knighton

macrumors 65816
Oct 13, 2010
1,391
346
Still waiting for Telstra to support eSIM. Current workaround is not the best way to do I think.

I do not know what Telstra's "workaround" is, but if it is like T-Mobile's, it might work well.

Although it's widely regarded as a kind of hack, I've been using T-Mobile's eSIM ever since the technique became well documented and I haven't had the first problem.

The eSIM is also less prone to losing signal at various times, as the physical SIM on the Intel modem XS and XS Max displays.
 

Shirasaki

macrumors P6
May 16, 2015
15,533
10,791
I do not know what Telstra's "workaround" is, but if it is like T-Mobile's, it might work well.

Although it's widely regarded as a kind of hack, I've been using T-Mobile's eSIM ever since the technique became well documented and I haven't had the first problem.

The eSIM is also less prone to losing signal at various times, as the physical SIM on the Intel modem XS and XS Max displays.
https://beaugil.es/2019/03/telstra-launches-esim-support/
This is Telstra’s eSIM atm, which officially only support certain windows 10 devices as of today.
 

iGeneo

macrumors demi-god
Jul 3, 2010
1,384
2,583
One thing to consider when going to an eSim.

I was in France last week, I'm a VZW user and have a VZW eSim. I also have a Vodaphone physical SIM since I'm in France on a regular basis. All works great but...

The afternoon before my return flight, my XSM would not power on. I was out on the town so I stopped at an Apple Reseller, there was not an Apple Store nearby. They couldn't help, so several scenarios went through my head. If I cannot get my phone working, I could just buy another.. but, how would I handle the eSim? Call VZW in the states and have them send me a new QR code? Could I make that happen? Maybe.. but if I had a physical SIM as my primary, I would be fine with a replacement or I could have taken my brothers phone (he offered) drop in my SIM, do some basic setup of Uber, ApplePay and and go...

I got it working back at my home in France using DFU mode, but when switching to eSIM, and traveling a fair amount, presumably the reason for eSim use, consider all the scenarios. I'll likely switch back to a physical SIM card for my primary line and seek out an EU eSim, which seem a bit limited right now.
 

bluetdi

macrumors newbie
Oct 15, 2018
9
6
Berlin & Vienna
One thing to consider when going to an eSim.

I was in France last week, I'm a VZW user and have a VZW eSim. I also have a Vodaphone physical SIM since I'm in France on a regular basis. All works great but...

The afternoon before my return flight, my XSM would not power on. I was out on the town so I stopped at an Apple Reseller, there was not an Apple Store nearby. They couldn't help, so several scenarios went through my head. If I cannot get my phone working, I could just buy another.. but, how would I handle the eSim? Call VZW in the states and have them send me a new QR code? Could I make that happen? Maybe.. but if I had a physical SIM as my primary, I would be fine with a replacement or I could have taken my brothers phone (he offered) drop in my SIM, do some basic setup of Uber, ApplePay and and go...

That‘s one reason why I bought a chinese Xs Max with 2 physical SIM-slots. You can use any provider, they all have physical SIM. And if my Max failes I can swap the SIM to my SE or any other cheap phone anywhere in the world. They will have SIM in China and all those countries in the rest of the world for a long time. Imagine an eSIM in Nigeria, how could the dealers handle their phone-business?
 

teeshot44

macrumors 65816
Aug 8, 2015
1,091
856
US
Used T-Mobile app to add a prepaid account to my XS eSIM for a short trip, have Verizon on my regular sim. All worked fine without issue. After trip, I removed the T-Mobile eSIM account not needing it any longer.

A few days later, I had rebooted my phone and saw the following under Settings-Cellular.


IMG_0586.jpg

So, I tap "Used as "Primary"" and the following pops up.

IMG_0587.PNG

I go ahead and "Update Contacts", thinking that one of them is still assigned to the removed T-mobile number. Then following is the next screen shot.

IMG_0588.PNG

This of course the normal screen.

However, rebooting or powering off/on the phone, results in the same sequence of events every time. Calls and texts are all working without issue during this process, but it continues to repeat.

So far, I have gone so far as a complete factory reset including the deletion of all call logs, message logs, and iCloud backups of those logs prior to doing so. I only sync with Google contacts, and have repeated this same sequence without syncing them so my contacts were empty.

Searched and searched, but can't find anyone with similar issues. Again, everything seems to work, so it just may be normal after the eSIM is first used.

Anyone else? Thanks
 

Tidybeard

macrumors newbie
Oct 30, 2018
18
6
Hi, I'm tired of waiting for a non-EE network to implement ESIM in the UK (specifically Vodafone) as I'm still having to carry two phones (business and personal). If I bite the bullet and buy a Chinese market dual nano SIM XS/Max, is there any reason why it won't work in the UK on 4G with one Vodafone SIM and one EE SIM?

Thank you.
 

jtkboston

macrumors regular
Oct 23, 2014
129
42
One thing to consider when going to an eSim.

I was in France last week, I'm a VZW user and have a VZW eSim. I also have a Vodaphone physical SIM since I'm in France on a regular basis. All works great but...

The afternoon before my return flight, my XSM would not power on. I was out on the town so I stopped at an Apple Reseller, there was not an Apple Store nearby. They couldn't help, so several scenarios went through my head. If I cannot get my phone working, I could just buy another.. but, how would I handle the eSim? Call VZW in the states and have them send me a new QR code? Could I make that happen? Maybe.. but if I had a physical SIM as my primary, I would be fine with a replacement or I could have taken my brothers phone (he offered) drop in my SIM, do some basic setup of Uber, ApplePay and and go...

I got it working back at my home in France using DFU mode, but when switching to eSIM, and traveling a fair amount, presumably the reason for eSim use, consider all the scenarios. I'll likely switch back to a physical SIM card for my primary line and seek out an EU eSim, which seem a bit limited right now.

I still have my physical VZW nanoSIM, perhaps I should carry that with me as an emergency backup during international travel (I have a small case I use to carry the other local carrier SIMs). As long as I can get to the verizon web site, I could switch the line back to the physical SIM.
 
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jessebkr87

macrumors 6502
Sep 13, 2016
362
193
Used T-Mobile app to add a prepaid account to my XS eSIM for a short trip, have Verizon on my regular sim. All worked fine without issue. After trip, I removed the T-Mobile eSIM account not needing it any longer.

A few days later, I had rebooted my phone and saw the following under Settings-Cellular.


View attachment 836663

So, I tap "Used as "Primary"" and the following pops up.

View attachment 836664

I go ahead and "Update Contacts", thinking that one of them is still assigned to the removed T-mobile number. Then following is the next screen shot.

View attachment 836665

This of course the normal screen.

However, rebooting or powering off/on the phone, results in the same sequence of events every time. Calls and texts are all working without issue during this process, but it continues to repeat.

So far, I have gone so far as a complete factory reset including the deletion of all call logs, message logs, and iCloud backups of those logs prior to doing so. I only sync with Google contacts, and have repeated this same sequence without syncing them so my contacts were empty.

Searched and searched, but can't find anyone with similar issues. Again, everything seems to work, so it just may be normal after the eSIM is first used.

Anyone else? Thanks

This was happening to me a few betas ago. It finally stopped, but I’m not sure if it coincided with an update or not.
 
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