Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Sorinut

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Feb 26, 2015
1,670
4,557
I'm wanting to to convert my physical SIM to an eSIM so I have the slot open for some travel coming up. Problem is, last time (on my 12 mini), when I used eSIM, it was on IEMI2 and my car with carplay didn't recognize the phone as being connected the network. I want to make sure that my esim is in slot1, so the car will recognize it.

When I look settings/general/about (without the sim in), I see a listing for physical sim and for available sim. Available sim is IMEI2, not 1.

How can I make sure it goes to IEMI1?
 

Sheepish-Lord

macrumors 68020
Oct 13, 2021
2,257
4,631
I'm wanting to to convert my physical SIM to an eSIM so I have the slot open for some travel coming up. Problem is, last time (on my 12 mini), when I used eSIM, it was on IEMI2 and my car with carplay didn't recognize the phone as being connected the network. I want to make sure that my esim is in slot1, so the car will recognize it.

When I look settings/general/about (without the sim in), I see a listing for physical sim and for available sim. Available sim is IMEI2, not 1.

How can I make sure it goes to IEMI1?
Technically both IMEI slots are shared and shouldn’t matter so not sure why CarPlay wouldn’t work since it has no control over your actual connection. Often times cell companies will ask for IMEI2 especially if you currently have a physical SIM which tends to be on IMEI 1. I have heard of people having their eSIM on IMEI 1 but that was because it was a new device setup without a physical SIM being present.

Like I said though, whatever CarPlay issue you had should have not been caused by a SIM/IMEI issue as the phone doesn’t care.
 

Sorinut

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Feb 26, 2015
1,670
4,557
Technically both IMEI slots are shared and shouldn’t matter so not sure why CarPlay wouldn’t work since it has no control over your actual connection. Often times cell companies will ask for IMEI2 especially if you currently have a physical SIM which tends to be on IMEI 1. I have heard of people having their eSIM on IMEI 1 but that was because it was a new device setup without a physical SIM being present.

Like I said though, whatever CarPlay issue you had should have not been caused by a SIM/IMEI issue as the phone doesn’t care.

Let me correct the issue. The car, via BT or plugged in would say"no sim" on the radio and the dash display. I could still take calls, but it doesn't list the carrier, I can't make calls or see the phone status.I asked VW about it, and posted on some VW forums and other people had the same issue. If the first IMEI isn't the active one, the car wouldn't recognize it. It does work with CarPlay, though, but I don't always use CarPlay.

Either way, is the IMEI for the physical sim, and esim1 the same?
 

Shadowbech

macrumors G3
Oct 18, 2011
9,038
5,894
Hmm. when I activate a new esim on Verizon, I entered my imei2 but when it activates it actually activates on esim1. I know this because when I see it on about it's on esim1 and not esim 2.

I don't even have a physical sim so I wouldn't know.
 

NoBoMac

Moderator
Staff member
Jul 1, 2014
5,821
4,431
Wild guess, as not versed on the subtleties of CarPlay: an older head unit that was made before dual SIM iPhones or introduction of eSIM?

Wondering if the head unit has up-to-date firmware.
 

Sorinut

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Feb 26, 2015
1,670
4,557
Well I went ahead and changed over because I need the free slot. It's a factory head unit and has no firmware update available.

"No sim" when connected, unfortunately.
 

Attachments

  • C84E41D2-C45D-4FD3-9959-35A9E4087D3F.jpeg
    C84E41D2-C45D-4FD3-9959-35A9E4087D3F.jpeg
    521.2 KB · Views: 89
Last edited:

jav6454

macrumors Core
Nov 14, 2007
22,303
6,257
1 Geostationary Tower Plaza
I'm wanting to to convert my physical SIM to an eSIM so I have the slot open for some travel coming up. Problem is, last time (on my 12 mini), when I used eSIM, it was on IEMI2 and my car with carplay didn't recognize the phone as being connected the network. I want to make sure that my esim is in slot1, so the car will recognize it.

When I look settings/general/about (without the sim in), I see a listing for physical sim and for available sim. Available sim is IMEI2, not 1.

How can I make sure it goes to IEMI1?
There shouldn't be an issue if your phone uses eSIM or SIM.
 

Sorinut

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Feb 26, 2015
1,670
4,557
There shouldn't be an issue if your phone uses eSIM or SIM.

Well, as you can see from the photo of my dash display, it does. I'm running esim now and the car says "no sim".
 

ManuCH

macrumors 65816
May 7, 2009
1,327
946
Switzerland
It's a bug that has been on iOS forever. I remember when Dual SIM first came out, and I wanted to connect to my personal hotspot from the Mac, it would show my iPhone as "No SIM" because I only had an eSIM installed. It still worked though. It's as if the signal measurement to be shown in personal hotspot (and apparently CarPlay) is always taken from the physical SIM.

For the personal hotspot some iOS update fixed it. No idea about CarPlay because I don't use it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sorinut

mr.steevo

macrumors 65816
Jul 21, 2004
1,411
940
How did you end up dealing with this problem? Would it work if you put a physical Sim in the phone that wasn’t active?
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.