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Mike. Just Mike.

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 20, 2020
22
357
Yardley, PA
T-Mobile isn’t doing terribly well tonight. The automatic activation failed, and now my phone number won’t ring to my new phone or the old one.

What’s more fun than that? The part where customer service has an hour-long wait.

This is frustrating because I’m an impatient person, but I would like to know why these new phone switches go wrong every year. Every year this happens.
 
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Banglazed

macrumors 601
Apr 17, 2017
4,905
8,974
Cupertino, CA
Just do it online on browser, log into your account, view your line, change sim, activate as if physical sim because the eSIM is already loaded on the new iPhone if you checked it with carrier from Apple or from T-Mobile. On iPhone, go Settings>About>ESIM>ICCID aka SIM card number and paste it into the ICCID field on the website and it should apply instantly.

EID is only needed if no eSIM pre installed

No need to contact T-Mobile rep for any SIM change.
 
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Mike. Just Mike.

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 20, 2020
22
357
Yardley, PA
Yeah, except that no matter what, nothing on their website ever works for me. I try to go to https://t-mobile.com/sim, and after I log in it takes me to a screen where it tells me to click on the device I want to change the SIM on. Good, right? Imagine my surprise when I click on the device I want to change and nothing happens. None of the devices are linked, clicking on them does nothing at all. I go look in my account, there's no "change SIM" or "change device," only "upgrade" which takes me to their sales page.

Fun fact: there's no MRC listed for my number, it just says my line is $0.00/mo. When I try to log in to the mobile app it says that "something went wrong."

Either Apple's upgrade process broke my account, or it has been broken for a while and somehow it is just now affecting me.
 
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Banglazed

macrumors 601
Apr 17, 2017
4,905
8,974
Cupertino, CA
Except when you can’t receive the txt msg to your phone number because your old phone is dead before new phone is activated. And when the T-Mobile SIM change web site asks for an EID, not an ICCID

The eSIM is preloaded on T-Mobile device and you can activate it as a normal SIM because there is IMEI and ICCID info in the device About setting. If there wasn't an ICCID number, you will use the eSIM option for EID that will generate the SIM ICCID number.
 

Leadface32

macrumors newbie
Sep 24, 2021
2
4
USA
Thanks. The number of acronyms in your response excellently demonstrates that there is much innovation headroom remaining to make technology consumable by normal humans. And that keeps me employed so that I can afford a new phone every year.
 

markgpearse

macrumors 6502
Nov 11, 2010
377
339
The activation of the phone was so simple and so easy. Data transferred over quite nicely.… and then disaster. No actual T-Mobile cellular. Hour long waits. Decided to wait until the morning. Not impressed with both Apple and T-Mobile this morning.
 
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yOyOYoo

macrumors 6502a
Feb 13, 2005
703
106
CA
Glad I‘m not the only T-mobile user experiencing issues with T-mobile. I’ve tried resetting the network, resetting the phone, and going to the T-mobile website, which won’t let me change SIM.
 

yOyOYoo

macrumors 6502a
Feb 13, 2005
703
106
CA
Just switched to my previous SIM card and turned off the eSIM and the network is working for me. Any benefits to eSIM over the physical SIM card?
 

markgpearse

macrumors 6502
Nov 11, 2010
377
339
This morning I called T-mobile. Five minute hold. Customer service guy was great. Got me fixed up. Using my eSim. It should not have had to have been this difficult.
 

yOyOYoo

macrumors 6502a
Feb 13, 2005
703
106
CA
I tried the chat feature and the rep could not figure out what was going on. Kept going in circles about having me setup my eSIM, and it would say the QR code was invalid. Waste of time.
 

Reno Raines

macrumors 65816
Jul 19, 2015
1,473
776
Yeah, except that no matter what, nothing on their website ever works for me. I try to go to https://t-mobile.com/sim, and after I log in it takes me to a screen where it tells me to click on the device I want to change the SIM on. Good, right? Imagine my surprise when I click on the device I want to change and nothing happens. None of the devices are linked, clicking on them does nothing at all. I go look in my account, there's no "change SIM" or "change device," only "upgrade" which takes me to their sales page.

Fun fact: there's no MRC listed for my number, it just says my line is $0.00/mo. When I try to log in to the mobile app it says that "something went wrong."

Either Apple's upgrade process broke my account, or it has been broken for a while and somehow it is just now affecting me.
Lol I know the ability to pay your bill on their website always works. Weird :)
 
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cjake

macrumors regular
Sep 12, 2014
161
58
Just switched to my previous SIM card and turned off the eSIM and the network is working for me.
Same. I moved the SIM card from the old iPhone to the new iPhone 13 Pro. Configured it as Primary and the eSim as Travel, and then disabled the eSim. That was all I had to do. No need to get online or call T-Mobile.
 
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POWERPLANTHOMER

macrumors regular
Sep 19, 2021
119
324
I had two 13 PM’s to call and fix T-Mobile. The customer service was outstanding though! Thanks to their patients!
 
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