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Maybe apple and Verizon should try testing things before shipping $1000 devices. I will go to my local Verizon store like I do every year this time...
 
I haven’t had any issues in years past but activation tonight has been a total failure on Verizon.
 
Activated my sim free 13 pro earlier, I went to the Verizon site, not the my Verizon app, then account, my devices, activate or switch device, activate an existing line, chose my line, entered my IMEI2 (must use the 2 for the ESim) and was up and running in under 2 minutes.
 
I’m glad I wasn’t the only one. Couldn’t get the phone activated so I pulled the old SIM card out and was able to activate it. After restarting I had two sets of bars on the Home Screen and two separate phone lines with the same number! Maddening!!! I finally reached out to Verizon who got it sorted out but with the old SIM card.
 
If you want to use the SIM from your older iPhone (if you can't get helpful support or they're closed for the night like when I tried, or the automated system doesn't work for you) then you can switch your SIM from the old phone.

Some people have been getting the automated support on Verizon to work, but Verizon didn't know I have a new phone until *after* I did the stuff below.


If you did the auto-setup of the new phone from the old phone, it creates an eSIM setup for you, but it's failing in porting the line to the eSIM on the carrier side.

If you go to Settings/Cellular and remove the eSIM line from your phone by clicking the line and clicking "Remove This Line" (you'll get a notice it'll delete the line but not cancel your subscription), restart the phone (this might not be necessary, but still probably a good idea) and then put the SIM from the old phone into the new. As long as you canceled the partially-activate eSIM setup of the new line, it'll see the physical SIM as the primary line and it should function instantly.

A few minutes later I got an automated text from Verizon which does the same thing the automated system does. Don't follow the link. If you put the SIM in, the automated activation line then tries to use your existing iPhone 13 to activate a previous phone.

As long as when you put in the SIM you get the LTE or 5G bars, you're up and running.
 
Mine activated okay but the 5G wasn’t working. I found someone on twitter saying they had to call support and they “pushed out” the activation of that for him.

I went to Verizon support chat and they are so slammed no one replied. I submitted the message “new iPhone, 5G not working” a few times.

within about 15 minutes 5G magically starts working. No reply from Verizon support chat, which is not how it works normally.

Verizon tries to charge $35 for this activation people. Do not let them do this.

File an FCC complaint about the activation fee being a fraudulent service, (which it is) and then have your complaint number ready when you speak with support. They will refund you.
 
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