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iPhone 14/Plus POLL: How was your eSIM transfer process?
- Thread starter NYCValkyrie
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The only 2 who seem to have gotten it right are Mint & US Mobile. They launched eSIM early enough to be able to work the bugs out and get the staff knowledgeable. Logging into your acct to make the change is super simple and works easily and quickly.
My carrier didn't support the quick transfer process so I had to use my old phone and remove the old eSim on there to free up the QR code on the carrier website. After that it was smooth sailing but could've definitely been annoying if I had directly wiped my old iPhone without freeing up the eSim activation on there first.
What carrier is this? I handn't heard of having to remove the eSIM from one device in order to see the QR code before. They are usually just generic QR that contain the carrier info but usually not any individual information. So that's interesting.
Vodafone. The QR code seems to be the same info every time and they're locked to a device at a time, so you have to go into your device settings to remove the eSim (which contacts provider servers) to free up the QR code again. They secure the codes via a one-time token though that's displayed in the providers control center (you have to enter that during the setup on your device).
The transfer takes what it takes. The complete upgrade for me took about .5 hour
Well as most people who have been doing the quick transfer, it has taken 5 min or less, maybe 10 - even in busy times from what I'm seeing/hearing/reading. So nearly an hour JUST for the eSIM transfer is definitely out of the ordinary.
Picked up the phone in store, glad I did. I had been in contact with Verizon for FIVE HOURS a couple days prior trying to switch from my pSIM to the eSIM in my Xs Max and they couldn't get it to work. They claimed they were entering the IMEI for the eSIM but after submitting and refreshing it would revert back to the IMEI of the pSIM slot.
Fast forward to Friday, I picked up the phone at Apple, and I set it up in store before I left. It prompted me to transfer the number in the setup process. It looked like it was going to work but then it came up with an error that said my carrier didn't support it, which was odd considering Verizon does support it. Luckily there was a Verizon store just a couple shops down, and there was no one waiting, so I walked right up to rep and they got it setup within 15 minutes. Longest part of the process was trying to load the account. Due to the number of activations the system was slow, but otherwise it went quickly.
The part that still angers me is that I wasted 5 hours on virtual chat this week trying to get it sorted out and the store was able to do it in 15 minutes. Either way, it is working now.
Fast forward to Friday, I picked up the phone at Apple, and I set it up in store before I left. It prompted me to transfer the number in the setup process. It looked like it was going to work but then it came up with an error that said my carrier didn't support it, which was odd considering Verizon does support it. Luckily there was a Verizon store just a couple shops down, and there was no one waiting, so I walked right up to rep and they got it setup within 15 minutes. Longest part of the process was trying to load the account. Due to the number of activations the system was slow, but otherwise it went quickly.
The part that still angers me is that I wasted 5 hours on virtual chat this week trying to get it sorted out and the store was able to do it in 15 minutes. Either way, it is working now.
Right. The UK process seems to be much more involved and the carriers making harder than it needs to be. Very interesting.
eSIM to eSIM (EE UK). Kept saying there were no numbers to transfer until I updated the 14 Pro Max to 16.0.1, then it transferred in seconds.
It's Vodafone.de (Germany) but yeah, friend of mine had a similar experience in the UK. It wasn't that bad just confusing at first because it gave unclear instructions (phone told me the QR is no longer valid, I had to google to find out that the QR is blocked until the current activation is revoked).
is EE the only one in the UK that supports Quick Transfer right now?
EDIT: I looked it up and the answer is yes.
Apologies. I read Vodaphone and my mind went straight to the UK. I think that worldwide, carriers could have done a better job at explaining how their eSIM transfer worked since there are a few different ways to do it. But bigger hope is that the US can show how easy the process can be and push carriers around the world to make it more available.
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pSIM to eSIM
I was having trouble activating my new T-Mobile phone because the setup screen was assuming that I still had the old phone (which I had already traded in at the Apple store). It kept on sending an activation PIN to the phone so I wasn't receiving it. I DM'ed with T-Mobile on Twitter this morning. The CSR asked for my EID and both IMEIs. The tricky part was she needed the activation PIN. Fortunately, we have two lines on the account so she had the PIN sent to the other line. Less than ten minutes later, the new phone chirped and let me know that T-Mobile had pushed an eSIM. A few screen taps later, my cell service was up and running.
I was having trouble activating my new T-Mobile phone because the setup screen was assuming that I still had the old phone (which I had already traded in at the Apple store). It kept on sending an activation PIN to the phone so I wasn't receiving it. I DM'ed with T-Mobile on Twitter this morning. The CSR asked for my EID and both IMEIs. The tricky part was she needed the activation PIN. Fortunately, we have two lines on the account so she had the PIN sent to the other line. Less than ten minutes later, the new phone chirped and let me know that T-Mobile had pushed an eSIM. A few screen taps later, my cell service was up and running.
Xfinity Mobile. Changed the phone on their website. Acknowledged on my new phone. Done. Took a few minutes.