topic Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over? in Get Support

I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

Bex15 — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 17:27:05 GMT

Hi,

I have a Virgin Mobile eSIM (and I need to keep that phone number) on an iPhone and I also now have moved my old phone number over to that same phone as a physical SIM card so that I have both numbers on the one phone. My old number currently sits with Public Mobile so I will either have to stay with Virgin and cancel my public account or if you can tell me how to move my whole system over to public then I will stay here.

Thanks!

Rebecca

Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

BKNS27 — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 02:52:55 GMT

@Bex15

It looks like you can have a dual lines on your iPhone if it has eSIM compatibility and a physical SIM tray.

https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT209044

Your need to set the second number as a Secondary number.

Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

softech — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 03:04:38 GMT

@Bex15 so you have am eSIM with PM now?

you have another phone number with Virgin and want to port over?

if so, you can easily do that. Just buy a physical sim , them activate the new sim and request porting I'm the number at the same time. Please provide your Virgin account number as the porting info

To buy a physical sim:

local Telus/Koodo/Mobile Klinik stores: https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/pick-up-SIM (call ahead to confirm availability )
Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07R6P5KBB/ (Free Non-Prime 7 days Shipping w/Amazon Tracking)
PM online: https://www.publicmobile.ca/sim-card (Delivery could take anywhere from 5 days to 3 weeks)

Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

Bex15 — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 03:09:53 GMT

Hey, no actually the opposite.
I have an eSIM with Virgin and a physical SIM that I moved over to that phone which used to be in a very old phone (and that old one was with Public Mobile). So I need to move that eSIM phone number over to Public.

Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

Bex15 — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 03:30:31 GMT

Hey, yes I've already set up both numbers.

The eSIM is with Virgin and is my primary number and then the physical SIM is my old Public Mobile number and it is my secondary number.

So the thing is that I was thinking of cancelling my Public Mobile account and just leaving the whole phone on Virgin but I'd actually prefer to keep using Public and cancel Virgin - I just need to figure out how to change the whole system over to Pubic, if that makes sense? (what I think that means is I have to switch the eSIM over to Public). This is all super new to me so I don't know how/if I can do that.

Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

softech — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 03:31:36 GMT

@Bex15 So, physical sim card with PM at the moment

Yes, you can activate an eSIM with PM and request to port the number from Virgin.

Download the app, start the activation from the app. And pick the eSIM option during Subscription setup. Provide Virgin account number as the porting info.

After the porting step, PM will complete the setup and ask your permission to allow the app to finish the eSIM setup. In case you miss that step, you can still finish the eSIM installation by scanning the QR code found on the Welcome email

Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

Bex15 — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 03:34:01 GMT

thanks a bunch!

Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

Proxima — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 05:29:55 GMT

when I first joined Public with eSIM- i had an eSIM with Virgin. I transferred my phone number from Virgin eSIM to Public eSIM

You can have up to 7 eSIMS on an iPhone at once. From the same or different providers

Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

Bex15 — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 16:58:34 GMT

Hi I think I've run into a problem.
I went to the app and logged in to my account. I then selected to transfer my phone number to Public Mobile. I got a text from Virgin asking if I wanted to transfer my number. I texted back yes. Then inside the app it showed that my number is now that number that I transferred.

There so far has been no option to select eSIM. The app has logged out now and when I try to log back in, it is now trying to send the authentication code to my PM number but that number isn't working on my phone anymore.

Bear in mind the Virgin number I am transferring over is already on an eSIM and my PM number is on a physical SIM card in that same phone. I am logged into my PM account (with my PM phone number still showing and my subscription here still showing) on my computer right now.

What should I do next? I hope I haven't screwed it up.

Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

softech — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 17:05:43 GMT

@Bex15

do you want eSIM or Physical sim to be used on PM?

you mentioned you have a PM physical sim, but you started this thread about eSIM.

The choice to activate with eSIM or physical sim card is at the very beginning of the activation. Which one you picked?

If it is eSIM you picked and you want to use eSIM, you can now "disable" (no need to delete at the moment) the Virgin eSIM profile on your device's SIM manager, insteall PM eSIM and set it as active. If you dont have the QR code, message support

If you picked eSIM but you want to use physical sim , you need to message support and have them manually change it back to phsyical sim card.

If you picked Physical sim but you want to use eSIM, sorry, it is too late for now, you have to use physical sim at this time. In a month or two when the system is upgraded, you can request to change it back to eSIM, but not at the moment

And a reminder, to engage support, message them here:

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

**Monitor your Community inbox (envelope icon on top right) after the ticket is opened. CS Agent will reply to you there

Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

Bex15 — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 17:06:40 GMT

So I want to use eSIM for the Virgin number that I just transferred, but when I transferred it no option for eSIM came up - I wonder if I didn't do it correctly? Did I miss something?

I want to use my physical SIM card for my existing PM number. The physical PM SIM card is already in my phone and was already working as my secondary line. I'm worried I messed this up as now my PM number is not showing up on my phone and I can't receive text messages to that number anymore.

I have now already moved my Virgin number over but I don't have it as an account. I'm so confused.

Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

dust2dust — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 17:08:25 GMT

@softech wrote:
In a month or two when the system is upgraded, you can request to change it back to eSIM, but not at the moment

@softech- Where has this promise and timing been mentioned ? An Oracle? Community manager? Did I miss it along the way? Did I skim read?

Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

softech — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 17:13:18 GMT

@Bex15 you might have screw up at the beginning. The very first step will ask you if you want to activate eSIM or physical.

message support to confirm what you have picked, but it could be too late if you picked physical. Yes, if you picked wrong, you likely have to wait a month or two to change it back (again, the timeline is not a promise or anything. Afterall, I am just customers like you. But this is what I anticipate with current PM's system limitation)

But give you some encouragement, if you picked physical, there should be a step asking you for the sim card number. You didn't see it, so it is a good sign you picked eSIM. Again, that is what I see from my experience , no promise. So, message support and kindly report back

Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

Bex15 — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 17:15:29 GMT

It asked me for my account number.

If I did end up picking the physical SIM by accident, should I physically put my Virgin SIM card back in the phone then so I can use it?

And then could I change my PM SIM to an eSIM?

Right now though, I cannot get text messages to either number because I'm in a sort of limbo. My PM number isn't associated with my phone anymore and my Virgin number doesn't have an account on PM yet - I only see my PM number when I am logged into my account.

Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

dust2dust — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 17:18:51 GMT

No provider allows use of another providers sim or esim. You need that providers sim or esim.

Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

softech — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 17:20:48 GMT

@Bex15 if you pick a physical sim, then sorry you are physical sim for now until PM system is ready to migrate existing phsyical sim to eSIM (sorry, you are one of us because you picked physical)

it is late to go back to Virgin since you replied YES to Virgin SIM. yes, actually Virgin an take you back, but that wont mean you loss the money with the new activation with PM you just did

if you decide to stay with this new PM activation , you need to get a new sim card from store and message support to update the sim card

you can get a physical sim from:

local Telus/Koodo/Mobile Klinik stores: https://www.publicmobile.ca/en/bc/pick-up-SIM (call ahead to confirm availability )
Amazon.ca: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B06X9ZGDWG/ (Free Prime next day shipping)
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07R6P5KBB/ (Free Non-Prime 7 days Shipping w/Amazon Tracking)
PM online: https://www.publicmobile.ca/sim-card (Delivery could take anywhere from 5 days to 3 weeks)

Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

Bex15 — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 17:35:08 GMT

ok I can still move my PM SIM card back to my old phone so I don't lose that completely.

so if I get a new physical SIM card from PM for my virgin number so I can use that phone and phone number do I need to sign up for a completely new PM account? Because when I requested to transfer my number over I was logged into my existing PM account. Can I have 2 phone number associated with my account/my email address?

Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

Bex15 — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 18:12:42 GMT

Hi dust2dust,

I've been waiting this whole time for an agent and I'm next in line hopefully get helped soon but in the meantime I'm hoping you might be able to answer the question:

I've put my physical PM SIM card back into my old phone and I can phone out (not sure if that's bc I'm connected to wifi?) and I can send text (not iMessage - I have that shut off right now, but text msgs in green) but I cannot receive incoming text messages.

When I selected to transfer my Virgin phone number over to PM I was logged into my existing PM account which is associated with my existing PM physical SIM card (which I DO want to keep) but now that I cannot receive incoming text messages I cannot log back into the app because I cannot receive the 2-factor identification text codes.

Now I have no clue what to do. I'm in limbo. My virgin number has been ported over (I called them and they said it's ported/cancelled and now sits with Telus). I do not have a physical SIM card for that - yet. I will go out to the mall shortly to get one if that's what I need to do.

But how do I preserve my existing PM phone number and add a new phone number for this one I just ported? Do I have to register for a new account and somehow pull that number in? Since I already selected to transfer it when I was logged into my existing account is this even possible? I don't know what to do from here.

Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

softech — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 18:21:24 GMT

>When I selected to transfer my Virgin phone number over to PM I was logged into my existing PM account

hi @Bex15

you didn't request transfer with a new activation???

when you make outgoing calls on the old PM sim, does the receiving end see your PM phone number that supposed to tie with that PM sim??

Re: I have an eSIM with a different provider - can I switch it over?

Bex15 — Sat, 15 Jul 2023 18:32:06 GMT

No it wasn't new activation. I was (and still) logged into my existing PM account and there is an option right there to "transfer number". That's what I did.
Shoot I just used my husband's phone to test calling...
When I called him it showed up as the number that I just ported from virgin. When I tried calling my PM phone number (existing PM account) it said the number is not in service. Then I tried calling my 'work' number (the one I just ported over from virgin) and that is the number that works and that is now I guess active on my physical SIM card with PM. Am I explaining that well enough?

So my 'personal' phone number that I already had with PM seems to be disconnected.

What can I do to bring it back? It seems like I may have replaced my old number (that I already had with PM) with my work (virgin) number.

Is it possible that my old PM number is now deactivated? Could I bring that number over to my phone with an eSIM or have I now lost that number?