topic cannot download app due to country settings in Get Support

cannot download app due to country settings

birgit1 — Sat, 25 May 2024 17:45:05 GMT

Hi, I am trying to activate a SIM but I can not download the app because my phone is not registered to canada. Is there an other way to activate the SIM?

Re: cannot download app due to country settings

Phil_Adelphus — Sat, 25 May 2024 17:41:28 GMT

@birgit1 Is it a physical sim or an esim?

Re: cannot download app due to country settings

computergeek541 — Sat, 25 May 2024 17:46:09 GMT

@birgit1 wrote:
Hi, I am trying to activate a SIM but I can not download the app because my phone is not registered to canada. Is there an other way to activate the SIM?

The app is the only way to activate. You'll need to either use a VPN that provides a Canadian IP address or get a trusted family member who does have one to activate your Public Mobile account.

Re: cannot download app due to country settings

Phil_Adelphus — Sat, 25 May 2024 17:52:01 GMT

@computergeek541 If a family/friend downloads the app to activate it's fairly straightforward with a physical sim but doesn't one have to be more careful with an esim so that it doesn't install on the surrogate's phone and use the QR code in the email instead? That's why I was asking which type of sim.

Re: cannot download app due to country settings

birgit1 — Sat, 25 May 2024 17:56:26 GMT

It is a physical sim. If I find a way to download the app and activate the account willI I be able to just put the sim in the phone and use it? Even if the app does is not on the phone?

Re: cannot download app due to country settings

computergeek541 — Sat, 25 May 2024 17:58:40 GMT

@birgit1 wrote:
It is a physical sim. If I find a way to download the app and activate the account willI I be able to just put the sim in the phone and use it? Even if the app does is not on the phone?

The Public Mobile app doesn't have to be on a device to be able to use the service. To this day, I can't think of one good reason that Public Mobile has forced customers to use the app to activate (other than perhaps the website being astonishingly slow).

Re: cannot download app due to country settings

computergeek541 — Sat, 25 May 2024 18:00:24 GMT

@Phil_Adelphus wrote:
@computergeek541 If a family/friend downloads the app to activate it's fairly straightforward with a physical sim but doesn't one have to be more careful with an esim so that it doesn't install on the surrogate's phone and use the QR code in the email instead? That's why I was asking which type of sim.

The active SIM card could still be changed later. An accidental eSIM activation on the wrong device wouldn't be irreversible.

Re: cannot download app due to country settings

hairbag1 — Sat, 25 May 2024 18:11:50 GMT

@birgit1 wrote:
It is a physical sim. If I find a way to download the app and activate the account willI I be able to just put the sim in the phone and use it? Even if the app does is not on the phone?

In answer to your question...yes you can as long as your PM acct is activated successfully. If you have any family or friend with a cellphone in-country, they can help. They can download the free PM app to activate your account on your behalf. Once it's been successfully created, you just put your sim in your phone and you should be good to go.

Re: cannot download app due to country settings

Chalupa_Batman — Sat, 25 May 2024 18:54:08 GMT

What kind of phone is it?

Re: cannot download app due to country settings

birgit1 — Sat, 25 May 2024 19:16:01 GMT

It is a Samsung Galaxy S21FE we bought in Germany. As nobody in the family has a canadian phone, we might not be able to make this work. Does anybody know how to cancel a subscription without the app?

Re: cannot download app due to country settings

DennyCrane — Sat, 25 May 2024 20:14:50 GMT

@computergeek541 A VPN won't necessarily solve the region issue. With Google Play for example, your region can be set, but you can only change it once a year. So I have a need for US apps, but unfortunately I can't get them because if I change my Play Store region to the US, I'll lose the ability to get Canadian only apps (and vice versa). I'm not as familiar with Apple, but I suspect it has similar restrictions.

Re: cannot download app due to country settings

Phil_Adelphus — Sat, 25 May 2024 20:17:13 GMT

@birgit1 Does anybody know how to cancel a subscription without the app?

Submit a ticket with customer support at the chat icon bottom right of this page. You would need to do it soon given the upcoming maintenance outage.

Re: cannot download app due to country settings

birgit1 — Sat, 25 May 2024 21:09:28 GMT

Hi,

thank you so much to all of you for your kind and fast response. I am in contact with the customer support now.