APN settings Greyed out

[jessleekrol]

I don't want to use a freedom mobile card to change my APN settings. 

There is no way to add a new APN, only an option to reset to default.

Im under the impression a Moderator can send an APN config file?

Looking for this, since a more permanent solution.

[thesheryar]

I resolved the issue by installing My Tech Suite from the Play Store, which enables the manual addition of APNs.

[jessleekrol · Accepted solution]

I went to freedom mobile today and added an APN with their SIM. 

Unfortunately that was my only solution..

[ Back to the beginning, eh? ........... Luddite]    

[Korth]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Thank you for the explanation. I'll think that that was for other readers.

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Sadly necessary in some online forums. So "other readers" don't automatically attack or derail essential statements with pedantic nitpicks and examples of exceptions. At least not as much. But I know you already understand that. 😶

[Anonymous]

 @Korth : Thank you for the explanation. I'll think that that was for other readers.

 @computergeek541 : Worth a look indeed. I thought it was awesome. It would be a great answer to this continuing APN problem. geopublic said it worked for him. We'll hopefully get corroboration from @jessleekrol. All we can do is wait.

[mh1983]

But when people report the greyed out APN thing, do they consistently open tickets to make sure PM is aware? In my experience in support roles, forum posts are an echo chamber. You have to come out in numbers with support tickets if you have a chance of getting anywhere or seeing some kind of eventual solution. 

[Korth]

I'm genuinely mystified that PM doesn't push APN. PM must certainly be well aware of this "greyed out APN" issue because it appears so frequently on their forums. It's been an issue for at least 3-4 years now, it appeared as early as late-release Android7, it affects many new and old Android phones, it affects many new and old iPhones. And it seems to be a common theme on low-cost BYOD phones.

Is there some sort of licensing or regulatory reason which prevents them from broadcasting their APN like everyone else?

All they've done to correct this issue so far has been to pass along a special, secret configuration file to certain users - or so it is rumoured. Is this really the best they can do? If anything, this suggests they've already developed a fix for the problem yet they don't make it readily available to everyone who might need it. Why is that? How is it smart for them to create problems (or to tolerate existing problems) which deny their customers from using (and buying) mobile data?

https://source.android.com/devices/tech/config/carrier

https://source.android.com/devices/tech/config/carrierid

[computergeek541]

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@geopublic wrote:

It worked for me. That's why I posted it. Hopefully it's works for the OP.

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It's worth a look. My experiences have been that the ability to edit is the very first thing to be locked out. That's still workable as long as a new one can be created. When they also lock out the ability to add, that's why we see some of these issues with customers not being able to use data.

[geopublic]

It worked for me. That's why I posted it. Hopefully it's works for the OP. Also make sure you have set to manually select the network.

More info MVNO Type:

Mobile virtual network operator type / value
Together, the Mobile virtual network operator type and Mobile virtual network operator value fields allow an APN configuration to be restricted for use only when using particular MVNOs or subscriber accounts.

Without this setting, custom defined APN configurations are selected according to MCC and MNC only, which specifies the mobile network the phone subscribes to but not the particular retailer or reseller, or account on a network.

This setting is useful if you want to use different sets of custom defined APN configurations with different MVNOs (resellers) which access the same network, or even with separate subscriber accounts within the same network or reseller. That is, if you switch your SIM card to one of a different subscriber or reseller but the same mobile network, you can set your device to use a different APN configuration.

To use this feature, you need to set both a type and a value. The matching algorithm depends on the type selected.

[computergeek541]

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@geopublic wrote:

@jessleekrol  If your phone creates a Telus APN entry then go into it change the MVNO Type to GID hit the back button if you can't save it. Then your should be able to add a new APN entry.

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I do not believe that this will work. Many Android phone these days do not allow any editing to be done to the APN settings.  Some of those also do not allow a new APN setting to be added. If the settings are greyed out to the point where a new one can't be added, I can't see any editing to be allowed by the software.

[Korth]

@Anonymous 

The ability to edit existing APNs is usually disabled (greyed out). The ability to create new APNs is usually disabled (greyed out or invisible).

Different phones implement the UI-lockout different ways. So there's workarounds like using a SIM card from a different carrier to "fool" the software, etc. They sometimes work, they sometimes don't work, and newer devices keep patching up workarounds so you never know if you're workaround fix will continue to work after an update/etc.

But it all boils down to the manufacturer deliberately installing this anti-consumer inconvenience as a method of locking users to preferred carriers. They don't make it easy, they are vigilant in keeping up their end of the arms races vs hackers.

Get a different phone for PM (a phone which will accept carrier-pushed APNs).

Or take your existing phone to another operator (a carrier which does push APNs).

Or root your phone (which removes all sorts of user lockouts).

Or wait (without any mobile data) until PM gets around to fixing a problem they refuse to acknowledge.

[Anonymous]

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@geopublic wrote:

@jessleekrol  If your phone creates a Telus APN entry then go into it change the MVNO Type to GID hit the back button if you can't save it. Then your should be able to add a new APN entry.

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Well THAT would be sweet. @jessleekrol : Please do report back if this works.

[geopublic]

@jessleekrol  If your phone creates a Telus APN entry then go into it change the MVNO Type to GID hit the back button if you can't save it. Then your should be able to add a new APN entry.

[LurganIeUk]

I can’t help.  There is a New Zealand  web site that builds a APN file by specific carrier to download to iPhones and then you install it. 

https://www.unlockit.co.nz/fw/

Perhaps you can google for similar for your phone . 

[Anonymous]

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@jessleekrol wrote:

The moderator team hasn't been active since 2019...

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The live human support via 611 stopped. The online method is still plenty active.

[jessleekrol]

It's a umidigi x

[LurganIeUk]

What is the make and model of phone. 

[jessleekrol]

The moderator team hasn't been active since 2019...

[Anonymous]

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@jessleekrol wrote:

I don't want to use a freedom mobile card to change my APN settings. 

There is no way to add a new APN, only an option to reset to default.

Im under the impression a Moderator can send an APN config file?

Looking for this, since a more permanent solution.

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There has been iirc 2 reports of people successfully getting some kind of file sent to them via SMS. But not for a while now that we've seen it reported back with success.

You would need to contact the moderator_team to try to get one of them to figure that out. Please do report back here if you have success.

[popping]

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@jessleekrol wrote:

I don't want to use a freedom mobile card to change my APN settings. 

There is no way to add a new APN, only an option to reset to default.

Im under the impression a Moderator can send an APN config file?

Looking for this, since a more permanent solution.

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You can ask moderator to send a APN configure file to your phone.

Create a moderator support ticket for help using the Chat button at the bottom right corner of this page.