Apple Store eSIM woes

[wedge22]

I went to the Apple Store to buy a new phone and the person helping me had me erase my current phone including the eSIM. Now I am stuck with a non working phone, I cannot login to Apple ID on it as the 2FA uses the phone number from the eSIM and I cannot add the Public Mobile app to setup a new eSIM as I cannot get past the 2FA for Apple. I think my only option is to go to a store and buy a physical SIM and then have my number transferred over to it by Public Mobile.

[wedge22]

@golfball I do not have another Apple device.

@SourDude1234I did contact customer support for Public Mobile, waiting on response

[SourDude1234]

Also, as said earlier, please do consider contacting customer support before buying a physical SIM. They may be willing to send you a QR code to your email to install an eSIM on your iPhone. Use the following link

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

Make sure to be logged in to your community account and monitor the envelope icon on the top right since that is where you will receive the response.

Good luck, hope you can install your SIM and get the 2FA.

[golfball]

If you have another Apple device already signed in then two factor codes can be sent to those like a Mac or older iPhone.

[SourDude1234]

It depends, I'm unaware if you can still receive messages without being logged in to your Apple-ID (but you do have SIM card in the phone), then yes it should work. If not, then you need another device to receive the message.

[wedge22]

Thanks for the instructions.

Why is it unlikely to work? If I login to my account and change the SIM number and then insert the physical SIM in the device should it now work?

[SourDude1234]

Thanks for letting me know, then my original response stands.
Buy a physical SIM card at your nearest store. If you have a desktop or another device (or even safari on your iPhone if it works), go to publicmobile.ca, and log-in to My Account. (If Public Mobile asks for 2FA, click "Didn't get the code" and have it sent to email) Then click "Profile" and enter your new SIM card number. Even if it's unlikely to work, install the SIM card into the iPhone, see if there's any hope it works. If it doesn't work, you can borrow a device and install a SIM card in the borrowed device to receive 2FA code.

[wedge22]

You cannot access anything on an iPhone without signing in with your apple ID

[SourDude1234]

Wait, are you still able to access the settings, app store, etc, as usual?

[SourDude1234]

Oh, gotcha. First, I'd check if apple has a way to send the 2FA to email. If not, then your best option would likely be as you said. Get a physical SIM card, borrow a device, install the app on that one (Public Mobile will ask for a 2FA too, there will be an option to send it to your email) and change your SIM card number from there. After, you could get your Apple ID code and then transfer SIM card over to your device. I am not sure what customer support would be able to do in this case, but it may be worth giving them a try. Use the following link to send a message, they will not respond soon.
https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/notes/composepage/note-to-user-id/22437

[wedge22]

No I am talking about the 2FA Apple sends.
Currently my iPhone is reset, like a new phone, therefore I need to login to Apple using my Apple ID, this sends a 2FA to my phone number via sms. I cannot install any apps on the phone until the Apple ID is authenticated.

[SourDude1234]

Sorry - Just to clarify, you're talking about the 2FA which Public Mobile/Eversafe sends?

[wedge22]

How can I use the app if I cannot get past the 2FA of apple? Basically my iPhone has been reset and the 2FA for the initial login sends a text to my cell number which is not working because I cannot install the app.

[SourDude1234]

Hi there,

You could either purchase an eSIM from the website/app. You could also purchase physical SIM card. If you purchase physical SIM card, you could change your SIM card number via the app. Let me know if you need further instructions based on your preference.