Fix for data not working on new activation due to APN not configured?

[abbyollie123]

Hi everyone! I'm new to PM and having difficulties accessing data on my new plan since making the switch on May 1st. Call and text seem to be working fine, as does wifi when it's available. However, I have no data, despite my plan including 1GB + 500MB bonus per month. I am coming from a plan with Rogers, have an iPhone SE running iOS 12 and checked my account to make sure my plan and data were both listed as active (they are!). My carrier has successfully been updated to Public Mobile 36.0. 

I've tried a number of different fixes found in this forum, but so far nothing has worked. Here is what I have tried to date: 

Checking data is on and enabled for the different apps I need to use it with
Updating the APN manually (which I am not able to do on this phone, it turns out)
Resetting the network settings
Deleting any profiles from previous carriers (there were none)
Creating an APN profile using unlockit 
Factory reset 

I did find a helpful tip in this post: https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Phones-Hardware/FYI-iOS-and-APNs/td-p/323118 regarding checking the APN and IP address. When I completed the check using the steps listed, it shows my phone has neither (both fields are blank) so I'm assuming this is the problem. I also completed this check again after attempting to create an APN profile with unlockit, but nothing changed and the fields were still blank.

Any suggestions? I send a direct message to the mods yesterday, but I understand it can sometimes be a bit of a wait, so I was hoping someone here might be able to help. I need to be able to access data for work purposes, so the sooner I can get this up and running, the better. 

Thanks so much in advance! 

[abbyollie123]

@CalgaryBen Thanks for all the suggestions! That’s good to know about the iPhone 4S and PM - maybe I will try to get it unlocked at a later date in case I need a back up at some point. Appreciate the tip!

I do still have my Rogers SIM card and tried what you suggested. Carrier changed to Rogers 36.0 with the SIM in on wifi and then I swapped my PM SIM back in. Carrier is now PM 36.0 again but still having all the same issues unfortunately - no data, iMessage and FaceTime still can’t activate, and unable to set up a Personal Hotspot without being redirected to contact my carrier. 

Maybe I will try the factory reset again this evening and leave it to load overnight. Just really hope I can get this sorted out by Monday when I need to use my phone for work...

As a side note, does anyone have any idea how long it usually takes to hear from a moderator in regards to a private message? Been more than 36hrs so far. I totally get PM being more of a “hand on, DIY” kinda service, but when you have a legitimate slew of new issues since switching providers and there don’t seem to be any solutions for on the forum, it would be really great to get help from someone who can actually look at my account and set up and see if there are any problems on their end...especially for the data thing, since I am paying for data services after all...

[CalgaryBen]

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@abbyollie123 wrote:

Plus they are older models (iPhone 4S), so I believe - based on what I've read on here - I would probably have to create an APN via unlockit anyway since the 4s wouldn't be running iOS 12... so too much trouble to be able to use as a test, unfortunately.

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FWIW, the iPhone 4S will run up to iOS 9.3.5, which actually does support carrier profiles (including Public Mobile), so it would work without havijng to create a config profile from unlockit.  But as you suggest, it would also require unlocking, etc.  Incidentally, the 4S works adequately well with Public Mobile, so not a bad backup if you want to get it unlocked.  You'd need to have the micro SIM card tray handy to hold the nano SIM of course.  Anyway, I digress...

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@abbyollie123 wrote:

When I try to set up a Personal Hotspot on my phone it doesn't allow me to. I get a message that says 'To enable personal hotspot on this account, contact Public Mobile'. Any thoughts?

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It's a bit odd to see that message on the iPhone... seeing that very message on an iPad is normal with Public Mobile.  It's making me think maybe the carrier profile got corrupt (haven't actually seen that happen before, but it's possible...).  I have an idea to try reloading the profile... read on...

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@abbyollie123 wrote:

Everything worked while I was on Rogers with no issue, but unfortunately my Rogers SIM isn't active anymore, so I can't do any tests with it. Good thought, though! Wish it was. 

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Hopefully you've kept the old SIM card around!  Surprisingly they can be handy.  If you still have your Rogers SIM card, replace your PM SIM card with that.  You'll of course have "No Service" at the top, but the Rogers 36.0 (?) Carrier Profile should load back in (as long as you have WiFi connectivity).  Once you've confirmed this, pop the Rogers SIM card out again, and re-insert the PM SIM card.  This should force the iPhone to reload the Public Mobile carrier profile, which might straighten things out...?  As a side-effect, it should also re-activate your iMessage and FaceTime with your phone number, since the iPhone does this with every swap in SIM card.

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@abbyollie123 wrote:

I can also only use iMessage with my Apple ID email now, not my phone number. If I try to set it up with wifi, I just get a loading message that says "Waiting for activation..." under the toggle where you turn iMessage on and off. Same goes for FaceTime as well. Still haven't heard anything from the mods and starting to get frustrated....

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With any luck, the above SIM swapping trick might get things working for you.  If not, the iMessage/FaceTime activation issue does seem to come up a lot (lately).  I personally haven't encountered it but two posts that I've been referring to are this one or this one, which go into some potentially useful troubleshooting (the latter actually alludes to the Apple recommendation for addressing this issue).

Failing that, the OP of this thread recovered by doing a factory reset, then allowing the device to activate overnight.  To me, it's a bit odd that it didn't just work right away, but waiting several hours magically fixed it... a bit of voodoo, luck, and patience I guess!

[abbyollie123]

Update: Seems like certain features which should be compatible with data are now not working, even on wifi. When I try to set up a Personal Hotspot, I get a message indicating I need to contact my carrier. I can also only use iMessage with my Apple ID email now, not my phone number. If I try to set it up with wifi, I just get a loading message that says "Waiting for activation..." under the toggle where you turn iMessage on and off. Same goes for FaceTime as well. Still haven't heard anything from the mods and starting to get frustrated....

[abbyollie123]

@geopublic Good thought, but like my iPhone SE my previous phones were purchased prior to 2017, so they are locked to my old carrier still. I don't have the info I'd require to get them unlocked. Plus they are older models (iPhone 4S), so I believe - based on what I've read on here - I would probably have to create an APN via unlockit anyway since the 4s wouldn't be running iOS 12... so too much trouble to be able to use as a test, unfortunately. Appreciate the suggestion, though! 

[abbyollie123]

@CalgaryBen thanks again for all your help! That's correct, I'm located in Ontario, so roaming wouldn't apply in this case. 

When I try to set up a Personal Hotspot on my phone it doesn't allow me to. I get a message that says 'To enable personal hotspot on this account, contact Public Mobile'. Any thoughts?

Everything worked while I was on Rogers with no issue, but unfortunately my Rogers SIM isn't active anymore, so I can't do any tests with it. Good thought, though! Wish it was. 

[geopublic]

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@abbyollie123 wrote:

Hi everyone! I'm new to PM and having difficulties accessing data on my new plan since making the switch on May 1st. Call and text seem to be working fine, as does wifi when it's available. However, I have no data, despite my plan including 1GB + 500MB bonus per month. I am coming from a plan with Rogers, have an iPhone SE running iOS 12 and checked my account to make sure my plan and data were both listed as active (they are!). My carrier has successfully been updated to Public Mobile 36.0. 

I've tried a number of different fixes found in this forum, but so far nothing has worked. Here is what I have tried to date: 

Checking data is on and enabled for the different apps I need to use it with
Updating the APN manually (which I am not able to do on this phone, it turns out)
Resetting the network settings
Deleting any profiles from previous carriers (there were none)
Creating an APN profile using unlockit 
Factory reset 

I did find a helpful tip in this post: https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Phones-Hardware/FYI-iOS-and-APNs/td-p/323118 regarding checking the APN and IP address. When I completed the check using the steps listed, it shows my phone has neither (both fields are blank) so I'm assuming this is the problem. I also completed this check again after attempting to create an APN profile with unlockit, but nothing changed and the fields were still blank.

Any suggestions? I send a direct message to the mods yesterday, but I understand it can sometimes be a bit of a wait, so I was hoping someone here might be able to help. I need to be able to access data for work purposes, so the sooner I can get this up and running, the better. 

Thanks so much in advance! 

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@abbyollie123If you have another phone (preferably non Apple ), available to test you might want to insert your SIM card and test to see if data works. If it does, it will eliminate the possibility of a Public Mobile Sim/network/account issue.

[CalgaryBen]

@abbyollie123 thanks for providing the screenshot and additional info.  That test to see the data usage (of your 1.5GB plan) simply reveals whether the device is acquiring a data connection (value goes up ~5MB when connection exists, and drops by ~5MB when it's droppped, such as in airplane mode).

I've re-read your post and replies, and it looks like you've done all the right steps and troubleshooting, so I'm struggling to imagine what is occurring.

Your location wouldn't have you roaming, right (i.e. you're within a Canadian province)?

If I could trouble you for another test (if you're able to carry it out)... do you have another iPod, iPad, laptop, etc.?  If so, on your iPhone, go to Settings --> Cellular --> Cellular Data Network, and then put "isp.mb.com" in the APN spot (leave the user/pw blank).  Then go to Settings --> Cellular --> Personal Hotspot, and set a Wi-Fi password that's convenient, and then actually enable the Personal Hotspot.  Then see if your other wireless device (iPad, etc.) can run off the iPhone's WiFi hotspot.  This test simply reveals whether your device is able to acquire a data connection (even if its not for its own use).

Prior to joining PM, you were on Rogers, and things all worked?  Is your Rogers SIM still active, and are you able to do similar tests on that, just to see if things work?  I'm guessing the latter answer is "no", but figured it woudln't hurt to ask...

[abbyollie123]

Here is a screenshot of what it looks like. 

It says 0/1536 both before and after putting it on airplane mode. Nothing changes

[abbyollie123]

[CalgaryBen]

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@abbyollie123 wrote:

Any chance it could have something to do with an error in the unlocking process?

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If you don't see an "Invalid SIM Card" error message on booting up, plus the fact that you see Public Mobile 36.0 as the carrier profile, suggests that the unlock was successful, and I can't see any reason this would impact your ability to have data (i.e. the phone is either unlocked or it isn't -- it's binary and there's no partial unlock state/condition).

Another test/question... if you log into your Self-Serve portal, under the "My Data & Add-Ons" section of the Overview page, what do you see for your data plan, and what's the amount of data consumed (yyy.yyy / xxxx.xx MB)?  Also, does yyy.yyy change if you then go into airplane mode (flick up from bottom of screen and tap the airplane button), wait at least 10-20+ seconds and then reload the Overview page?

I'm definitely perplexed with your situation (I've also got an SE, and I've done quite a bit of testing with different carriers, configurations, profiles, etc., and things have always worked predictably).  Any way for you to post a screen shot of the PDP Context 0 in Field Test (covered in Procedure #2 of this post)?

[abbyollie123]

Another thought. Any chance it could have something to do with an error in the unlocking process? I was previously with Rogers and purchased my phone prior to 2017 so it didn’t come unlocked and had to be unlocked by them when I switched providers. That’s literally

the only other thing I could think of? 

[abbyollie123]

Yes, the method you outlined in your post is how I did the factory reset and I was not able to access data before or after restoring with iCloud back up. 

There are no VPN configurations on the phone either as far as I can tell. When I go to Settings —> General —> VPN, it says “not connected” and if I click on VPN, it gives me the option to add a configuration but there are no current ones present

[CalgaryBen]

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@abbyollie123 wrote:

have an iPhone SE running iOS 12 
Factory reset  

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@abbyollie123, did you attempt to use data immediately after the factory reset (i.e. before doing any restore of your backup)?  Did you achieve through Setings --> General --> Reset --> Erase All Content and Settings?

If you're not seeing an APN and IP address, then thre's definitely something weird (especially after doing Settings --> General --> Reset --> Reset Network Settings).  You mentioned you didn't have a any Configuration Profile installed, but what about a VPN configuration (Settings --> General --> VPN)?

[abbyollie123]

As far as I know all data settings are on unless there are others I don’t know about? But the toggle for cellular data is set to on as are the toggles for the apps I want to be able to use data with 

[will13am]

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@abbyollie123 wrote:

There was no update to complete as far as I can tell. It seem it was done automatically when I started using my new SIM. As mentioned in my first post I checked my carrier settings under Settings —> General —> About and it’s listed at Public Mobile 36.0 so it appears to be in order

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Could other data settings be accidentally turned off?  I am not an iOS users so I don't exactly know all the features.  On android, we can toggle mobile data on/off, put usage limits on, turn off background and foreground data for apps, etc. 

[abbyollie123]

There was no update to complete as far as I can tell. It seem it was done automatically when I started using my new SIM. As mentioned in my first post I checked my carrier settings under Settings —> General —> About and it’s listed at Public Mobile 36.0 so it appears to be in order

[mimmo]

@abbyollie123  did you do the carrier update?  that seems tobe a common issue with iphones.

It should be one of the items found in https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Phones-Hardware/FYI-iOS-and-APNs/m-p/323118#M24562  

@CalgaryBenis one of the iphone experts.  they might have some otheri deas.