No incoming calls or texts, outgoing & mobile data working

[ottawa]

Trying to help a friend with connection problems. Samsung Galaxy A8, long time PM customer. Montreal

Incoming calls go straight to vmail, incoming texts disappear. Outgoing calls and texts are working. Mobile data is working.  Her husband is also on PM (Moto G Stylus 5G or something), his works okay.

It wouldn't seem like a network outage problem because they're at the same location with one good one bad (checking network-status sites seems inconclusive). We walked through all the obvious possible settings on her phone but while I could imagine sending all calls to vmail, SMS disappearing doesn't seem likely.

Is there anything we can try before we get an Agent involved? Or is there a widespread problem that many are having (don't see reports here) and we should wait for a while?

Thanks.

[ottawa]

Sorry for the delay in circling back. It's working now, here's what they did.

When the old iPhone was charged, they took the PM SIM from her Samsung A8 and put it in the iPhone. Power cycled. Then called the # from the husband's phone. It rang! They didn't try to answer because they don't know the iPhone unlock code. Took the SIM out of iPhone and back into A8. Called again and it rang again. Has continued to work since then.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, it's a concern this happened but at least it's fixed.

[Poidy]

Okay, this if finally how I got mine working, although it may have been coincidence.

I did all of the stuff previously suggested:  trying 3G only, resetting network settings, checking DoNotDisturb settings, doing a full factory reset (after backup), swapping SIMs with my spouse...all to no avail.  Finally, I read some older forum posts and re-checked Access Point Name settings for a third time, but this time specific to my actual phone model and provider, and found some minor differences from what I had entered before:

https://apn-canada.gishan.net/en

And finally, deliberately unselected Public Mobile as my "Service provider" temporarily, then went back and selected it again.

Suddenly, I was getting texts from days ago, and I was able to receive incoming calls.  Yay for me!  Hope this helps someone.

[Poidy]

Continuing in case it helps anyone else…

3G test did not help for me.  I backed up, and then did my first ever factory reset.  Still no change.  

Swapped sims with my wife to determine that it is not the phone itself.  It is almost like there is a “do not disturb” activated at the service provider.  

[softech]

@ottawa 

the 3G test is valid.  When calls come, the phone will switch from current mode, likely 4G, to 3G for voice.  Some phones not switch quick enough and the calls already forwarded to VM.  The 3G trick helps people in some situation, worth the try

[ottawa]

@softech Thanks, the smaller SIM is in the husband's phone, which is working fine. I just don't want him to take it out, put in the wife's, and then (whether it identifies an issue or not) be unable to get it back in. The wife's is a factory-cut nano-SIM. And outgoing calls and texts are perfect, as well as data. It's just incoming voice and text (we were doing "you call me - now I'll call you - now you call me" earlier today and it was working/failing/working exactly as expected). Sorry for the confusion.

We also didn't try 3G, since outgoing and data work and incoming doesn't, it doesn't seem too likely? I can get them to try it if that would cause a 1-way problem (I think the A8 is 4G only, so 5G not in play).

Thanks.

[Poidy]

Thanks for the suggestion.  So, I tried a restore point from a couple weeks ago.  And just now tried changing to 3G (WCDMA) only and no change after restarting.  Account is in good status and the phone is seeing (registered on) the PM network.  Finally, I went back to the January email blast about updating APN settings to double-check, and sure enough I found a discrepancy with the MMS port 8799 (but that might be because of the restore).  Re-started, and still got "sign in to network" message, with a low progress status bar.  Same problems persist.

[softech]

@Poidy @ottawa 

did you try to change the network to 3G only and see if it works?

and @ottawa  the smaller sim could be an issue as the contact might be off a bit.  Yes, really should help them to change back a proper nano sim card

[Poidy]

Very similar problem here in Brockville.  First noticed yesterday.  No incoming texts, calls go directly to voicemail.  Outgoing calls seem to work.

Checked all settings, re-booted...no help.  Get message: "Sign in to network" on re-start, shows a progress bar stalled at about 10%, never changes.  No idea what to do.

[ottawa]

Trying again with image, my replies keep disappearing.

[ottawa]

No, customer for >5 years. Just started happening a couple of days ago.

[will13am]

@ottawa , is this account a new activation with a number transfer?  Generally if outgoing calls/text work and incoming does not, it is indicative of a failed number transfer.  

[hairbag1 · Accepted solution]

@ottawa 

if they each have hard sim...have them swap with each other to see if issue is sim related OR phone related. If esim...no can do.