SIM Not Supported - been using this phone for 2 years with PM

[lindseyc]

Hi all. This is a weird one. I am an active Public Mobile customer and have been for almost two years. I am using an iPhone 5S and have been using the same phone (unlocked from Rogers) the entire time I have been a PM customer. My SIM card is the same one as well and up until today I have never had any issues.

I went to check my phone an hour ago and I get a message I need to activate it. Then I get an error that my SIM is not supported. I popped in an old Rogers SIM (not currently active) and I am able to activate but as soon as I switch SIM cards back to the PM SIM, the process starts over again.

I restarted the phone (with and without the SIM in), reset Network settings, did a soft reset, updated my iPhone software, all to no avail. My phone has not experienced any trama and at the time of this happening I was actually streaming to my AppleTV with no issues.

I'm at a loss, is it possible that my PM SIM just suddenly died? I checked the Apple Activiation server and it's online. The only thing I have not done is restore my phone and I would like to avoid that if possible. I am working form home today and being without my phone is going to cause some havoc.

[computergeek541]

I see that thankfully, Rogers did get the phone unlocked again for lindseyc.

I know this isn't what's happening in this situation, but I know that some Android phones, they can be a real PITA to unlock if a non-stock ROM has been installed.  I've experienced this with an HTC model before that had a custom ROM installed, and it would not accept the network unlocking code until after the stock ROM was reinstalled. 

[srlawren]

@TheOldVR, @computergeek541 I'm not sure if it's a database issue as you suggest or possibly an intentional security feature, but either way it's definitely in the top 37 reasons to buy go Android instead of iPhone--at least, in my books it is!

@stonechucker sorry I wasn't fully clear about the Samsung situation.  They actualliy ship a lot of their handsets that way, and they do it intetenionally.  It means they can ship an identical phone SKU to say, both Telus and Rogers (hypothetical examples) dealers.  Once the Telus dealer activates the phone for the customer and puts in the Telus SIM, the phone locks to Telus.  Net effect is the same as if Samsung shipped a Telus-specific model to Telus only, that was pre-locked to Telus from the factory.  But instead they can also ship that identical model to Rogers, and when the Rogers rep puts a Rogers SIM in for the first time, it locks to Rogers.  

I'm not 100% sure that they do this with models that go to the carriers, but they defintiely do it with models sold at the Samsung retail stores (Samsung Experience Stores).  In addition to selling unlocked phones, I believe they can also sell you a carrier-activated and subsidized phone just like Best Buy or some other retailer can.  So instead of needing to stock Telus, Rogers, Bell, etc versions, they just stock the one that comes unlocked and locks itself when first SIM is inserted.  To get around this when they sell people an unlocked phone at full price, they just immediately re-unlock it upon purchase.  I saw this happen first half when a friend bought an S7 unlocked at an Experience store.  

I don't believe, that wtih some possible exceptions like @computergeek541 mentioned, that they are prone to re-locking themselves afterward.

[TheOldVR]

Wow, that's just not right..... it's probably a database issue that they don't care to fix as it's not a revenue driver for them.

Other than my iPad it's hard for me to be an Apple fan like I used to be.....

[paulie]

@lindseyc - I have a spare sim if you need it today. Im in Markham so fairly close by.

[computergeek541]

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@srlawren wrote:

 however, once an Android phone is unlocked, it stays unlocked.  On the other hand, Apple mantains much more control on your iPhone devices for their entire lifetime and they can indeed do this.

Apple is strange when it comes to locking/unlocking.  Really, once a phone's IMEI is added to the unlocked whiltelist, I can't see why that would ever change. But anything database is going to have some errors.  I know this wasn't the case here, but there could be a higher chance of an iPhone relocking if a third party unlocker is used, because who really knows if Apple is reversing unlocked status if the find out that the unlocking was done outside of official channels.

As for Android phones relocking, I've personally seen once instance of that.  I unlocked a Samsung Galaxy Ace (reallly old model from about 5 years ago), That phone was from Koodo, but strangely enough, it didn't work with Telus sim cards unless the phone was unlocked.  The relocking would happen as soon as any factory reset was done, yet the same unlocking code would work each time.  I am 100% certain that this was the network unlock code, and not PUK or PIN1, and not any phone security password or anything like that.  Strange, I know....

[will13am]

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@stonechucker wrote:

@srlawren, this is crappy customer service on the part of Apple and Samsung.  When I buy an unlocked device, I expect it to remain unlocked.  If I purchase the service to unlock my device because I bought it as a locked device, I also expect it to remain unlocked.

i hope carriers stop selling locked phone, and I hope manufacturers stop allowing the locks to happen.  As a consumer, I find these shady practices.

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Hope is not a solution.  Join me in avoiding carrier phones.  Be a rebel with cause.

[stonechucker]

@srlawren, this is crappy customer service on the part of Apple and Samsung.  When I buy an unlocked device, I expect it to remain unlocked.  If I purchase the service to unlock my device because I bought it as a locked device, I also expect it to remain unlocked.

i hope carriers stop selling locked phone, and I hope manufacturers stop allowing the locks to happen.  As a consumer, I find these shady practices.

[Fatou1]

My sim card is not supported. Its been two days that nobody can reach me. Please vélo me

[srlawren]

@lindseyc thank you for sharing your solution with us!  Sorry it was so much hassle.  To be clear, only iPhones can spontaneously re-lock.  There are some Android phones that initially ship unlocked but then lock to the network of the first SIM that's inserted into them (such as unlocked Samsung phones from the Samsung Experience retail stores); however, once an Android phone is unlocked, it stays unlocked.  On the other hand, Apple mantains much more control on your iPhone devices for their entire lifetime and they can indeed do this.  This is why it's also more expensive to unlock an iPhone and why you can't just buy a cheap 3rd party unlock code online like you can for Android.  It's because Apple maintain their own database of their devices and their lock status, and to unlock an iPhone requires updating that database. And, as you'v experienced, it's not necessarily a permanent one-way street!

[lindseyc · Accepted solution]

I have a solution!

Public Mobile sent me a new SIM card and after activiating it, my phone was still not working. On a whim, I checked my new Public Mobile SIM in an unlocked Android phone and it worked fine, whereas the original PM SIM did not work in the same phone when I was initially troubleshooting. Clearly my initial SIM card "went bad" but why was the new one not working in my iPhone, but fine in an unlocked Android phone?

I contacted Rogers (my old carrier who had originally unlocked my phone) and after speaking to three different reps, one finally unlocked my phone again and 20 minutes later my new PM SIM is now working.

I called Rogers back for an explanation and they said sometimes iPhones just spontaneously relock, usually after a restore or major update (not that I did either of those things) or if a SIM card stops working and Apple tries to activate a few times in a row.

Considering all the troubleshooting that was done, this does seem to be the explanation for what happened. My original SIM died, my iPhone tried to activiate a dozen times when I was troubleshooting and suddenly my unlocked phone was relocked. Rogers did not charge me to perform the service again, but they did give me the run around for over an hour.

Public Mobile has been awesome the entire time, trying to troubleshoot with me and escalating up the chain. No complaints there.

Hopefully this helps out someone in the future. I have never heard of a relocking phone, but it appears to be a thing. Who knew!

[lindseyc]

The moderator I contacted (Mary) was very helpful and she is sending a replacement SIM for free. She was great, answered super fast and the instructions were very clear. 

Fingers crossed this this fixed it. 

[kinchattack]

I imagine its unlikely but possible. Never hurts to message an mod/admin.

[Samianauman]

Just curious when this kind of issues happen does pm offer free sim to ops or you have to pay for sim even its just suddenly stoped working

[lindseyc]

Yep, sounds like my SIM is dead. I tried it in an unlocked Android device and it would not work. I have messaged a moderator and they are going to send me a new one I believe. Lesson learned I will be ordering a second spare. I have had a cell phone for 21 years, first time a SIM died on me. 🙂 

[Acekiller]

i would either try your sim on a different phone or try a different sim on your phone

[kinchattack]

95% sure your SIM took a nosedive. I had an issue where I couldnt make outgoing calls, but everything else was totally fine. Was told by folks at the apple store it could be a device issue, but that I should try a new sim first. Worked like a charm. Best to keep a SIM card hanging around the house in a safe spot to make this kind of problem an easy fix if it ever happens!

[srlawren]

@will13am you inspired me to create this idea:  http://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Public-Lab/Double-up-on-all-SIM-card-orders/idi-p/1544....  

[srlawren]

@Luddite great to have you back!  Rock solid work, as always!

@will13am definitely agree. I keep a spare around, and always make sure anyone I refer keeps a spare as well.  If only I could talk to everyone before they order!  🙂

[will13am]

This is a good warning for all customers to have a spare SIM handy.  It is small price to pay to have one available on hot standby. I have one spare, wondering if that is enough because I have a number of accounts.

[Luddite]

If you have another unlocked phone handy, try your PM SIM in it. This is always the ultimate test of phone vs SIM/account issues.

Meanwhile, if you need to make phone calls try an application like that from fongo.com. It provides free calling across Canada from wherever you are connected to wifi, or on cellular data.

[lindseyc]

Thank you, but I'm in Oshawa and technically on the clock so I won't be going anywhere soon. I appreciate the offer though. 🙂

[lindseyc]

Thanks. I sent a message to a moderator as you suggested! Appreciate the help.

[Luddite]

If you are near/willing to come to Mississauga send me a private message; I have a spare SIM you may have.

[CaNuCk07]

@lindseyc  It is very possible your SIM just stopped working.  Who knows why, but sounds like thats what happened.

Best thing to do is send a private message to the moderators, have them check out your service, and if nothing is wrong then it must be your sim.