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APN greyed out

Amnotnick
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Hi, just got a K-touch phone from aliexpress that runs Android 8.1 The APN settings are greyed out and cannot be edited. After messing around for several hours I got the adb method to open up a new APN dialog......also greyed out. From everything I've read it seems the real problem is with the sim card. It comes with 3 APN , one kodoo and two telus but of course none PM. Does anyone have a fix or know if PM can issue new sim cards with the proper APN?

38 REPLIES 38

MrCantankerous
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

I'm guessing you're in Canada?

I had to Google freedom. 

I'm in the UK,  my phone was on Vodafone UK. The default VPN was for Vodafone,  because they send out configuration sms.

I couldn't change my APN settings with the Vodafone sim or my new provider (Talkmobile) who are a virtual carrier who operate on the Vodafone signal, but I couldn't get a 4G signal with Talkmobile,  although I did on Vodafone. I switched because Talkmobile offers the same network with 4x more data at a third of the cost.

Believe me, I tried everything to change my VPN settings and now I know how to do it, it takes five minutes and I don't need to remove or insert anything into my phone.

I daresay this phone is as tough s it gets on 8.1 and as I said,  I wish I'd seen my answer five days ago. I'd already seen everything else suggested on this forum, I was just adding something new which I know will work.

@MrCantankerous some of these phones are hard to update the APN.  For future reference, get a Freedom sim card and that could open up the APN edit/update/save option

MrCantankerous
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

It's a Ulefone Power 5.

To find a similar replacement would cost a small fortune. the 13,000 Mah battery is amazing. Even now in its 4th year.

@MrCantankerous what brand and model is your phone??

MrCantankerous
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

I spent FIVE days figuring this out.

A factory reset left the APN settings intact. Flashing the ROM left the APN settings intact. As I figured out an hour ago, after successfully entering the required APN settings in the way I stated,  I flashed the ROM to remove root and it reset the APN settings to the ones I can't use. So I repeated the renaming and copying as I already described (unrooted) via twrp and it still works.

I posted because I found a way that works that I hadn't seen anywhere else and believe me, you can dredge through hundreds of forum posts in five days.


@MrCantankerous wrote:

I fixed my APN issue on Android 8.1 this way.

I installed 'twrp' which is a recovery program, it allows you to add, remove things without android running. I also installed an editor app in Android to allow me to edit files. My phone happens to be rooted by installing Magisk,  although I can't confirm if that is essential (I've spent five days trawling sites like this and doing numerous things).

You need to locate the APN file, it's called 'apns-conf.xml' you will find it in… '/ system etc' (etc is a file name not an abbreviation of et cetera) I copied the apns-conf.xml file whilst in 'twrp' and saved the copy on my sd card in 'Download'.

Rebooted my phone, opened the editor app and used it to edit the copied file.

You'll find that the file contains APN settings for hundreds of large providers around the world, scroll carefully down the list until you find the settings for whichever carrier your phone defaults to, that is where you are going to manually enter the carrier you desperately require APN settings for.

You will of course have to find the settings you require and they are found using the search engine of your choice.

Save the file.

Go back to twrp by forcing your phone to reboot into recovery, if you struggle doing this, you can install a recovery boot app.

In twrp I renamed the original file in '/ system etc' to apns-conf-old.xml so it's easy to find if ever required,  then copied the edited file from my sd card into the original folder and rebooted my phone.

I went to the APN setting screen, tapped the 3 dots and reset to default.  My carrier appeared like magic. I rebooted at this stage, just precautionary,  my phone remained in 3G so I entered 'network Operators and selected the 4G with my carrier.

Ordeal over, my phone is back on 4G.

I wish I'd found my post 5 days ago.

Forums are full of bickering,  unhelpful posts that eat away at your sanity without answering the original question. Not necessarily this forum, but some of the major forums are the least helpful.


Another way would be to install a new ROM that allows the changes to be made.  Only some Android 8.1 phones block editing and adding of the APN.  

MrCantankerous
Great Neighbour / Super Voisin

I fixed my APN issue on Android 8.1 this way.

I installed 'twrp' which is a recovery program, it allows you to add, remove things without android running. I also installed an editor app in Android to allow me to edit files. My phone happens to be rooted by installing Magisk,  although I can't confirm if that is essential (I've spent five days trawling sites like this and doing numerous things).

You need to locate the APN file, it's called 'apns-conf.xml' you will find it in… '/ system etc' (etc is a file name not an abbreviation of et cetera) I copied the apns-conf.xml file whilst in 'twrp' and saved the copy on my sd card in 'Download'.

Rebooted my phone, opened the editor app and used it to edit the copied file.

You'll find that the file contains APN settings for hundreds of large providers around the world, scroll carefully down the list until you find the settings for whichever carrier your phone defaults to, that is where you are going to manually enter the carrier you desperately require APN settings for.

You will of course have to find the settings you require and they are found using the search engine of your choice.

Save the file.

Go back to twrp by forcing your phone to reboot into recovery, if you struggle doing this, you can install a recovery boot app.

In twrp I renamed the original file in '/ system etc' to apns-conf-old.xml so it's easy to find if ever required,  then copied the edited file from my sd card into the original folder and rebooted my phone.

I went to the APN setting screen, tapped the 3 dots and reset to default.  My carrier appeared like magic. I rebooted at this stage, just precautionary,  my phone remained in 3G so I entered 'network Operators and selected the 4G with my carrier.

Ordeal over, my phone is back on 4G.

I wish I'd found my post 5 days ago.

Forums are full of bickering,  unhelpful posts that eat away at your sanity without answering the original question. Not necessarily this forum, but some of the major forums are the least helpful.


@Jb456 wrote:

usually frowned upon making your response as the "solution". If you like to change it to someone's post that you feel helped resolve your issue you can do so by clicking the 3 dots on the right side of your post that you marked as the solution. The 3 dots is a drop down and you click. "Not the solution".

already changed

 

Thanks for helping out.

@Amnotnick 👍

@Amnotnick  Glad everything works now and you're all set up to enjoy PM savings.

 

Regarding your question you can send a message to moderators and ask them why a different sim needs to be used. All of us here are simply customers like you helping out.

 

On another note it's usually frowned upon making your response as the "solution". If you like to change it to someone's post that you feel helped resolve your issue you can do so by clicking the 3 dots on the right side of your post that you marked as the solution. The 3 dots is a drop down and you click. "Not the solution".

 

Then you'll have the option to select someone else's post as the solution.

 

Welcome to Public Mobile 🙂 Stay safe!

@Amnotnick it's Google's fault for thinking the settings should automatically be correct... 

 

congratulations 🎉 welcome to the family!

Amnotnick
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

SOLVED!

 

Got my Freedom sim today. It let me add and save a new APN. 

 

THIS IS COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS! Why do I need a competitor's sim to fix the settings for PM's sim?  

Amnotnick
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Thanks for the lead.

but couldn't find "com.test.LTEfunctionality" 

 

I'll keep on waiting!

fujiyama
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

Not sure if this will help, but it's something to try while you're waiting for the Freedom sim.

 

Link: https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-note-8/how-to/guide-enable-hotspot-t3675986 

Amnotnick
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Had you read the previous post you would know that I tried this.

Glad your pixel got the right APN but the problem win Android 8.1 (which is very well described in the link you furnished ) has also been reported for Pixel phones on the Internet. Again, the problem is Telus not pushing the PM APN.

@Amnotnick I have a pixel and my phone was able to download the correct APN settings without editing the APN. iPhones are also able to do this.

 

try this out

 

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Phones-Hardware/Unable-to-configure-APN-settings/m-p/...

Amnotnick
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

From what I've read it has nothing to do with the phone. Android 8.1 blocks APN editing. APN are pushed by the provider. Problem is PM piggy backs on Telus and Telus is not pushing PM APN. Possibly on purpose to discourage the lower rate plans/providers

@Amnotnick it has more to do with the low budget phone.. so very unlikely. it's android that's doing it so...

Amnotnick
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Thanks. As I wrote yesterday, after someone's suggestion, I ordered a freedom sim. I'll post the results once I get it....which could be a while the way Canada Post is operating lately!

 

...still, PM should address this.

@Amnotnick  Take a look at the OP's response further down on how he solved it.

 

https://productioncommunity.publicmobile.ca/t5/Phones-Hardware/Can-t-setting-my-APN/td-p/389084

Amnotnick
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

No. Unless they issued another command unlocking the APN edit. All that

am start -a android.intent.action.INSERT content://telephony/carriers --ei simId -1

does is open a new APN window. Which is partly useful since the "+" option is not displayed. Unfortunately in my case, the fields are greyed out 

@Amnotnick  Others have reported that even though it was greyed out they were able to go in and make changes right after issuing the ADB command. Is that not the case?

Amnotnick
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Yes that is the adb method I was refering. It makes a "new APN" dialog open on the phone, but the dialog is greyed out.   

Since the APN are pushed by PM it seems really ridiculous that they are not pushing a correct one.

I will contact a moderator while I wait for my Freedom sim. One of the possible problems with doing it with the Freedom sim is that the info will be overwritten when I pop the PM sim back in.

I'll keep you posted on my progress...or lack thereof !

 

....After banging my head against SIMon and the ticket form I have an active ticket.

kselmak
Mayor / Maire

@Amnotnick 

Freedom mobile will change your settings not because there is anything on the sim but once you connect to their service they will push settings through sms. 

Pubic mobile can do it to

Contact moderators give them your name model and IMEI number and ask them to push settings through sms. You will just need to accept the settings

Enjoy your new phone

geopublic
Mayor / Maire

@Amnotnick  Many Android 8.1 phones do not allow you to add an APN entry.

 

Go into network settings and set it to manually search for providers. If it finds Public Mobile select it. Make sure Bluetooth is turned off.

 

Can you change the values of any of the existing APN entries? If yes, select the first Telus entry. Change APN to sp.mb.com and MNVO to GID hit the back button. 

 

If that doesn't work then you need a Freedom or Roam.com sim card as those cards are known to allow you to add an APN entry.

Amnotnick
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

I'll try the freedom sim first since i just ordered one! I haven't found the command line to input apn data. If you can point me in the right direction that would be great!

 

From what I've read, and I've been reading all day, It's the provider that locks the apn settings with android 8 which, if true, makes PM doubly silly.


@gpixel wrote:

@Amnotnick since you know how to use adb. there is a way to edit the APN settings, but you need to root your phone


If someone is willing to root the phone, adding the APN settings probably won't be necessary. I know that a phone user can root the phone and otherwise keep stock software, but I would imagine that if going through the process of it, the customer may very well just install a custom ROM that already has the APN setting programmed in.

@Amnotnick 

 

We are merely customers like you. We can only provide a possible solution (Freedom sim)

 

If you would like further explanation on your other questions contact the moderators.

 

Two ways to reach them.

 

1-

Simon.JPG

2- or via private message at link below

 

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

 

 

@Amnotnick since you know how to use adb. there is a way to edit the APN settings, but you need to root your phone

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