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SIM won't connect in iPhone

RyGirl
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

I cannot get my iPhone XR working with my new Public Mobile SIM I ordered from PM last week (love the $5 promo).

 

I tried everything:

- The iPhone has the latest software (iOS 13.6.1)

- I tried "Reset Network Setting" (multiple times)

- I've rebooted, re-inserted SIM, Wi-Fi on/off, Airplane mode, etc, etc - no luck

- The phone is unlocked according to IMEI24.com

- Cellular Data is on and Network Selection shows as Public Mobile.

- It shows the 4 bars on the top right corner of the screen.  At points I've seen it show LTE and 3G too.

 

SIM tests:

1. I tried the SIM card from the iPhone in my android phone and it works fine.  It's not the SIM.

2. I tried 2 other working Public Mobile SIM cards in the iPhone - it didn't work.

3. I tried a Bell SIM card in the iPhone and it worked right away.

 

Why O why will Public Mobile SIM cards not work in this iPhone?

43 REPLIES 43

@RyGirl 

It starting to sound like @sheytoon  may be correct that your device is slowly getting blacklisted from carrier to carrier. How did you acquire the phone?

CalgaryBen
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

@darlicious wrote:

is it possible its been locked out of the telus network ? Lol....like the opposite of being locked to a network? Is this even possible? @sheytoon do you know anything on this subject?


What you allude to is the whitelisting of IMEIs before a device can register onto the network with a particular SIM.  As far as I know, no Canadian carrier has ever had a requirement for devices to be "white-listed" before they can be used.  This is something that Verizon (and possibly Sprint) does (IMEI must be recognized/certified to work on their network before it's allowed to register onto it with a Verizon SIM).

 


@RyGirl wrote:

Update... my Bell SIM no longer works in this iPhone XR.  I haven't re-tested the Rogers SIM yet, but this leads me to think their is something physically wrong with the phone.

I tried a Koodoo SIM today with no luck.  I'm going to re-try a Rogers SIM again for entertainment purposes, but I think my next stop is to the Apple store to see if they can confirm if their is a hardware issue related to the cell/network part of the phone.


Your assessment is very reasonable, based on your update (as are suggestions about it being black-listed, which are plausible).  If it's not black-listed, then it sounds like maybe an intermittent issue with the radio (hopefully not), or antenna connection (a bit easier to overcome, if it's a popped connector for example).

The ability to connect on Rogers might suggest a stronger signal or tower in closer proximity (compared to Telus tower), so that even with impaired antenna, it's connecting.  But, without details, that's just speculation.

Check your IMEI number here for blacklist. https://www.devicecheck.ca

 

Did you buy phone new or second hand?

Is it possible the seller blacklisted the phone recently, and only Telus updated the IMEI in their database so far?

 

If you start losing the ability to use it on all operators, you may be a victim of a scam. I would go to an Apple Store right away and get it sorted out.

RyGirl
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Hey all, I TOTALLY appreciate all the replies.  Thank you.

 

Update... my Bell SIM no longer works in this iPhone XR.  I haven't re-tested the Rogers SIM yet, but this leads me to think their is something physically wrong with the phone.  It's a bit odd because the Bell and Rogers SIM's worked instantly when I tried them, but the Bell will not work now after multiple attempts.

 

I tried a Koodoo SIM today with no luck.  I'm going to re-try a Rogers SIM again for entertainment purposes, but I think my next stop is to the Apple store to see if they can confirm if their is a hardware issue related to the cell/network part of the phone.  The phone is used, but physically it's in mint condition around (for what that's worth).

 

I'll re-read some of the last few replies to do some more tests and/or provide more information, but right now I'm too frustrated/annoyed to deal with this phone anymore 😯

@sheytoon 

I'm pretty sure the sim is not registering on the network in the iPhone only. It works in other phones. Bell and rogers Sims work in the iPhone. 3 other active pm Sims don't work in the iPhone.

I'm on the same page as @CalgaryBen. Need to understand what is not working exactly.

 

If voice calls are working and it's only a data issue, that's a different problem than not registering on the network.

@LurganIeUk 

Drink a bottle of Jack?


@darlicious wrote:

@LurganIeUk 

Lol ....i was thinking out of the box or more like thinking aloud...that it almost seems like it's locked out of thre telus network....almost. @RyGirl has tried literally everything but a factory reset. Any thoughts on why a phone would shut out an entire network but be open to all others?  That's why i was curious if a telus or koodo sim would work?


The Telus or Koodo try is an excellent suggestion “if” is readily available. Perhaps she could ask a Telus store to try a Telus SIM as a prospective customer. Quirks I have no idea why. But in my experiences with mainframe systems, home computers and smart phone is to reboot to clear out the quirks. And for second step for phones and home computers is backup up, start from fresh, and restore the backup. After that start pulling  your hair out or swear or?.

@LurganIeUk 

Lol ....i was thinking out of the box or more like thinking aloud...that it almost seems like it's locked out of thre telus network....almost. @RyGirl has tried literally everything but a factory reset. Any thoughts on why a phone would shut out an entire network but be open to all others?  That's why i was curious if a telus or koodo sim would work?

@darlicious @RyGirl mentioned she has tried a number of websites to verify if phone is unlocked or not. Her findings say it is unlocked. And those sites use the APPLE database for those results. And since the phone works with other SIMS it appears to NOT be blacklisted either. When something is quirky....reset network settings....verify APN settings and reboot. If no results then reset to out of box condition and follow what I said above. Some times we tend to search and search and search for an EASY LEAST EFFORT resolution.....BUT avoid working the issue that could of easily been fixed by now, time wise. 

 

Edit. While I have never done this...and don't know if it can be done...is the SIM installed right side up?

@RyGirl 

Have you tried a telus or a koodo sim in the phone? It sounds like it's an issue with the telus network itself since it works for both bell and and rogers.....is it possible its been locked out of the telus network ? Lol....like the opposite of being locked to a network? Is this even possible? @sheytoon do you know anything on this subject?

Can you back up your phone to iTunes. 

Do a full reset on it...back to "out of the box" settings. 

Set it up manually and try the SIM. 

See if it works.

If yes restore the phone from the iTunes back up. 

LurganIeUk
Mayor / Maire

The newness of @RyGirl  phone tells me it was UNLOCKED at time of purchase. 

CalgaryBen
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

@RyGirl wrote:

I'm guessing my APN is incorrect.

However 3 different PM SIM's do not work on this iPhone (but they work in my android phones).


@RyGirl, when you say they "do not work", what are the symptoms?  Do phone calls in/out work?  Does inbound/outbound SMS work?  APN pertains solely to data, so I am gathering that everything works, but not data, but I can't be conclusive on this from the conversation thread.

 

To check your APN, while your PM SIM card is inserted, please look at this post, and follow the instructions outlined in option #2, and report back.  Seeing the correct APN, and an IP address (or not) would provide guidance on next steps.

@RyGirl 

Have a large one.....here are your options at the moment......

  1. Open a ticket with Simon and see if the moderators Have a work around for you.
  2. Join the apple community and see if they have a solution for you. Don't bother with the search option...i already tried with no luck.
  3. Make an appointment at your closest apple store for direct support.
  4. Talk to apple support via live chat.
  5. See if @LurganIeUk has any ideas for you or maybe @CalgaryBen will be able to help you out too.

@RyGirl 

I'll have one of those....on the rocks please. I'll do some more hunting....but maybe @LurganIeUk  can help out since he's an apple guy and im an android girl. Lets see if theyve fixed this yet....you could talk to apple support canada as its a software update problem. If you can get back to f the one before 13.7 it should work....

RyGirl
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Tried "Reset All Setting" and "Erase All Content and Settings".  Same story... SIM card still not working.

 

Other than having a long date with Jack Daniels, WTF do I do now?!?!

@RyGirl 

If the airplane mode soft reset doesn't work....heres your next option....

*

A major software update like iOS 13 typically comes with major platform changes. Along with these changes are new built-in system settings that are automatically installed on your device. While this isn’t usually a problem, things could turn out bad if there are existing settings or customization on your device that don’t compliment with the recent system structure. When this happens, various system errors can be triggered. To make sure that this isn’t ruining your phone’s network functions, particularly cellular data services, reset all settings on your iPhone XR. Doing so will remove all customized settings and then restore the original values. Any errors associated with some settings conflicts will also be rectified. Just follow these steps to get started:

  1. Access Settings from the Home screen. 
  2. Tap on General
  3. Scroll down to and then select Reset
  4. Once prompted, enter your device passcode. 
  5. Select the option to confirm reset all settings. 

After the settings are reset, your phone will restart automatically and then restores the original configuration on your device. To use necessary features, particularly those that are disabled by default, enable them individually. That also denotes the need for you to re-enable cellular data.

*

Still troubled with your iPhone XR cellular data that’s not working in iOS 13?

The workarounds listed above were generic solutions to address common errors affecting cellular services on your iPhone XR. If none of them works, then you may opt-in for stronger solutions like a factory reset, recovery mode restore or a DFU mode restore (if needed). These methods have already been proven effective in addressing fatal system errors, clearing out stubborn bugs including those that were inflicted by major updates. Should you wish to proceed, be sure to back up all your important files beforehand so you could still recover them later. 

You can refer to a step-by-step guide on how to perform a recovery mode restore or DFU mode restore on an iPhone XR, posted on this site’s tutorials section.

For further assistance and official recommendations, escalate the problem to your network service provider. You can also ask your carrier to check your account and ensure that cellular data services are active. Also ask them to check on their outage boards. While the symptom has started from the recent update, it is also possible that a temporary network outage in your place is the underlying cause. 

Finally, you can report the problem straight to Apple Support so that they can make necessary assessments on their end and confirm if this really is a post-update bug that needs a permanent fix.

 

*and the link for extra support :  https://www.ikream.com/iphone-xr-cellular-data-that-is-not-working-in-ios-13-35235

@RyGirl 

I read you tried airplane mode....but did you try a soft reset in airplane mode? There is a known issue with your model of iPhone XR after updatingbto the latest software 13.7. Give this a go...

*

  1. Access Settings from the Home screen. 
  2. Select Airplane mode
  3. Toggle the switch next to it to turn Airplane mode on or enabled. All wireless functions of your phone are then disabled.
  4. While the Airplane mode is enabled, perform a soft reset on your device. 
  5. Wait until your phone is finished rebooting and then go back to Settings-> Airplane mode menu
  6. Tap the Airplane Mode switch again to disable the feature. 

Allow your phone to re-establish all its wireless network connections. Once everything has stabilized, go back to Settings and turn on Cellular Data again to see if it’s already working as intended.

RyGirl
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Well, unfortunately the dance still continues.  I logged a ticket and a few days later I got an update on the phone to download a new Carrier Profile.  Phone shows 41.0, so I think it's been updated.

 

However even with a Network Reset, re-inserting the SIM and updating to the latest version of iOS (13.7) it's still the same result.

 

What to do now?!?

popping
Retired Oracle / Oracle Retraité

@RyGirl 

You had done what you can.  Create a moderator support ticket for help using this link https://publicmobile.ca.ada.support/chat/

Ask moderator to send a PM carrier file to your iPhone.

RyGirl
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

Sorry for the late reply.  Finally got to test this iPhone XR with a Rogers SIM and guess what... it worked.

 

So to re-cap, I'm virtually positive this iPhone is NOT locked.  It worked instantly with Bell and Rogers SIM's and 2 separate websites have confirmed this IMEI is not locked or lost/stolen.  However 3 different PM SIM's do not work on this iPhone (but they work in my android phones).

 

 

@popping - I think you might be on to something with the link you posted.  The article is a bit deep/techy, but I'm guessing my APN is incorrect.  Apparently the APN I can adjust in my phone "is for the Personal Hotspot APN to obtain an IP address for cellular data connectivity of tethered devices (i.e. devices connected to the iPhone via USB or WiFi, and using the iPhone's cellular data).  This is different from the APN used to obtain an IP address for cellular data connectivity of the iPhone itself. "

 

So I'm guessing the issue lies somewhere between my ASN not being correct and/or my Carrier Profile is out-dated/incorrect.  IF I am correct, I'm not sure how to fix this.  I tried the connecting to the computer via USB and logging into iTunes, but I didn't get prompted for any updates (and I have the latest iOS).

 

Thanks to EVERYONE so far.  I'm open to any last suggestions or else I will have to create a moderator support ticket for help.

@RyGirl call iPhone and ask them which carrier the phone is locked too. bell doesn't like unlocking phones for people

popping
Retired Oracle / Oracle Retraité

@brettster99 

OP tested the iPhone with a Bell SIM and the iPhone works.

Since Bell and Telus are sharing cell towers, it should work with PM on Telus network.

I think OP iPhone is not getting the correct PM carrier file to configure it.

 

@RyGirl 

Create a moderator support ticket for help using this link https://publicmobile.ca.ada.support/chat/

Ask moderator to send a PM carrier file to your iPhone.

brettster99
Deputy Mayor / Adjoint au Maire

@gblackma I think she meant that there were no updates and still isn’t working. 

@RyGirl I also have an IPhone XR 

 

You have said you tried restarting the phone. Taking SIM out and putting in another phone and it worked. 

This is weird question but do you know where the iPhone XR came from? Because certain phone models aren’t compatible. For example phones bought in the US on certain carriers like Sprint are not compatible on Canadian networks. If you got it say from T-Mobile it should work as an example.

 

Thats the only logical solution I can think of because this is for sure an original problem I seen here 

@RyGirl so its working now? The iTunes worked? Thanks. Stay safe. 

popping
Retired Oracle / Oracle Retraité


@RyGirl wrote:

Yup. Compatible and not blacklisted.


If the phone works with a Bell sim...then it's likely been used on a Bell network and seems to be locked to Bell. Customer support over at Bell should be able to provide info on how to free it up for use at PM. Ask for a supervisor to assist.

RyGirl
Good Citizen / Bon Citoyen

I sync'ed with iTunes.  No prompt for a carrier profile update.  Did the check for software updates and diagnostic checks.  Still no luck 😫😡

Need Help? Let's chat.