Other eSIM + Dual SIM Q&A

[NYCValkyrie]

I'm back in USA and in a Verizon service area, so these setting are no longer visible to me.

However, these are the steps I took: https://www.verizonwireless.com/support/knowledge-base-216198/

The goal seems to be to get the Verizon eSIM into a "No Service" state by picking a network it can't roam on - only then will it decide to connect via the other local SIM card provider. I'm not an expert and don't quite understand how this forces IMS (IP media subsystem) use - but this was my experience.

I put a more detailed summary here: https://www.howardforums.com/showth...-iOS-13-Dual-SIM-amp-IMS-(IP-Media-Subsystem)

you could have also downloaded the Message+ Verizon app. It’s meant to replicate your services (text, MMS & voice) on a secondary device but can easily be set up on your main phone. The calling option is only available if you turn the VZW SIM off but otherwise, it works great and no roaming if you’re using a local SIM or on WiFi.

 

[jtkboston]

you could have also downloaded the Message+ Verizon app. It’s meant to replicate your services (text, MMS & voice) on a secondary device but can easily be set up on your main phone. The calling option is only available if you turn the VZW SIM off but otherwise, it works great and no roaming if you’re using a local SIM or on WiFi.

If you turn off the VZW SIM, then you lose the ability to use iMessage with the VZW phone number, which (at least for me) is a requirement during travel

 

[mjc775]

If you turn off the VZW SIM, then you lose the ability to use iMessage with the VZW phone number, which (at least for me) is a requirement during travel

I’m in Thailand now doing that exact thing - using Verizon Message+ for calls and texts and using a dtac eSIM for data and local calls. iMessage does work if the sender knows your Apple ID email address. Otherwise senders will get a message failure and prompt to send as SMS instead.

 

[yass31]

If you turn off the VZW SIM, then you lose the ability to use iMessage with the VZW phone number, which (at least for me) is a requirement during travel

You could just leave the sim turned on and reboot the phone and not enter the pin code for the Verizon SIM, this way the number will still be registered with iMessage

 

[coolsean20]

I have my primary line as an eSIM, and my secondary work line as a physical sim. I can’t get them to both show LTE. Both on Verizon. Does anyone have a solution? It seems I can only do LTE on one of them at once.

 

[yass31]

I have my primary line as an eSIM, and my secondary work line as a physical sim. I can’t get them to both show LTE. Both on Verizon. Does anyone have a solution? It seems I can only do LTE on one of them at once.

Only one SIM at a time can be used for Data and show on what network it is connected.
That doesn't mean that your secondary SIM is not connected over LTE, if you have VoLTE on it and enabled, it should work even though that's not the SIM of which the phone is using the data.

 

[draver]

I've got a new question that occurs to me. If I am roaming overseas and have my iPhone set to the simulated Wifi service over a data line, will I be able to call another iPhone set the same way that is also roaming internationally? Both phones have US numbers and the same configuration. Phone one would dial phone two's US number with a +1 prefix. Would both phones connect using the simulated WiFi connection for no charges? It seems like it should work.

 

[mjc775]

I've got a new question that occurs to me. If I am roaming overseas and have my iPhone set to the simulated Wifi service over a data line, will I be able to call another iPhone set the same way that is also roaming internationally? Both phones have US numbers and the same configuration. Phone one would dial phone two's US number with a +1 prefix. Would both phones connect using the simulated WiFi connection for no charges? It seems like it should work.

It may depend on your carrier, but Verizon’s Wi-Fi Calling FAQ seems to indicate that it will work: “Wi-Fi calls to US numbers are free, even while traveling internationally.”

 

[draver]

Interesting, but they've worded that somewhat ambiguously to me. It could mean “Wi-Fi calls to US numbers are free, even while traveling internationally.” while YOU are traveling or while THEY are traveling. Maybe even while you BOTH are traveling T-Mobile has the same type of free WiFi calling back and forth to the US, but I'm wondering if a "Round Trip" call gets connected and is also free. I won't get to try it until March unfortunately. I was hoping someone overseas could experiment with it and give us a report. Thanks for the comment.

 

[mjc775]

...I won't get to try it until March unfortunately. I was hoping someone overseas could experiment with it and give us a report. Thanks for the comment.

I’ll try it Friday when I’m leaving Thailand. I’m currently using a dtac eSIM and trying to avoid triggering Verizon’s daily TravelPass.

 

[draver]

I’ll try it Friday when I’m leaving Thailand. I’m currently using a dtac eSIM and trying to avoid triggering Verizon’s daily TravelPass.

That would answer one of my biggest questions. If you have two phones set up to use the IMS function, can you call the US number of one phone and have it connect to that phone also on IMS in a foreign country without being charged roaming fees? On my T-Mobile account manager they register as WiFi calls, but I have only been able to test in the US so far.

 

[djc6]

If you have two phones set up to use the IMS function, can you call the US number of one phone and have it connect to that phone also on IMS in a foreign country without being charged roaming fees?

I did this in Colombia - had three phones using IMS function.

eSIM + Dual SIM Q&A

Thanks for this tip! My family was traveling to Colombia for a couple weeks, and this tip was the key to getting our phones working. Prior to going, we moved our Verizon physical SIM on three phone (2x iPhone XS, 1x iPhone 11 Pro) to eSIM to free up physical SIM slot. The easiest way to...

forums.macrumors.com

Occasionally the "VZW using Cellular Data" would go away - a flip on/off airplane mode would fix. But annoying when call recipient doesn't know they fell off IMS mode - say in a poor reception area, phone went from LTE to 3G and then phone stayed on 3G. However, texting via Messages would still work in this instance and I could tell them to cycle airplane mode so calling worked again.

 

[mjc775]

That would answer one of my biggest questions. If you have two phones set up to use the IMS function, can you call the US number of one phone and have it connect to that phone also on IMS in a foreign country without being charged roaming fees? On my T-Mobile account manager they register as WiFi calls, but I have only been able to test in the US so far.

I just tried it - Wi-Fi Calling works from phone to phone just as if I was in the US. But I’m unable to try IMS calling because my physical SIM provider (Google Fi) doesn’t support Wi-Fi Calling on iPhone. Unfortunately I triggered the $10/day Verizon TravelPass in my experimentation when I had airplane mode off for a minute.

 

[draver]

I've got another question for those with some experience already. Suppose you are in a location where there are very few, if any alternate carriers. The Bahamas comes to mind since the government runs the only cell service there. That means that you cannot select a No Service carrier for your voice line to use the ISM feature since your phone will think service is available. If you have chosen a No Service carrier elsewhere, will that choice stay set on your line, so that you can enable the ISM setup? I'd like this system to be as "Set & Forget" as possible, without constant checking and fiddling. Any experiences or opinions are welcome.

Edited to add: BTW, I'm not just a fussbudget, but have a handful of rental properties, as do the others in my travel group. It never fails that there will be problems while we are away, so this is me just trying to take care of business.

 

[DeanL]

I've got another question for those with some experience already. Suppose you are in a location where there are very few, if any alternate carriers. The Bahamas comes to mind since the government runs the only cell service there. That means that you cannot select a No Service carrier for your voice line to use the ISM feature since your phone will think service is available. If you have chosen a No Service carrier elsewhere, will that choice stay set on your line, so that you can enable the ISM setup? I'd like this system to be as "Set & Forget" as possible, without constant checking and fiddling. Any experiences or opinions are welcome.

Edited to add: BTW, I'm not just a fussbudget, but have a handful of rental properties, as do the others in my travel group. It never fails that there will be problems while we are away, so this is me just trying to take care of business.

Yes, it would work as long as you select manually that other network when out of the Bahamas and do not touch the setting back in the Bahamas

 

[draver]

Yes, it would work as long as you select manually that other network when out of the Bahamas and do not touch the setting back in the Bahamas

That's what I was hoping for, and a logical solution. Probably a safe bet just about anywhere before departing the US would be the "313-100, First Responder Network". My account should never have service from those and I believe they are just about everywhere, using the AT&T network.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Tommibup]

I’ve read all 12 pages of this post....

First, thank you to all those that share info and guidance!

I’ve got a similar situation, but I’m still not clear on the solution...

iPhone XR, ATT (personal) physical sim, VZW (work) esim.

I travel a lot for work, and my VZW esim is a work number, with unlimited data and International plan.

I don’t want to pay additional to use my personal ATT number, but obviously want to be able to talk, text, and even FaceTime, on that number without having to find a WiFi source. I’d like to use the data from the VZW esim.

I don’t see any “manual network” selection choice when I’m here in the US. Will that appear once I try to access ATT network outside the US? Do I run the risk of connecting and having the an ATT international plan charge?

Most often in Western Europe and Caribbean. How can I make this happen?

Thank you in advance for any info!

 

[draver]

I'm not sure what AT&T allows on their plans, but when it is set as the Default Voice Line in Cellular Settings, then under CELLULAR PLANS, do you not have the Network Selection for your AT&T line?

Under CELLULAR PLANS when I choose my T-Mobile line, the next menu page has the Network Selection listed right below Carrier Services. That takes me to a list of available carrier choices when Automatic is off. I assume you have Data Roaming switched on for this setup. This is where I am able to switch to a "No Service" carrier from the available list. I currently see all 4 major carriers, the First Responders (313-100) and a few numbered subsets of carriers.

If this is menu item is not available to you, perhaps Customer Service or maybe even a Network Reset might help. You also need to be on iOS 13.XX and above, since that's when Apple included the feature for iPhones.

 

[imlynxy]

I'm not sure what AT&T allows on their plans, but when it is set as the Default Voice Line in Cellular Settings, then under CELLULAR PLANS, do you not have the Network Selection for your AT&T line?

Under CELLULAR PLANS when I choose my T-Mobile line, the next menu page has the Network Selection listed right below Carrier Services. That takes me to a list of available carrier choices when Automatic is off. I assume you have Data Roaming switched on for this setup. This is where I am able to switch to a "No Service" carrier from the available list. I currently see all 4 major carriers, the First Responders (313-100) and a few numbered subsets of carriers.

If this is menu item is not available to you, perhaps Customer Service or maybe even a Network Reset might help. You also need to be on iOS 13.XX and above, since that's when Apple included the feature for iPhones.View attachment 892832

Hi, this is not Apple, this is how your SIM card is provisioned from AT&T. The ability to choose carriers manually called "Manual Network Selection" and by default every time you change you SIM it's off, you have to call AT&T international department Monday-Friday (Sat-Sun they covered by reg. support) or ask their level 2 support to activate this feature. Most regular CS guys have no clue what is that.
This is very useful feature when you travel abroad, for example, in Canada I can choose Rogers, Bell or Telus (Rogers is default and IMO the worst there) or in Bermuda you can choose C-One or Digicell (C-One is defualt and the best there). same story in Mexico, Europe ,...
This is also very useful when you at the border(stay connected to home network) or sometimes in domestic roaming.

 

[imlynxy]

I’ve read all 12 pages of this post....

First, thank you to all those that share info and guidance!

I’ve got a similar situation, but I’m still not clear on the solution...

iPhone XR, ATT (personal) physical sim, VZW (work) esim.

I travel a lot for work, and my VZW esim is a work number, with unlimited data and International plan.

I don’t want to pay additional to use my personal ATT number, but obviously want to be able to talk, text, and even FaceTime, on that number without having to find a WiFi source. I’d like to use the data from the VZW esim.

I don’t see any “manual network” selection choice when I’m here in the US. Will that appear once I try to access ATT network outside the US? Do I run the risk of connecting and having the an ATT international plan charge?

Most often in Western Europe and Caribbean. How can I make this happen?

Thank you in advance for any info!

Hi, if you do not see Manual Network Selection at home you won't see it abroad. CS can tell you that you will, but belive me you won't. (hang up and call again). Every time you change your SIM with Att it defaults you to auto selection only. To have the manual option you have to call Att intrnational department (or level 2 regular support) and ask them to provision your sim with manual network selection. You should know that some Att CS even at international dept. have no clue what is that. Here you can request to escalate your call or simply hang up and call back again. Once I called 5 times to have it done, but they had no hold that time.

If you do not want Att be connected to int. roaming you should request intternational roaming be blocked. After that check it in your online account. Once again Att CS is not the best.

Hope that helps.

 

[DeanL]

Hi, this is not Apple, this is how your SIM card is provisioned from AT&T. The ability to choose carriers manually called "Manual Network Selection" and by default every time you change you SIM it's off, you have to call AT&T international department Monday-Friday (Sat-Sun they covered by reg. support) or ask their level 2 support to activate this feature.

This is sooooooooooooo stupid.
I know that AT&T did this so people don't select roaming partners network unless there's truly no AT&T coverage, yet Canadian carriers are able to do this without needing to block entirely the menu. 😒

 

[Soheb Rathore]

actually i buy a iphone cs max from dubai
it’s global version
and here show me 2 imei number and sim tray with single sim slot but when i tap mobile data and find for add data plan for activation esim i can find it
and according my iphone model no is A2101
but when i scan QR code of Esim activation throw camera after scanned QR code a message popped me your device not support esim
can you explain me about my device it’s support eSim or not and if support what i do for to activate e sim
i also see my 2 imei no in setting-general-about
first primary
and second on back sim imei

my device is fully update with new ios 13.3.1
please reply me

 

[George Knighton]

actually i buy a iphone cs max from dubai
it’s global version
and here show me 2 imei number and sim tray with single sim slot but when i tap mobile data and find for add data plan for activation esim i can find it
and according my iphone model no is A2101
but when i scan QR code of Esim activation throw camera after scanned QR code a message popped me your device not support esim
can you explain me about my device it’s support eSim or not and if support what i do for to activate e sim
i also see my 2 imei no in setting-general-about
first primary
and second on back sim imei

my device is fully update with new ios 13.3.1
please reply me

I have used an A2101 in the UK and NZ.

It supports eSIM but does not have the CDMA bands.

If you have a provider that relies on CDMA for some of its coverage, perhaps that is why the eSIM did not work.

That’s all I can think of, but there are far mor experienced users here than I am.

 

[DeanL]

actually i buy a iphone cs max from dubai
it’s global version
and here show me 2 imei number and sim tray with single sim slot but when i tap mobile data and find for add data plan for activation esim i can find it
and according my iphone model no is A2101
but when i scan QR code of Esim activation throw camera after scanned QR code a message popped me your device not support esim
can you explain me about my device it’s support eSim or not and if support what i do for to activate e sim
i also see my 2 imei no in setting-general-about
first primary
and second on back sim imei

my device is fully update with new ios 13.3.1
please reply me

Can you screenshot the error and post it here?

 

[esimguy]

Hi, anyone have experience swapping between 5 or more eSIM profiles? I've seen some places say there is a limit of 6, 7 or 10 eSIM profiles and also read that there is theoretically no limit. So curious if anyone has real world experience with multiple eSIM swapping.