[English] Unlocking eSIM in my phone

[PeterMelbs]

Hi, hope it is ok to have a question in English.

I've bough a phone online, it's essentially brand new, a returned device or so. The phone is unlocked for the main SIM to any network, but trying to set up an eSIM it says "Scan a Vodafone QR code". I have tried to call Vodafone three time and they hung up on me every single time while I was explaining the issue. I have entered both IMEIs into Vodafone's form for unlocking and it said Not found for both of them. I talked to Google (it's a Pixel 4) who said to go talk to Vodafone but Vodafone customer service does not want to talk to me, they just hang up as soon as they find out I don't want to buy something from them.

So is there someone who can please advice me how to go about unlocking the eSim so I can download an eSim from any provider? Many thanks.

[BerndD]

Hey PeterMelbs,

I don't understand yet what your intention is.

Do you already have a Vodafone contract and want to have an eSIM for your new phone? Or do you want to conclude a new contract with eSIM?

Kind regards

Bernd

[PeterMelbs]

Hi Bernd,

Thanks for replying.

I don't have a Vodafone contract and don't want a Vodafone contract nor Vodafone eSIM. I'd like to be able to download a non-Vodafone eSIM, but it keeps asking for a Vodafone QR code. Despite resetting the network, factory resetting the phone several times and the fact that otherwise the phone seems network-unlocked (tried several physical SIM cards).

Peter

[Boris]

Hey @PeterMelbs,

where have you git that phone from?

Doesn´t sound like it´s bought via Vodafone.

Have you tried to make a aard reset with the phone.

Tgis sounds yiut mysterious.

regards

Boris

[PeterMelbs]

Hey Boris,

I have bought it through eBay. The phone was as-new and fully packaged with everything. I think it is a phone that was returned or sent as a replacement and this seller is selling dozens of them, so it doesn't seem very mysterious at all:)

The seller says it was unlocked, and that is true that I can put different SIMs, but the e-SIM still refers to Vodafone. If I send you the IMEIs (each SIM slot has one), would you be able to check that they have been unlocked?

Many thanks, Peter

[Ink1]

Hi PeterMelbs,

the Pixel had problems with eSim activations.

We then noticed the problem with the Sim-Manager application, after our customers deactivated or uninstalled this app, it went without any problems.

Please check under Settings>Apps and notifications>show all Apps, whether there is a Sim-Manager there, if so force it to deactivate or quit.

The question "Replace this app with the factory version?" just confirm with ok.

Then restart the pixel.

Many greetings

Inken

[PeterMelbs]

Hello Inken,

is this for Android 12 as well? There is no app called Sim-Manager, only Sim Toolkit, which I've forced closed, but it didn't help.

Peter

[Ink1]

Hi PeterMelbs,

you´re not the first to report.

I researched this yesterday in the www. The solutions were quite different:

if there is still a physical sim card in the mobile phone, take it out, install the esim and then insert the other simcard again.

Others had success after a factory reset and others simply ignored the message and scanned the QR-Code from their provider and it worked.

Can you set up the esim manually on the Pixel? If so, request the combination of characters from the QR code from the provider and try to set it up.

Regards

Inken

[PeterMelbs]

Hi Inken,

Thank you for looking into this for me. I bought a throwaway eSim just to try this in the end and it seems to be working despite what the message is saying. So it seems like it's a problem with Pixel software which remembers the original network. When I was in chat with Google support they told me it has to be with the carrier so it seems they were wrong.

Kind regards

Peter

[T-Jay]

Hi Peter,

yes, it seems to be a problem with the Pixel software! But it is working now, good news!

Kind regards,

T-Jay