Using eSIM for compatible iphones

[delboy88]

So after reviewing all the various topics on the internet about when eSIM is coming to Fido I'm now a customer who is using a Fido eSIM in my phone. I want to give a quick overview of how - at least Toronto - customers are using it. 

1. eSIM's are available on FIDO. 
2. eSIM's can only be obtained in certain stores. Even though an eSIM is 'built' into the phone, you need a QR code to activate it. 
3. eSIM's are only available in certain stores. If you want to find out the store, please contact customer service. I used facebook messenger as my preferred mode of conversation and when I first asked them about eSIM availability, they confirmed it was available and said to pop into my local store. To confirm NOT EVERY STORE OFFERS IT AT PRESENT TIME. Therefore, based on your location, please ask them which stores have eSIMs when speaking with customer service.
   1. To highlight it even further - I went to a local store and they didn't even know eSIM's existed, so cross store communication is not working well. The manager in the near downtown store had a communication group with other branches and didn't know. 
4. Once I spoke to customer service again, they stated only 2 branches in GTA have esims. 
   1. Fairview Mall, 1800 Sheppard Ave E
   2. Toronto Eaton Centre, 218 Yonge St
5. Before you go to the store, please make sure you bring the physical sim card you want to put in the phone. Also make sure you have access to wifi/internet or be prepared to live without your phone for a short while. 
6. Go into the store and ask for an esim. They will give you a card with a QR code on it. They'll register the phone against your account (ask for ID to verify) and then once all approved, will give you the eSIM. 
7. Your existing simcard will die, and you need to put in an active simcard for the phone to work. 
8. Put in your active simcard and under Settings > Mobile Data you will see "Add Data Plan." Click on that and you will scan in the QR code.
9. It will go through some settings which you will follow. From there you can select which is your primary phone, and which simcard the data will come from. You can do a bunch of nifty things as well.
10. One area I had trouble with is around Facetime and imessage. You need to select which line you want imessage and facetime to work against as you can only work with one phone number at any one time. 
11. I had trouble authenticating it at first, so the best thing is to DISABLE FACETIME, REBOOT your phone, then re enable. That seemed to get facetime and imessage working for me. 
12. Other than that, you can play around with it and have fun getting it to work. 

Hope this help, because so far everyone doesn't really know how it all works, and it's been working great on my phone and has been a lifesaver right in the 11th hour. 

Good luck!

Firstly eSIM's are only available in certain stores. 

[Sjduris]

Didn’t like item #7. My sim card will die and I will loose everything saved on it? Probably ..rrr

[Cawtau]

Hello Sjduris,

  Welcome to the community!

  I can understand how that statment might be concerning. It was an unfortunate choice of wording. It is true that the SIM card will be deactivated if you switch to an eSIM. It is not possible to have the same number assigned to two SIMs (physical or electronic) at the same time. So if you wished to switch to an eSIM, your current SIM card would be deactivated. If, in the future, you wished to return to a physical SIM card, you would need to purchase another card.

  However, having the SIM card deactivated should not affect any of the information you saved to the SIM card. If you hadn't transferred the information from the SIM card to your phone prior to it becoming deactivated, you should still be able to access the information from it. The card simply wouldn't be able to access the networks anymore.

Hope this helps 😀

Cheers

[Dskill]

Amazingly helpful. But the link to the full list of stores didn't work. Just sent me to another/older more useless thread.

[FidoSaad]

Hey there @Dskill

Welcome to the Community

The link will forward you to the solution on that thread which includes all the information required:

1.  As of 10/17/2019 eSIM can be activated in any Fido Corporate store. Check out our store locator to find the nearest one. 
2. eSIMs are available in all retail stores except Best Buy

Hope this helps!

[FidoClaudia]

Hey @Gumzzz,

To answer your first question, activating an eSIM shouldn't deactivate the physical SIM. Maybe @delboy88 can clarify what he meant for us?

As for your second question, the physical SIM card can be either from a different provider of from us.

Hope this helps a bit!

[Gumzzz]

Hello, may I know what you meant by this:

1. Your existing simcard will die, and you need to put in an active simcard for the phone to work. 
2. Put in your active simcard and under Settings > Mobile Data you will see "Add Data Plan." Click on that and you will scan in the QR code.

Active simcard do you mean another carrier’s SIM card?  Thanks 

[navarro152]

Hi,

Thank you for sharing your experience. I have a question, do you have a bring your own device plan or any pulse plan? I went like one month ago and because I have a Pulse plan I am not a candidate for it. If I knew that we lose benefits being "attached" customers I was never getting a phone with them tho

[FidoKenny]

Hey @navarro152

You would need to get a BYOP plan on that line to get the eSIM activated.

[delboy88]

Yes to confirm I am on a bring your own device, month to month plan. 

[FidoNick · Accepted solution]

Hey everyone!

Just a head's up that you can visit this thread to see the full list of stores where you can activate an eSIM

[FidoSaira]

Hey @delboy88,

Congratulations on your first post!

Thank you for sharing your knowledge regarding eSIM for iPhones here, it is super appreciated. I am sure it would benefit our Community members in many ways.