Some iPhone users on T-Mobile’s cellular network are reporting an eSIM bug that deactivates iMessage and FaceTime for their phone number, with no way to reactivate it.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman tweeted about his own experience with the issue. The only solution that worked for him was getting a physical SIM card.
There is a very nasty iPhone and @TMobile bug where iMessage and FaceTime for a device’s phone number will randomly deactivate and there is no way to reactivate it. The only solution that worked for me is getting a new physical SIM card. An extremely disappointing issue.
There is a very nasty iPhone and @TMobile bug where iMessage and FaceTime for a device’s phone number will randomly deactivate and there is no way to reactivate it. The only solution that worked for me is getting a new physical SIM card. An extremely disappointing issue.
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) May 19, 2022
Gurman then tweeted again, saying that another solution that had worked for some users was to remove the eSim account from the iPhone and then set it up again. “But that’s complex for most people and shouldn’t need to ever be done,” he added.
Another solution flagged to me by some is removing your eSIM account from the iPhone and setting that up again. But that’s complex for most people and shouldn’t need to ever to be done. Not being able to send and receive texts is obviously not ideal. Not “it just works.”
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) May 19, 2022
Gurman had praise for the T-Mobile store representative who was able to help him quickly activate a physical SIM for his iPhone. He also said the rep mentioned that other customers had visited the store with the same issue after Apple was unable to help them.
“This issue for sure has existed on iOS 15.4, iOS 15.5, and iOS 15.6 beta 1,” Gurman continued in another tweet. “Potentially earlier too, but that’s all I can confirm right now.”
Replies to Gurman’s tweets indicate the issue is affecting a number of T-Mobile customers with iPhones and that while Apple is aware of the issue, it had no solution. We’ll keep you updated in this space if we hear of anything else.
(Via MacRumors)