Update 1 (December 20, 2023)

05:48 pm (IST): According to recent reports, some people are experiencing difficulties activating their eSIMs after upgrading their phones to Android 14. Those affected claim that the eSIMs fail to function properly even after deleting and redownloading them.

Original story follows:

Google Fi is a communication service that allows subscribers to interact via calls and texts as well as access the internet via cellular networks and Wi-Fi.

According to recent reports, some Pixel owners on Google Fi are facing issues while using the eSIM even after the most recent January 2023 security update.

This has made it difficult for them to communicate with their peers, and they may miss out on some important work-related texts or calls.

Google-Fi-inline-1

This bug has been troubling some Google Pixel smartphone users for quite a while now.

Google Fi eSIM not working, activating or registering for some Pixel

Some Pixel device owners (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10) have been experiencing an issue where they are unable to use the Google Fi eSIM on their mobile phones.

A Google Pixel 6A owner alleges that they have lost the ability to text or call someone, which makes it difficult for them to carry on with their day-to-day work.

Some users receive ‘no networks available‘ or ‘service has been restricted‘ error messages that cannot be fixed by resetting the network settings or clearing cache of the Fi app.

Users have even tried to make Google Fi work with the eSIM by removing the physical SIM card from the phone, but this did not help them solve the problem.

Google-Fi-eSIM-not-working-Pixel-devices-issue-1
Source

I am on Google Fi, and I used the eSIM on my Pixel 6a and another physical SIM card to connect to another network. Once I restarted my phone after Dec 2022 update, both the SIMs (eSIM, as well as the physical SIM, stopped working) I took out the physical SIM card and tried to make Google Fi work with the eSIM, but after several attempts, I could not get it to work
Source

Once I restarted my smartphone after Dec 2022 update, each the SIMs (eSIM, as properly as the bodily SIM, stopped working) I took out the bodily SIM card and tried to make Google Fi work with the eSIM, but after a number of attempts, I may want to no longer get it to work.
Source

A Pixel 4 owner claims to be facing similar issues on their newly purchased device. Even though the matter was taken up with the Google support team, they still have not received the fix.

Google-Fi-Pixel-4-issue
Source

The issue was not resolved for some even after installing the latest January 2023 update that rolled out a couple of weeks ago.

It should also be noted that the January update rollout has allegedly been halted by Google Fi and T-Mobile on some devices due to eSIM issues.

A user on Google’s support forums even claimed that they have been been offered a replacement unit by the company.

Official response

A Diamond Product Expert responded on Google’s support forums, stating that the problem is on Google’s end and not with the phones.

Google-Fi-Pixel-devices-response-1
Source

Potential workaround

Fortunately, we did come across a potential workaround that may help solve the problem for some. It has been suggested that you switch to a physical SIM card for the time being.

Google-Fi-Pixel-PWA
Source

We do hope that Google resolves the problem as soon as possible.

That said, we’ll keep an eye on the issue where the Google Fi eSIM is not working on some Pixel smartphones and update this article as and when something noteworthy comes up.

NOTE: You can also check the Google Fi and Pixel section for more information.

Featured and inline image source: Google Fi

PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.

Kanav Sood
740 Posts

I love technology and like to talk about the latest news in the Tech industry.

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