eSIM QR Code via email.

[ademanuele]

I have an iPhone 12 Pro and updated to iOS 15.7 on Tuesday. After updating I received the Call Failed message  when I tried to make a call and could not use my O2 (eSIM) account for calls or messages. After several calls to Apple they said I needed a new eSIM. I called O2 and specifically asked for another eSIM but yesterday received a physical SIM. I called back and today I received the QR code and my phone seems to be OK again.

A few questions:

- has anyone else experienced this type of issue after updating their iOS?

- if I get a new iPhone, how do I transfer the eSIM?

- why do O2 not just email the eSIM or make it available on my account online. Baffled as it would make the eSIM available immediately and save on costs (printing and postage)?

On the last question/comment, we all rely on our phone for banking, authentication etc and has been a real issue not to be able to receive messages...

Best wishes

Tony

[gmarkj]

Not got an iPhone myself but can take a guess at some of these @ademanuele 

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@ademanuele wrote:

A few questions:

- has anyone else experienced this type of issue after updating their iOS?

Not personally but depending on how much of an upgrade the new iOS is it doesn't surprise me that the eSim was affected.

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@ademanuele wrote:

- if I get a new iPhone, how do I transfer the eSIM?

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You would need a new eSimQR code.

You can use the "old" QR code to reinstall the eSim to your current device up to 3 times, but changing to a new phone would need a new code.

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@ademanuele wrote:

- why do O2 not just email the eSIM or make it available on my account online. Baffled as it would make the eSIM available immediately and save on costs (printing and postage)?

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Security - if someone accesses your account and changes your email address and gets a new eSim then they could move your number to their device and could use that to gain access to shop/bank accounts...

[ademanuele]

@ademanuele wrote:

- why do O2 not just email the eSIM or make it available on my account online. Baffled as it would make the eSIM available immediately and save on costs (printing and postage)?

Security - if someone accesses your account and changes your email address and gets a new eSim then they could move your number to their device and could use that to gain access to shop/bank accounts...

Thanks for the reply. I don’t believe post is any more secure and this can be extended to any online account. The eSIM could be made available through the O2 app which uses biometrics (and is secure enough for online banking…)

[gmarkj]

The other issue is that by sending the eSim by email you don't have a QR code to scan - unless you have access to more than 1 device so that you can have the QR code on one screen and can scan it with the new phone.

[madasaf1sh]

To be fair, having used all the methods offered by all the networks for instant esim qr codes, and all of them have issues.

1. Vodafone and esim.net - send the code by email, and sometimes the email contains invalid characters in the qr code, sometimes the email client does some jiggery pokery with the image. 

2. EE do instant esim via the web version, of  MyEE, again the browser can cause issues, and sometimes the sim doesn't activate, and EE for a while EE where adding extra check sums to the end of the code, which didn't work. 

The only reliable way across all the networks, is to go to a shop and get a QR code wallet or get one sent out to you.

I agree that the post is not secure, never has been and never will be... Using Apps to get the QR code, then how do you scan the code, and who wants to type in a BASE64 code into their phone, to manually activate the esim. 

This could be done by an activation text, in my view, similiar to the old config sms that where sent.... 

[gmarkj]

Always makes me laugh about people saying post is not secure, and yet some parts of law deems the posting of contracts means that they are complete - see some more information below.

https://payrollheaven.com/define/postal-rule/ 

If the acceptance (of a contract) is communicated through post or telegram, it is deemed the offer has been accepted once the letter of acceptance has been posted

https://www.lawteacher.net/free-law-essays/communications-law/postal-rule-is-a-historical-ruling.php...