An update on phone compatibility...

[Anonymous]

This is a long read but I finally was able to get some more answers on Twitter but really not any solution to the phone capability issues we are having. It is a little long but hopefully it helps some. I am still confused though why mine isn't compatible and yet they sell 2 to 3 year older phones on there website.

First reply finally: Hello! Thank you for reaching out to Visible! We are deeply sorry for the long response time, we have a high volume. However, we are here now, ready to assist! Unfortunately not all the phones are compatible with our new network, however our technicians are working as we speak to add as many devices as possible from the old list. *CGM

I responded(I won't paste it because I was a little hasty) by asking about the technology that chat support mentioned and gave them my IMEI number and also an IMEI number of a phone I was going to buy from eBay unlocked at half the price that they sell on the Visible site, a Moto G Power(2022) and get the message when checking that number "We anticipate that your phone will be compatible soon".

Their response: Can you please provide us with a screenshot of the IMEI number sin the About menu of the phone and also the make and model number of the device? Sadly, not all devices are compatible with Visible. We have to work with manufacturers to customize the carrier software that makes their phones compatible with our new network and even if a device model is supported it can differ specific on the device and it needs to be checked with the IMEI in order to make sure that specific device is compatible and supports our network with the new plans.*EVD

I guess they couldn't read the model and number from more than one of the previous message so I responded with the screenshot of my phone since I hadn't bought the other phone yet and of course I get this: The IMEI you provided is not compatible with our service, unfortunately. *ILG 

I already know this that is when I noticed the * symbol and 3 letters at the end of each response, I am guessing initials and I have different people answering each one of these DM's now and no single person knows what is going on or have read any of the previous messages I posted. Mad at this point I got real frustrated and kind of blew up but managed to ask again that I want specifics as to why my phone is not compatible.

Their response: Some phones may not be compatible right away when trying to swap over to one of our new plans due to many changes in the back-end, which can affect the compatibility for some devices with our service and infrastructure. We are always striving to expand our network, meaning devices which are not compatible might be supported soon. *RGG

I responded: So my current device will never be compatible no matter what, is that correct? If I buy that phone with IMEI number... model Moto G Power(2022) with the message it may be compatible soon, will it become compatible. It is a good deal for me and would hate to pass it up but I don't want to end up with another paperweight.

The response: Hmm, not exactly. Many devices which were originally compatible with the old plan are no longer compatible with our new plans dues to the many changes that took place in the back-end, meaning network improvements and different updates from our engineers. The reason for this compatibility issue is that some features on our SIMs may not be supported by all devices, thus why it might take a little longer for our teams to ensure that each device is compatible. *RGG

I lost all hope on getting an any answers since it appears 7 different people were on this message is those are user initials and none of them actually read all my messages.  I did go on to ask when the deadline is for changing to a new plan and they don't even know. 

I am not sure if I should try a new sim now and lose $10 over the next 2 months and see if my current phone works on the new plan or order another phone and hope that may become compatible soon and actually become compatible. 

[Anonymous]

This is downright comical. Support is finally answering my Facebook Messenger message. Here they are.

I responded: Wow, 5 days to respond. I do need help. I want to know exactly why my phone is not compatible with your new plans, IMEI number is ... I got through on chat after an hour and was told my phone does not have the right technology or some BS like that. I want to know exactly why it isn't compatible when you sell phones that are 2-3 years older than mine. I want to buy a new phone elsewhere to save money but still have problems with that also.  See you in 5 to 6 days. Also, the current phone I have I bought from you 15 months ago and it is being used now. 

Now at this point I was in absolute shock that they responded as fast as they did on Twitter.

Visible: Hi there! My name is Petre. Nice to meet you. I am more than happy to assist you. Visible values privacy more than anything so we would be grateful if you can confirm the full name and email address.*Mihnea 

My response:

I sent name and address and also sent the following, I did get help through Twitter finally but I still have no real answer as to why my phone is not compatible. I don't think you are going to answer in detail why other than the vague answers I already got. So thanks for finally responded after 5 or 6 days, I wasn't expecting such poor customer service responses here and /or Twitter. I hope I don't have any other problems because I don't think I have the patience to wait for the answers. Thanks.

Visible: We're really glad you managed to get help from our colleagues! Along with the introduction of the new plans, many changes took place in the back-end as well as many system upgrades. In order for our technicians to fully check if the newer infrastructure is properly working with every device, we're going to need a bit more time. Our technicians are working on making every device compatible with our service, though it could take a bit of time. Please keep an eye on our website to be kept up to date in regard to this matter. *Robert

About the same response as I got on Twitter so not surprising.

My response: So are you saying my phone might be compatible in the near future or am I not that lucky and have to look for a new phone?

Visible: It can be compatible, but I'm not able to give you an exact time, since we don't have this information as well. *Andrei S

So, similar responses on Twitter. I guess I was looking for a technical answer as to why my phone was not compatible but I guess I was asking for too much. The last response was similar to Twitters answer in one message but this one was more precise that I may be lucky and it will get added. I didn't get that from Twitter.

So, with that said some of our phones may become compatible if they get around to fixing the issue or adding the phones to their database so time will tell if ours will become compatible. Of course I just bid on a Moto G Power (2022) that was sold through Visible and the IMEI number on that one shows it is compatible with the new plans. Great, my luck in life my current phone will become compatible after I win the bid on the phone on eBay, yeah! At least if I win I will have a phone for around $100 for back up if anything, still less than half the price for a new one here.

[Anonymous]

You're just getting scripted response from tier 1 chat support, Facebook, Twitter, etc. They're all the same folks that Visible outsources tier 1 support to. They aren't really knowledgeable regarding Visible and tend to only spew talking points unless a very basic question. Any real solution requires referral to a "specialist".

In short, the only compatibilty requirements I see are device features which allow Visible to restrict your usage regarding their plan limitations.

As noted elsewhere, I've got an S21 - 5G, that now shows as incompatible. When I attempted to upgrade on August 25 it was compatible, however the order was never fulfilled and still shows awaiting shipping on my account. I got a SIM from Best Buy for my A42 - 5G, activated a new account and have since moved that SIM to my S21 - 5G with no problems. Seems compatible to me! However, I'll be moving the SIM back to the A42 and moving the S21 back to my primary carrier since Visible is primarily a backup for me now, and I'll be canceling the old legacy Visible plan in a couple days.

One has to question exactly which Visble "features" require this so called compatibility. I can only think of one Visible feature, unlimited data and that doesn't have any compatibility requirements. The only other "features" are actually limitations: (de)prioritization, video stream throttling (sold as video optimization to 480p), hotspot limited to a single device, hotspot throttled to 5 mbps. Again no real compatibility requirements for any of these. Although one could argue limiting hotspot to a single device doe require a software change to do that. All the others are easy to bypass actually.

The other thing I see is that Visible does prevent disabling 5G on my phones and modifying APNs on both of my phones with recent Android updates. Other than that the only other thing I see that could possibly require "compatibility" is their activation process thorough the app and activiation has been an issue for many including myself. Those activation issues continue and perhaps they're now just taking the easy out declaring devices that have activation issues as incompatible.

[Anonymous]

From what I gathered is that they have the non compatible phones IMEI numbers blacklisted somehow. I don't get how they sell phones, the 3 cheap ones, and have the so called technology to be compatible when the operating system on one is Android 9 Pie and one of the other ones is Android Q. How old is that technology. I was or am new to cells phones as of 15 months ago when I started here and the tech stuff goes over my head. They have all of our IMEI numbers listed in our accounts and they should be able to add those phones IMEI number to a whitelist or the database and make them compatible. I think it all comes down to them wanting to sell us another phone.

I don't have another phone to be able to activate a new sim on so this phone is it. I did find a YouTube video about how to get around the non-compatibility issue and I did have an app that generated IMEI numbers and I have a way to get around the compatibility issue and get the card but will I be able to activate it in my non-compatible device is the question. The other thing is with getting a new card I was told service will stop until new card is activated. They wanted to send me a card yesterday even without a compatible phone but I said no. I guess I could have done that since I still have home phone service yet.

Is my non-compatible phone actually compatible? It probably is but I think Visible has it blocked somehow. Whether my phone is compatible or not I am waiting until after my December billing cycle to change and save a few more dollars and go from there with my phone situation.

[SargeSpeaks]

1...they dont need to know youre looking to buyer cheaper elsewhere. TMI! Simply state you have a phone, in which they sell, so you need to know why the same phone is incompatible.

2...it Does matter a phone as little as a year older, makes a difference. That being said....

3...there is a difference between 5G and 5G Ultra. (You may or may not know already...just mentioning this for general readers, because some think it's all the same.) Some phones dont have 5G Ultra compatibility. My Moto Stylus 2019, didnt have the compatibility like the Moto 2020, and theyre just a year apart. Also, the older SIMs dont have the Ultra...so even if you have a phone that is Ultra compatible, you wont get the signal if you dont have the Ultra SIM. Some think you can just upgrade the service and/or the software. That being said...

4...you Got your answer more than once about phone compatibility, as it relates to background work and software, but still hounding them as to why it cant work. It's possible to have 2 of the same exact model phones, yet one is compatible...one isnt. Part of that reason, is related to the previous carrier it was on. One carrier's software makes things difficult, while the other previous doesnt. You can also have both on a carrier that Does usually work, but if you didnt have the Ultra on one, it will come up Not compatible. That being said...

5...IMO, part of the problem, is they need to allow IMEI of the phones themselves, instead of the one the SIMs create...that will fix some of the issues. There are phones that work, that wont show as compatible, because of the SIM, and that's why you see some are posting that their "incompatible" phones WORKED, after they changed the APN settings.

6...additionally, there are functions and features EXCLUSIVE to Android 11 & 12. That's to respond to your other post about Android 9. I buy used phones as well, and dont bother with anything lower than Android 10. Also, only certain phones (and tablets) can be upgraded to higher OS's. Just like a PC needs the right internal hardware to support certain OS's and certain Chip speeds....same applies to the phones. They're nothing but mini handheld PCs.

But now Im seeing user BobT say, an update Prevents you from changing APN settings! UGH!!!

This is going to make using Unlocked phones more difficult. May hvae to change the settings Prior to updating. I usually update mysoftware prior to adding a SIM. Im going to do it the other way around in hopes of it being a work-around.

Anyway...not mad at you, Ski, i was just super frustrated reading those long post for my own answers i was trying to get thru you. LOL.

Good Luck, everyone. Getting on Visible will be super frustrating to some of us, including me. The combo of the pricing plan, and great carrier is what's making me going thru the nonsense. I want to get off Mint, which is great...only T-Mo's (thats who Mint uses for signal) coverage isnt as good as Verizon, hence why Im trying to get on Visible. The pricing plan here is much better than VZ.

(Excuse any typo's. At work and rushing thru this.)

[Badwolf340]

How do you change the APN to make it compatible?  I found out how to change it, but don't know what I need to put in

[SomeHelpPls]

Gee, wouldn't it be nice and transparent and all if you could just use the compatability checker where you type in the phone's IMEI and this would tell you for sure if it's compatable?  

It looks like there is such a thing.  But from this thread, am I right to assume that somehow with the transition to new networks & all, this checker is no longer accurate???  

[Anonymous]

There are 3 messages I have gotten checking different phones from eBay, not compatible..., not compatible at this time and your phone is compatible! I bid on a phone and won since it was compatible, the thing is it was sold by Visible earlier this year which is why it is compatible. It is my thinking that Visible has blacklisted all IMEI numbers for phones they have not sold themselves, I think they have also blocked those numbers for phones they have not sold this year. It may not be true and it is just my opinion.

[Anonymous]

Here is another update. My phone arrived that I won on eBay so I started to use it. Slight issues with this, first one was I transferred the SIM card and even though it connected to my signal I got a message that it didn't recognize the card. This is still using the old plan. I downloaded the app on the new phone, I didn't need it but likely will to activate the new card when I finally switch in December or January whenever they make us.

Issue number 2, I decided to open the app and see if I could switch plans on the new phone and of course I get this message, "An error occurred. Please try again later." How ridiculous are these errors anyway! I checked and I can still go through my account on my laptop and get a card that way. Why is Visible making it hard with these noncompatible issues and these errors.

I will either update this thread or will post a new one when I actually switch over and see if my Moto G Power(2021) actually will work with the new plan after I activate in my Moto G Power(2022) phone. 

[akaClaus]

Is there a way to get a sim without a MEID?

I am not a v°s°ble customer, yet, and I can save some money, but not enough to justify buying another phone.

I have been using Google phones (bought from Google) for several years now, this Pixel 3XL is the current one.

As long as there are carriers that service 4G LTE and this phone works I'm OK. I want to wait a couple of years before getting a 5G, especially the short wave variety. 

[Anonymous]

No, it appears you need an IMEI number to get to the order screen. You can get an IMEI number that will work by watching this video and he explains how to do it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56fR0SNCZYU&t=8s Funny he selected Google Pixel 3 to get IMEI numbers and it worked for me also but your Pixel 3XL the IMEI number doesn't work. The phone is unlocked and not contracted to a carrier is it? The video is a couple years old and I was not able to change APN setting on my Motorola phone, I think they are locked by the SIM card. You can get a SIM card by using an IMEI number that is compatible but I can't say for sure you will be able to activate it on your phone or not. Like I mentioned I ended up buying a used Moto G Power(2022) from a seller off of eBay that bought it here earlier this year since my G Power(2021) shows not compatible. I did that to be sure I can activate the SIM once they finally make us change over to a new plan. 

If you decide to generate an IMEI number and order a card start a new thread and let us all know if you succeed at activating it, maybe it would save someone else the headache of having to buy a new phone they don't need like I did. I bought it here last year in July when I started here and I was hoping I didn't need a new phone for a couple more years.

[Anonymous]

 akaClaus, I tried to post an IMEI number for you but Visible flagged it for a bad word. I sent you a message but don't think it sent because it said I was at my limit for private messages and your is the first one I ever sent here. 

[edited for privacy]

Really moderator!!! Why in the world would you edit for privacy an IMEI number that I pulled from a Google search from an IMEI generator. Instead of wasting your time here how about working on adding IMEI numbers from phone us customers bought from you last year instead!!!!!!!!!! The flagging and your editing is getting ridiculous. How about answering some of the questions people are having problems with also. Make yourself useless!

 This one is compatible but you would order at your own risk as I have no clue if you would be able to activate it on your non compatible phone or not. 

Edit: how ridiculous is Visible, I put a space between every number and it accepted that but flags it as a bad word when grouped together. Visible get your act together. I have been getting flagged for putting a - between numbers even, how is that a bad word.

[akaClaus]

It is a bad word because it is like an MEID

They don't was us to 'cheat' although they believe that whatever they do is acceptable.

Thanks for the number, I'll st

And the process and jump out if I turn 🐔 

[akaClaus]

BTW, the Pixel 3a is on the compatible phone list. 

[akaClaus]

Well I tried and ended up getting this message:

Service cancelled

Sorry to see you go. We'll save your email address in case you change your mind.

[Restart service]

When I click on the [Restart service] I get:

Terminated Account

You must be a current Visible member to make a purchase. Please contact us and we will do our best to find a resolution.

[Ok]

When I click on [Ok] it goes to the first message. I'm in the spiral of death. At least I didn't have to pay to get banded. 

[Anonymous]

I thought you mentioned you were not a customer yet? If the account is cancelled or terminated you can try opening another account under a different email address to get around that. 

You could maybe have customer service reset the account. I would not wait in chat to do that. I had as good of luck with Facebook messenger and I don't have to sit and wait by a computer to get a response. Make sure you include you full name and email address because they will likely ask that for the account you had. 

[akaClaus]

I wasn't a customer. In the process of ordering the SIM I had to provide all of the information and pressed the button to complete the order.

The little jumpy visible face changed several times and it came back that I was terminated. I don't know what the trigger was.

After that I tried from my tablet to order an A3 for $50 and signed in to complete and it came back with the terminated message again. 

It will be awhile before I try again. Perhaps when I replace this phone. 

[akaClaus]

skibik, Did you see that they removed (edited for privacy) the MEID 

[Anonymous]

There have been other people with issues with similar problems with accounts being locked. I know one of the reasons I had to contact customer service first via Twitter and FB with no replies I got onto chat to get my problem fixed, I couldn't order a new phone because I got a message I already had a device on order which I didn't. I thought they deleted my original phone order from last year but that is still listed. If you aren't in a rush I would just send them a message on FB messenger. A few weeks ago I had some more questions about my refer a friend discounts if I would retain them when ordering a new card and a few other questions got answered. I tried Twitter again before that but afte10 days I had no response and copied them to FB and had a response in that was time stamped 45 minutes after I sent the DM but had gone to bed. I woke up and responded with the info they needed and I was shocked I got a response within a few minutes, this was 6 hours later. 

I can't believe they edited that for privacy. I got that number from the a Google search for IMEI numbers. They have time to edit posts but they don't have the time to help their customers here. If you need a new IMEI number just Google IMEI number generator I used the fakepersongenerator.com. You might want to write this down before they decide I can't provide you with that information either.