Anybody know how to get Visible to work on Pixel 5 with eSIM?

anonymoose
Novice

I have a Visible account that I have been using on my Pixel 5 for a while via physical SIM. I want to free up the SIM slot and use Visible via eSIM (going back to physical SIM is not an option I'm entertaining, I just plan to drop Visible if eSIM won't work).

https://community.visible.com/t5/Let-s-Chat/Introducing-Visible-eSIM-for-Android/m-p/17042

The above link says Pixel 5 is supported. However, I can go to that "compatible" link in that same post and it will tell me my EMEI is not supported. When I chat with support, they tell me my device does not support eSIM, which is untrue. So what gives? I had the same problem with US Mobile.

Is chat support mistaken? Is the announcement mistaken? Is there a larger Verizon issue?

I don't know why the above, linked support announcement would exist if it wasn't actually supported.

Anyone know how to make it work?

3 REPLIES 3

Anonymous
Not applicable

Maybe try doing a search in the forums for android and/or eSIM. From a few threads a while back from what I read this is a Visible issue and I don't think there has been anyone that I have read that actually got an Android phone to work with eSIM.  I am sticking with a phone that still uses a pSIM. 

anonymoose
Novice

I think the problem is that their backend IMEI database is incorrect regarding my Pixel 5. When I put my pSIM in my Pixel 5 and log into the website, it lists my device as "Motorola 5G Test Device CDMA". Same thing happens on Verizon's site when I enter my eSIM IMEI. So it's not even being detected as a Google Pixel.

If I put my pSIM in an old Pixel 2 XL, it displays "Google Pixel 2 XL NON-VZW". I have a feeling that if I could get in touch with a more technical rep, that they could manually generate me a eSIM code/QR to get me past their IMEI erroneous categorization. However, Visible's chat just asks me for my IMEI and then tells me my device is not compatible. I posted here in hopes that someone more experienced from Visible might be browsing these posts.

Anonymous
Not applicable

When you are in chat ask or type live agent or you just get a bot that is trying to help. You could also try Twitter or Facebook Messenger and send a DM. I have had no luck on Twitter, Facebook got me a response about as fast as chat which was about 45 minutes.

 

You will never get a response from a Visible rep here. Funny though, I posted on this thread earlier today  https://community.visible.com/t5/Let-s-Chat/5G-Home-Internet/td-p/32372 and according that person Visible monitors these forums which I think is totally false. If Visible was actually monitoring these forums then how come there are so many problems being posted that never seem to get fixed?

 

I just don't think you will find anyone who as actually gotten an eSIM to work on an android phone. Visible is barely getting the bugs worked out of the eSIM for iPhones and it seems like I see a lot of threads about that. The few I have seen about Android a few months ago were not successful at activating. Maybe it has changed. 

 

As far as the IMEI number, Visible is just not willing to update the database to allow more phones, the idea is to sell more phones I think. They said it was possible for my phone that isn't compatible with the new plans might become compatible as they are supposedly working on it. I am still on the old plan and I did buy a used like new Motorola phone from eBay that Visible sold earlier this year so I have a phone that I will be able to activate a new SIM card on when they make us change from the old plan to the new plan sometime at the beginning of the year.