GrapheneOS with Visible Service

[TruthBeTold]

This post is for anyone with GrapheneOS interested in switching to Visible using a physical SIM card.  I made the switch in July 2022 with a Pixel 5 running stock GrapheneOS compiled through the web installer.  I also ported an existing number from Verizon that was already running on the Pixel 5.  The first hurdle I encountered was not being able to load the Visible app from F-Droid or Aurora store to activate service.  If you know about GrapheneOS you know why I was not willing to load the Google Play Store for this task.  I chatted with a customer service representative who said it was no issue for them to activate my service without the app installed on my phone.  Still, I was hesitant to attempt the switch after reading what little information I could find online.  I asked the agent all the questions I could think of but they had never heard of GraphenOS so they could only take their best guess as to what might happen.  Despite asking several times I never got a clear answer about how long reversing the number port would take if the activation was unsuccessful.  I had already been using Visible on a separate stock Android phone for over a year so I had some hope service would work on the Pixel 5 with GrapheneOS.  I asked the agent to complete my number port and service was transferred nearly instantly.  I did a variety of call, text, and internet tests and had no issues.

However, nearly a month later, there are still some differences in the Visible service between the Pixel and the other phone I have using Visible on stock Android.  Even though a physical Visible SIM is inserted into the Pixel the phone says Verizon at the top whereas my other phone says Visible.  On the Pixel Settings > Calls & SMS, Settings > SIMs, and About phone > SIM status all show Verizon.  The other phone shows Visible in all these locations.  Both phones show one APN named Visible/VSBLINTERNET.  With that APN the Pixel has a long list of protocols? under Bearer whereas the other phone only shows LTE and NR.  I'm not sure if this is due to the phone or the OS difference.

I have not had any issue with Visible service on the Pixel other than I cannot figure out how to get the Voicemail indicator to appear on the phone when a message is waiting.  GrapheneOS is a pull system unlike stock Android which is a push system.  Some apps such as Signal Messenger can be configured to run in the background so they will operate like a push system.  If you know how to make this work for voicemail please reply to this post.

A word about SIM lock and PUKs.  After reading around and chatting with Visible they have no idea what the default SIM pin is and the person I chatted with had no idea what a PUK was.  If you lock yourself out of your SIM card Visible will have to send you a new card and you'll be out of service until you install the new card.  I saw some conflicting information online but I can confirm the default SIM pin for both of my physical SIM cards with Visible was 1111.  After using the default I was able to set a pin of my choice.  Unlocking the SIM after phone reboots, etc. has not been an issue.  Don't be fooled by the language in GrapheneOS for the SIM card lock.  You must first unlock the SIM with the default PIN even though the message language sounds like you are choosing your new PIN.

Forum rules prohibit including referral codes in the help section.  If you found this post valuable and choose to sign up with Visible please use my referral code listed in the companion post under the Savings Spot category.  Search for the post called GrapheneOS Users Can Save with Visible or click the link below.  There is more privacy related information and my referral code in the post.

https://community.visible.com/t5/Savings-Spot/GrapheneOS-Users-Can-Save-with-Visible/td-p/21481

[upstate-SC]

First, you have a long post. If I break down:

1. You have two mobile connection (two numbers) with Visible. One with graphene OS and another with stock Android. Is that correct?
2. You tried to activate new number with Graphene OS and has issue with voicemail. Is that correct?
3. You need help in setting up voicemail on your visible sim on Graphene OS Pixel phone? Is that correct?
4. Just statements on SIM card PIN and PUK Code for knowledge sharing with the community.

My suggestions:

Can you try swapping the SIM card from Graphene OS Pixel phone to the stock android phone and set up voice mail. then put that sim card back to Graphene OS Pixel phone and see?

[upstate-SC]

Too much information to process from your writings. I personally have not tweaked with Graphene OS.

Try to be precise on the questions. Just my 2 cents.

[upstate-SC]

Off topic: Did you lose your Google photos privilege on pixel phone by moving to graphene OS?

[PixelsKindaRok]

Hey OP you still check this?? Did you or anybody try Esim on graphene?

I just finally got my p7, I installed graphene ok, gapps, think I configured right…

but randomly I start getting esim manager crashes. I think whatever I’m not ready or trying to activate yet anyway (installing password managers to sign into visible).
once I am, I can’t activate! It fails, apps say contact support. Support can’t help. 5 days still no working phone.
is it worth reflashing? Did I do something wrong? Has anyone else experience something like this? I feel it’s not worth asking the representatives in chat about graphene because I work I.T. and I’m good at googling. I can’t find much on this situation. If I can’t I’d be shocked if they knew much.

[PixelsKindaRok]

At the risk of Necroing a dead thread, I am experiencing things very similar to OP. I am hoping either he still monitors this or someone could assist?
I just received my pixel seven and was going to activate my Sim on stock, but felt that might cause issues. Let’s wait until I get graphene installed.

I get it installed, and the apps, and I think I can figure it out correctly, download the app sign and go through the process, and then it errors. Now I can’t sign into the app on the new phone or the old one.

I should note: I got all the way to the last step of activating on stock, stopped, and then halfway through setting up graphing. My east manager just continues to crash for no reason even after a restart it will crash, I have not activated yet, or got even close; I was still trying to install my password manager apps, so I’m not sure if something happened and I broke a core service for activation??

Support doesn’t seem to know what to do or how to help, I keep getting sent in circles and it’s been five days. I’d ask them about graphene but I work in I.T. And pretty good at googling. I find little about visible and graphene so I doubt they know much? Happy to be wrong.

should I reflash graphene? Did I setup esim manager wrong or gapps? would a physical Sim work?

sorry to necro. Closest thread I’ve found.

[Pxlusr]

1. GrapheneOS install instructions suggest that your phone be carrier unlocked. New phones purchased from visible are locked for 60 days.

[TruthBeTold]

@PixelsKindaRok 

I'm not sure I understand your issue fully.  I would recommend chatting with customer service to activate service and not use the Visible app at all.  I never installed it to activate service on my Pixel 5 with GOS.  I have a physical SIM but I have seen esim appears to work on GOS as well.  You have to enable privileged esmin management, google services framework, and google play to make it work.  Some of them can be turned off after you have the esim working.  Side of Burritos YouTube channel has a great video on this.

[cbax]

For anyone coming here looking for an answer for this, if you go with SIM and not eSIM you can borrow a friend's phone to activate. The app requirement for activation is arbitrary. I have successfully activated a device by using a phone with google play services, installing the sim and the app, running the activation, then moving the sim to the GrapheneOS device.

The real solution here is for the Visible app to stop using Firebase for their backend.......