eSIM does not work anymore since 2023040400

MetropleX

Fulgrim have you still got DSDS (Dual SIM Dual Standby) enabled?

Dial *#*#4636#*#* and check for me.

Fulgrim

In the menu it says, that DSDS is enabled.

MetropleX

Fulgrim Hmmm do you have sandboxed play installed or did you remove it once eSIM was activated?

Fulgrim

MetropleX

Well I have not installed it on my main profile, but on other profiles on the phone. The eSim was activated by the preinstalled Andoird back in August 2022

MetropleX

I have provided these details in the testing channel over on Matrix, however in the interim if you want to try something else, you can install sandboxed play services in owner and attempt to reenable the SIM that way and let me know the outcome.

Fulgrim

MetropleX

Already tried to install sandboxed play services, but unforunatley, this didn't help. After a restart, The SIMs option under Settings -> Network & internet is greyed out for several minutes. During this time it sais "Not available" for both sim slots in About Phone.

After several minutes it asks for the PIN of the physical SIM. After that, the status of sim slot 2 is still unavilable. I have tried to delete delete the eSIM Profile, but this was also not possible (also tried this with play services installed and priviled eSIM option on). Installing a new eSIM profile is also not possible.

My gut feelings says, that maybe the eSIM is broken. Was a firmware update part of the new version? Or maybe it is just coincidence that the eSIM breaks at the same moment.

MetropleX

Can you restart the device and when you do so grab a bug report:

SETTINGS>SYSTEM>DEVELOPER OPTIONS>BUG REPORT>INTERACTIVE

Then open an issue:
https://github.com/GrapheneOS/os-issue-tracker/issues

State you have the report and ask where/who to submit it to.

Then link to the issue here so that if anyone else turns up with the same issue across our portals they can find their way there.

As we haven't seen or heard anyone else with the issue during internal testing and during the alpha/beta staged release process for now it seems isolated. However doing the above will hopefully shed light on the problem and possible resolution.

GrapheneOS

Do you have the eSIM activation toggle enabled or no?

Fulgrim

GrapheneOS So, the toggle of the SIM is dsabled and can't be enabled. Behavioe does not change, when I install play services and and enable privileged eSIM management. In both cases the error message is "Can't disable carrier".

mrtoo

Fulgrim I have no idea if related or not, but recently I noticed "com.google.android.euicc" is disabled on my phone. I know this package is used with esim. Is this package disabled on your phone?

Fulgrim

mrtoo On my phone. I can't find com.google.android.euicc, but the following three packages:

com.google.android.euiccoverlay
com.google.android.euiccpixel.auto_generated_rro_product_adevtool__
com.google.euiccpixel.permissions

mrtoo

Fulgrim I have those three as well, all enabled. P4a. Now I am curious if you should have com.google.android.euicc?

Fulgrim

Issue created on github. https://github.com/GrapheneOS/os-issue-tracker/issues/2097

Fulgrim

First, thank you to @muhomorr who took the time to look into the log files from my phone.

He analyzed the logs an things, that this is an upstream bug, where also users of the stock Andoird are affected. It seems, that the updates breaks compatibily with eSIMS where T-Mobile or Google Fi eSIMS are installed (or in my case, an eSIM for German Telekom).

https://support.google.com/fi/thread/193529658/google-fi-esim-no-longer-working-after-december-2022-update-on-pixel-6a?hl=en
https://support.google.com/fi/thread/193693946/esim-suddenly-gone-from-pixel-6a-can-t-reinstall?hl=en
https://support.google.com/fi/thread/193668299/pixel6a-phone-number-esim-stopped-working?hl=en

Fulgrim

Some update:

I reverted the Phone to Stock OS, but this also didn't help. Then I found this Thread here in German: https://support.google.com/pixelphone/thread/175566419/pixel-6a-mit-esim-fehler-android-13?hl=de

(I should do more research in my language :-D)

Several customers of Deutsche Telekom (largest carrier here in Germany) that had a Pixel 6a were affected. The problems occured there in August and September 2022. It seems that in case the eSIM does have a profile from Deutsche Telekom and an update from Android 12 to Android 13 happen (which includes an update of the eSIM Firmware) bricks the eSIM forever. According to information in the thread, Google replaces these phones.

I think I was not affected in the past, as GrapheneOS did not ship firmware updates of the eSIM prior to 2023040400. It seems to work well, when the firmware update happens when no Deutsche Telekom profile is installed and when the profile is put on the eSIM afterwards.

Overall something that makes me thoughful about realibity of modern tech. I mean, how can it be, that installing the official firmware image to the eSIM module just bricks the chip when the eSIM profile of a large european carrier is installed there? It is not GrapheneOS projects fault, as they only forward the firmware blob.

de0u

Fulgrim Overall something that makes me thoughful about realibity of modern tech. I mean, how can it be, that installing the official firmware image to the eSIM module just bricks the chip when the eSIM profile of a large european carrier is installed there? It is not GrapheneOS projects fault, as they only forward the firmware blob.

Wow. Indeed.

Thanks for taking the time to report back!

Has Google agreed to replace your phone?

matchboxbananasynergy

Fulgrim Thank you for taking the time to update us on this. I guess I'll mark this issue as solved, as there's nothing for GrapheneOS to do here. As far as we're concerned, it's done everything properly.

I do hope you are able to return your phone or otherwise resolve the issue.

As a last resort, I would recommend checking with your carrier if they can reprovision your eSIM, and if they can, then delete it and reprovision it.

If that does nothing, it looks like returning it might be your last option. If you manage to resolve it without returning the device, please let us know so that we can help others in the future!