Can't add eSIM on Google Pixel 8 Pro with Verizon

[jeffreykey]

Problem: Can't add eSIM on Verizon Pixel 8 Pro

I have a Google Pixel 8 Pro. So does my son and a friend of his. We're all on Verizon, and got our phones from Verizon. The problem is that none of us can download an eSIM. After trying to add an eSIM in the settings, I get to the "Connect to mobile network" screen. However, clicking "Download a new eSIM" immediately goes to a "Contact Verizon" screen. I've tried rebooting the phone, disabling the Verizon physical SIM, turning off mobile data and roaming, removing the SIM card, resetting the network, and multiple combinations of all this.

The phone is not SIM-locked. I put a friend's T-Mobile SIM card in the phone to verify that it is unlocked.

My wife's iPhone 15 Pro, also on Verizon, doesn't have this problem. Of course it doesn't. It's an iPhone.

This is maddening. My son and his friend discovered this issue while in an airport on their way to Europe. They wanted to add an eSIM, just as we have all done before with Pixel 6's. They talked to a Verizon tech who was helpful but couldn't resolve the issue. Verizon thinks it's a Google problem.

I talked to Google technical support after submitting the issue from my phone (Contact Support on the Troubleshoot mobile connection screen). It was a long call because the support person kept putting me on hold to investigate this or that. Ultimately she said that the phone is operating as it should. Obviously it isn't. So is it a Verizon problem?

[jeffreykey]

UPDATE to my previous post, 4 Feb 2024: I contacted Verizon tech support. The person had me try a couple things, none of which worked. Same result as when my son spoke to them yesterday. The person I talked to suggested a factory reset. As much as I hated the idea, I did it. It did NOT resolve the problem. In other words, we've tried everything and the problem remains.

This is completely unacceptable. Don't Verizon and Google actually test their code?

[jeffreykey]

UPDATE #2: I went to a Verizon store and we figured out a workaround. Skipthe Settings -> Network -> SIM -> Add SIM, etc. Instead, (1) Display your eSIM QR code on your computer, or have somebody take a picture of it from their phone and display it. Point your camera at the QR code. It should have a small capsule above the magnification numbers that says "Add eSIM". Tap it, follow the steps, and it will be added! 

Now somebody at Google or Verizon needs to fix the procedure via the Settings.

[Scott5337]

Glad you got it figured out. There have been lots of tech news articles about this lately. But the sales reps in the stores probably don't read tech news, there job is to sell phones.

[vzw_customer_support]

Hello, jeffreykey. Thanks so much for this info. Help is here. Just want to confirm, with the Pixel 8 Pro devices, there is a physical SIM slot but this device does have the ability to use eSIM. Do you currently have a physical SIM in the device? Were you attempting to activate an eSIM with a different provider (Dual SIM cards)?

-Natasha

[jeffreykey]

To clarify, yes, this phone has a physical SIM slot and I have a Verizon SIM in that slot. The phone can also have multiple eSIMs, though only one can be active at a time. The problem isn't activating an eSIM, it's being able to download an eSIM via the phone's settings (open Settings, go to Network, then SIMs, then Add SIM). It won't even let you download an eSIM. It just goes to a screen that says "Contact Verizon". It doesn't matter what company the eSIM comes from, because you are not able to download any eSIM this way.

As I described earlier, you CAN add an eSIM by skipping the settings approach and just viewing the eSIM's QR code with the phone's camera. When you do that, there's a little popup on the camera screen that says "Add eSIM". Click that and it will download.

So somebody needs to fix the procedure for adding an eSIM via the settings. 

I can't put any more time into this, and probably won't reply anymore. I've spent hours on it, including doing a factory reset (Verizon's useless suggestion) and spending two hours getting my phone back to it's previous state. 

[jeffreykey]

I'd like to revisit this because it's still a problem even though I have a workaround. So let's try a different approach: Can anybody reading this who has a Pixel 8 Pro (or maybe also the non-Pro version) please do this and tell me the outcome?

1.  Go into Settings, then Network & Internet.

2. Tap "SIMs".

3. Tap "Add SIM".

4. Tap "Download a new eSIM". Note that you don't need to have a new eSIM for this. We're just pretending that you do.

At this point it will go to a new screen saying "Checking network info...". If this were working correctly, you would see a screen to scan the new eSIM QR code with another option to manually input the eSIM activation code. On my phone and on my son's, we don't get to the QR code scanning screen and instead get a "Contact Verizon" screen.

Can anybody else confirm that this also happens on your phone? Thanks.

[jethana08]

Pixel 7 Pro owner here. Going through the same dilemma. Have been with customer support for over a week and no resolution yet.

In my case, all the QR codes provided by the support produced the "SIM already downloaded" error. I am not sure, if the QR codes provided were the same for all the users to make the phone search for more info in the network. Nothing is working for me.

[jeffreykey]

Thanks for the response. It sounds like you might have a different eSIM problem. Nevertheless, I appreciate the reply.

[vzw_customer_support]

What a challenge jethana08. We do not want to make the esim activation difficult. When receiving the "already downloaded" message, we would want to go into settings and review the ICCID(s) that are in About Phone, Sim Status. There are troubleshooting steps we can work through together to make sure your phone is activated. Please reply to the private message so we can get started. 

-Deb

[jethana08]

Hi, 

I can confirm that my device (pixel 7 pro)  imei 2 was added to the Verizon database by the tech support. I had to open a case requesting it and wait for almost a week. Before the case was opened I had to call support multiple times and let them do all the circus they could to make it activate. So, please be patient. One the database got updated with my imei 2, it was a breeze. I had a QR code and scanned it the normal way that the activation screen showed me and the eSim got downloaded and worked just like that. Thank you Verizon.

[jeffreykey]

Interesting. I'm not sure if your issue relates to mine or not, since I can add an eSIM, just not through the process in the settings. Nevertheless, I'll keep it in mind if/when I call Verizon tech support. I dread doing that because when I did it before, it led to a factory reset which solved nothing and took me hours to get back to where I was.

[vzw_customer_support]

We're terribly sorry for any issues you're encountering jeffreykey. Please let us know if there is anything we can be of assistance with, we would love to help. 😊

~Ivone

[jeffreykey]

@vzw_customer_support:  Perhaps you could pass this issue on to Verizon tech people or software engineers. I can't say for sure if it's a Verizon issue or a Google issue. Nevertheless, they should be working together. To summarize the issue, the process of adding an eSIM through the settings on a Google Pixel 8 Pro doesn't work. It ends with "Contact Verizon" instead of opening the camera to scan a QR code for a new eSIM. I'm not talking about a Verizon eSIM. Any eSIM. Steps: Settings -> Network & internet -> SIMs -> Add SIM -> Download a new eSIM, after which a "Checking internet" screen briefly appears, then a Contact Verizon screen. 

Please get somebody to fix it! I called Verizon customer support but got nowhere. Thanks in advance for whatever you can do.

[vzw_customer_support]

jeffreykey, thanks for the honest feedback. We know the importance of having a reliable phone that is easy to program. We want to guide you in the right direction.

To ensure the proper steps were followed and to avoid any missed opportunities, please make sure you followed the eSIM set up process found on our official page: https://www.verizon.com/support/knowledge-base-230702/.

Let us know how it goes.

~Gilbert

[jeffreykey]

Those instructions appear to be for adding a Verizon eSIM. That's not the issue for me. I give up. Fortunately, I have a workaround.

[Dionedaairize]

thank you for this. I tried doing it from my pixel camera and it worked instead of going to the settings and prompt me to Verizon and be on hold for an hour.

[jeffreykey]

@Dionedaairize: Do you have a Pixel 8 or Pixel 8 pro? I'm trying to get confirmation that it's a Pixel 8 (Pro) issue on Verizon. I've heard from a couple Pixel 7 owners that don't have the same problem. In any case, I'm glad you got it to work by using the camera directly rather than going through the settings process to add an eSIM.

[JESTAY47]

Chiming in to say this is still an issue (Pixel 8), and thank you to @jeffreykey for posting the workaround. My service was deactivated for 45m before I finally gave up on Verizon Support and found this thread. 

[vzw_customer_support]

Hello! We are here to help with activation issues. Please tell us a little more. Did you attempt activation while in the U.S.? Did you add an Internationla plan for this trip? 

~Maria

[Wisegye]

6/13/24 There is still a problem adding an eSIM on a Pixel 8.  When clicking on + Add SIM, it goes to "Contact Verizon" and I can't get any further.  Tech support at Verizon is clueless.  I have been on the Phone with Verizon twice, wasting over an hour, then visited the Verizon store, wasting 2 hours including travel time).  Nobody is able to fix this.  Really frustrating.