An eSIM bug is currently affecting iPhones, deactivating the phone’s FaceTime and iMessage apps without a simple fix. The problem is mostly affecting devices in the US, with some reports from India as well.
TL;DR
- eSIM bug on iPhones is suddenly deactivating iMessage and FaceTime.
- Solution requires activating a new SIM / eSIM.
The bug got visibility after being described by Bloomberg‘s journalist Mark Gurman, who tweeted about his experience with the problem. According to Gurman, the solution required going to the carrier store and activating a physical SIM, with other reports claiming that removing and resetting the eSIM also fixes the problem.
The journalist experienced the bug with a T-Mobile phone plan, but replies to his post on Twitter indicate that the same problem also happened to AT&T & Verizon customers, as well as prepaid carrier Lyca Mobile, and phone lines in India (Airtel), UK (Vodafone), Poland and Italy also.
Gurman reported that the bug was already present in the previous iOS 15.4 version, as well as the current 15.5 and the in-development 15.6 beta 1. Apple has yet to officially acknowledge the bug, but a Twitter comment wrote that the company is aware of the problem and working on a fix.
Have you experienced this bug on your phone? Are you a physical SIM die-hard or have you “converted” to eSIMs and doesn’t plan to go back to the old standard?
