TicWatch Pro 3 LTE and eSIM

[rimsilva]

Sadly Mobvoi has "blocked" the eSIM activation to vodafone network and only in 3 countries, that's a very annoying situation...

I was hoping to be able to import the Vodafone eSIM card in Portugal but it's no possible, I don't understand why this limitation.

At the end we've seing here that it's possible to use a different provider than Vodafone, but you need to be in UK, Germany or Spain... No sense.

Is there any change to "import" a eSIM to a smartwatch in a different way?

 

[balalaika]

Are there any HW differences between GPS and LTE version?

Maybe the watch are identical, only via SW activated LTE option?

 

[doongoo]

Are there any HW differences between GPS and LTE version?

Maybe the watch are identical, only via SW activated LTE option?

Esim must have an antenna for the cellular reception

 

[rimsilva]

Waiting for my Voda pre-paid SIM, and going to order soon the esim watch too from Mobvoi, just waiting to receive the 200 Mobvoi-dollars off coupon (means 280€ off the purchase price) to buy the watch. Esim card will come from T-mobile Hungary.

If you live in Hungary, almost 100% sure that you will not be able to install de eSIM.

But if you do it please share here!

 

[chrisaw]

I think some of you have misunderstood the steps I posted.

The Vodafone SIM is for use in your phone while setting up whatever eSIM you want.

Basically the watch doesn't check the network that the eSIM belongs to - the app on your phone does. So I'd your PHONE is on Vodafone network, you can then pair ANY eSIM with your watch.

There may also be a way to mod the APK to bypass this check but that's for smarter minds than mine to figure out!

 

[rimsilva]

There may also be a way to mod the APK to bypass this check but that's for smarter minds than mine to figure out!

That would be awesome!
To bypass that and the country check, in Portugal even if i've a Vodafone SIM (and eSIM of several providers) I can't install eSIM in TicWatch...

 

[Doman2011]

Hi,

any eSIM will and must work (well in 99%...). I'm using TicWatch Pro 3 4g/LTE with Orange Flex eSIM (Poland).
When you setup smartwatch as new on the phone (Wear OS), the creator asks for eSIM add, but in text mode (there is no QR code option). So... you must save your QR code eSIM as an picture (in most cases it just saves it as .png), then decode it in to text (there are many free www QR decoders), and then just copy & paste text that you got form QR to the creator. It just works.

BR, Doman.

 

[vrman]

Ok so I managed to get this sussed out and got it working on EE (UK network.)

The way is actually quite simple - I have a dual SIM phone (note 20 ultra) and one of those SIMs is indeed Vodafone.

I did the following:

1. Switch my primary SIM to Vodafone (could achieve the same thing by just inserting a vodafone sim temporarily.)

2. Force close and relaunch Wear OS app on phone

3. Using newly available "Add a Vodafone SIM to your watch" (or similar) option in Wear OS I selected to Scan a QR code - then just scanned the QR code for the EE SIM (it kept calling it Vodafone in the WearOS app but I completely ignored that and added it anyway.)

4. Restart watch

5. If you get the same result I did - success! You are now connected to whatever network you want.

6. Switch back to your normal SIM on your phone and the watch will remain connected to whatever network you scanned the QR code for.

Really hope this helps someone else!

Hi,

any eSIM will and must work (well in 99%...). I'm using TicWatch Pro 3 4g/LTE with Orange Flex eSIM (Poland).
When you setup smartwatch as new on the phone (Wear OS), the creator asks for eSIM add, but in text mode (there is no QR code option). So... you must save your QR code eSIM as an picture (in most cases it just saves it as .png), then decode it in to text (there are many free www QR decoders), and then just copy & paste text that you got form QR to the creator. It just works.

BR, Doman.

Using a combo of the above replies(Thank You Both!), I was able to add my watch to AT&T in the US. Been using for a few days without any issues. Watch standalone call and data performance is really better than I expected.

 

[rimsilva]

Hi,

any eSIM will and must work (well in 99%...). I'm using TicWatch Pro 3 4g/LTE with Orange Flex eSIM (Poland).
When you setup smartwatch as new on the phone (Wear OS), the creator asks for eSIM add, but in text mode (there is no QR code option). So... you must save your QR code eSIM as an picture (in most cases it just saves it as .png), then decode it in to text (there are many free www QR decoders), and then just copy & paste text that you got form QR to the creator. It just works.

BR, Doman.

So in that case you don't need a physical SIM (from UK, Germany or Spain) in order to import the eSIM?

It's enough to do that trick of converting the QR code to text?
Don't remember to see in the wear OS app asking for the esim.

 

[doongoo]

"Using a combo of the above replies(Thank You Both!), I was able to add my watch to AT&T in the US. Been using for a few days without any issues. Watch standalone call and data performance is really better than I expected."

This is good news, as I am waiting my watch to arrive today and I hope to be able to use my esim (Telekom) in it. My further wish that permanent proxy solution for the Gpay will work as well (as I am in a not supported country)

 

[doongoo]

So, my LTE watch arrived yesterday and today I managed to get it working. I have an esim from Telekom HU and bought earlier a pre-paid Vodafone UK sim too on amazon. I unpaired my Ticwatch Pro 3 GPS, force closed the wear OS (and also Mobvoi) app on phone and deleted cache and data too for those apps. Restarted the phone and opened the wear OS. Asked about pairing the watch. Paired it an there was no option to choose esim.
So, this part "When you setup smartwatch as new on the phone (Wear OS), the creator asks for eSIM add, but in text mode (there is no QR code option) " was not the case for me.
I did again all the preparations and inserted my Voda UK esim in the phone and set it for the primary for calls and data too.
After opening the wear OS app, now the option appeared to set vodafone SIM on watch. Now I scanned the esim QR (in my phones native scanner app) I have from Telekom HU and copied its content in text format and inserted it the field it was asking for in the Wear app And then nothing happened, just contacting your provider message on screen. After 3-4 minutes waiting I exited from the app, and I did again all the preparations.
During the second try, after copying the esim info into the field the same message appeared but after appr. 30 seconds I just removed the Voda UK sim from my phone and re-inserted my Telekom HU sim. The app asked again about the esim code, but this time even a normal scan window was appearing and I scanned the code. After that the communication with the operator finished in a couple of seconds. I just needed to restart the watch to get the esim working (before with turned off bluetooth and wifi there was no data connection on watch).
Now my only problem is, that I cannot get the Gpay to work (even when esim is turned off). With my Pro 3 GPS I could get it working without any problems with the permanent proxy method, but this solution is not working on the Pro 3 LTE.
Did you guys from non-supported countries (Doman2011 and jfor111) (Gpay on watch not officially supported) also try it and somehow managed to get it working? I tried several things (turning off location acces on watch and turning on VPN for USA onn phone), but the result is always the same on the watch when openening the Gpay app: " Google Pay hasn't launched in this location yet. Check again soon " It would be great if somebody could give a solution, as unfortunately the developer of the permanent proxy solution cannot provide further help on our specific issue.

 

[rimsilva]

Unfortunately just bricked my watch.

After receiving my vodafone UK card i've started the setup like others have done here, but when the eSIM card was downloading, the SW screen went black and stopped responding.

After a few minutes it has reboot to recovery, with 2 options:
- Try again: if selected just keeping coming back to this menu;
- Factory data reset: it reset the SW, starts the SW and allows me to select the language, accept the mobvoi conduction but never get to connect with my phone, the screen goes black again and return to recovery.

I've contacted Mobvoi support to see if its possible to solve this issue.

 

[doongoo]

I gave the watch another try (because I need google pay on my wrist). Gpay is now working with permanent proxy solution but this time I cannot get the esim working again...Before re-setting my watch I erased the esim profile from watch, disabled and deleted the operator too (complete reset) and tried again my method from yesterday but it doesn't work. I just et at the end a message: "A credential error occured, contact vodafofe blah-blah"
So now I have to wait until Mobvoi opens the restrictions for another carriers to be able to use my esim (until then, I am going to cancel my esim subscription)

 

[rimsilva]

I gave the watch another try (because I need google pay on my wrist). Gpay is now working with permanent proxy solution but this time I cannot get the esim working again...Before re-setting my watch I erased the esim profile from watch, disabled and deleted the operator too (complete reset) and tried again my method from yesterday but it doesn't work. I just et at the end a message: "A credential error occured, contact vodafofe blah-blah"
So now I have to wait until Mobvoi opens the restrictions for another carriers to be able to use my esim (until then, I am going to cancel my esim subscription)

Maybe it's due to ESIM activation restrictions, my first eSIM was given that error because I've used in an iPhone.
After getting a new one the installation was possible.

 

[doongoo]

Maybe it's due to ESIM activation restrictions, my first eSIM was given that error because I've used in an iPhone.
After getting a new one the installation was possible.

seems to be a possile option. I am going to check it with my provider.

 

[doongoo]

So, today in the morning I checked it again. rimsilva, you were right, the activation QR-code was for one time only activation and I had to ask for a new one. With it I could get the esim function working again. There is no phone number visible in the watch but incoming and outgoing calls are working an data connection as well.
Now my only problem is, that I lost again the ability to use the Gpay with permanent proxy solution. It does not matter if I totally switch off mobile network on watch, remove the other google account from watch and leave only the USA one on it, even the Wifi is off and location is switched off too, so only connected via bluetooth (and phone is on USA VPN too) and using permanent proxy, I receive the same message:

So it seems, as soon as there is a saved esim profile on the watch it somehow overwrites the whole possibility for the proxy solution.
Did you guys any other experience in another non-supported countries?

 

[Dracuuus]

Unfortunately just bricked my watch.

After receiving my vodafone UK card i've started the setup like others have done here, but when the eSIM card was downloading, the SW screen went black and stopped responding.

After a few minutes it has reboot to recovery, with 2 options:
- Try again: if selected just keeping coming back to this menu;
- Factory data reset: it reset the SW, starts the SW and allows me to select the language, accept the mobvoi conduction but never get to connect with my phone, the screen goes black again and return to recovery.

I've contacted Mobvoi support to see if its possible to solve this issue.

Hi rimsilva, I also have the LTE version and I want to activate the esim. What I need to do to avoid to brick mine ??
My network provider is Portugal Meo ! Appreciate if you can help me Thanks

 

[rimsilva]

Hi rimsilva, I also have the LTE version and I want to activate the esim. What I need to do to avoid to brick mine ??
My network provider is Portugal Meo ! Appreciate if you can help me Thanks

Unfortunately I can't guarantee you anything, because the mobvoi support it's very poor and I'm still waiting for a reply.

It's a very strange situation, because apparently everything was going well, the eSIM was downloading and then I had the problem described above.

For sure that it was the esim instalation that messed up the SmartWatch.

The problem is that resetting the SmartWatch will not affect the esim installation and due to that I can't solve the bootloop.

If you want to try your luck, you need a Vodafone UK, Germany or Spain card to have available the option to install the Meo eSIM.

 

[Doman2011]

So in that case you don't need a physical SIM (from UK, Germany or Spain) in order to import the eSIM?

It's enough to do that trick of converting the QR code to text?
Don't remember to see in the wear OS app asking for the esim.

No physical SIM was needed.

Just make your phone up-to-date (play store and probably FW, TicWatch had already newest Wear OS), install only Wear OS (don't install Mobvoi app). Follow pairing wizard (watch is brand new and not paired). Wizard will detect watch model and after few screens it will ask for eSIM (you are able to enter single line text only), enter eSIM in text format, and... that's all.

It worked for me like a charm.

Provider: Orange / Poland (eSIM, Flex traiff - officially Orange is NOT supporting this watch)
Watch: Mobvoi TicWatch Pro 3 4g/LTE (0403 / WH11013)
Wear OS: 2.24

Phone OS: Android 10
Phone Wear OS: 2.44.0.353846678.gms
Phone Mobvoi APP: 3.20.0-1301.561

BR, Doman.

EDIT / ADDED:
Maybe you folks got a model for different market? Ieg. your in EU na you bought an US or Chinese version (or vice-versa)?
I'v bought my watch directly via www.mobvoi.com site and used EU/PL as location. For 95% there are different versions due to GSM capabilities/limitations... and they will not work on other markets.

 

[Dracuuus]

Thanks rimsilva !! I´m waiting for the activation of the esim by Meo. Than I´ll see what to do