Will a Sprint SIM work in my Boost Moto E-2nd gen phone? For use on TextNow's free plan that gives unlimited cellular talk and text.
And if it is likely to work, will I have to do something to "marry" the Sprint SIM to my phone?
Thank you!
If it's the SIM that originally came in the Moto E2, yes, it will work. You don't have to do anything other than enter the numbers when enrolling the phone.
If you don't have the original SIM, it will be a little painful to get one for that phone. I thought I needed a replacement in mine, and none of the usual sources had one.
The phone has its original Boost SIM in it. TextNow tells me "Unfortunately this phone is not compatible with our network" when I try to "Activate SIM Card" in the TextNow app.
Another weird thing is that the pull-down from the top of screen shows "Sprint" as the network. Previously, it always showed as "Chameleon".
I tried updating PRL and updating profile. Both fail with "ErrorCode is COMMS_SOCKET_ERROR" error message. Tried to "reset cellular data", that fails too.
That's why I thought maybe I need a new SIM. Any ideas on what's going on? Thank you!
Edited to add - in the past, this same phone never worked properly on TextNow. Didn't ring on incoming calls, Chameleon kept giving error messages, etc. That's another reason I thought maybe a new SIM was needed.
peterquinn, thanks for reminding us of your earlier problems with that phone & TextNow.
I don't think you can update PRL and Profile unless the phone is active on the network, so some kind of failure is anticipated there. Resetting cellular data also won't work until the phone is active on the network. (Attempting it might wipe previous settings, but there are no new settings to replace them.)
Have you checked the IMEID on Tello's BYOD test page?
Since you previously used the phone on TextNow, did you deactivate it? (Or replace it with a different phone?)
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Did you try connecting to WiFi, then updating Profile? I have this phone previously on TextNow and that is how I got it provisioned. After Profile updates, it will update PRL automatically with a reboot or two thrown in for fun.
Those Moto E2's can definitely be a little persnickety about provisioning! I don't think this applies to peterquinn's situation, though, since the app tells him his device isn't compatible. (He can't get far enough to worry about provisioning......)
Sometimes textnow throws up that message when the phone is already provisioned elsewhere. Make sure it has dropped off wherever you left eg you can check the tello byod and make sure it says clear for activation.
If you recently left somewhere sometimes it takes a few days to clear off. Try again in a couple of days.
The problem persists, unfortunately. As an update --
- Tello's checker tells me that the phone is good to join Tello.
- Multiple reboots of the phone - no improvement.
- multiple uninstall-install-update TextNow app - no improvement.
- profile and PRL updates, multiple again
-- no improvement.
And now, everytime I reboot the phone, it starts with an endless "Activating -- Please wait until complete -- Retrying (1/5).. (2/5).." screen. It tells me it's waiting to update profile, then goes into Device Self Service, and ends up with a black screen.
My wifi is on the entire time, and data is on too.
I have no idea what is going on! Very perplexing!
Here's what I have used the phone for -
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Used it on TextNow with their free cellular voice plan, where my experience was very unsatisfactory. Incoming calls wouldn't ring, Chameleon kept telling me to log in to the network, etc.
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So in frustration, I canceled the TextNow free plan. Also deleted the TextNow app.
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But free is free, so tried going back to TextNow and ran into problems getting their free plan. Tried for some time, then gave up on TextNow.
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Tried to sign up for Vennn with this Boost-MotoE2, even though it didn't pass the Venn BYOD checker. Venn let me go forward with the sign-up even though it didn't pass the check, and charged my credit card. Venn wasn't able to activate the phone so they refunded my credit card after I called them to check on the activation status.
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Now back to trying to use this phone with TextNow.
The endless loop is the phone looking for provisioning info from the network, and finding none. It will persist for a while on every boot, until (hopefully) that phone decides not to try again unless specifically directed.
Somewhere in the process of trying to get it active this time, did you use the ##72786# dialer code, or a network reset? (That's exactly what you should do if trying to provision a phone.). That clears any previous provisioning settings, which tells the phone it needs to reach out for new provisioning.
If you need to use the phone as a tablet or something, turn on airplane mode, and then turn WiFi back on. That should stop the loop.
Yes I did do a network reset. Maybe more than once. I've been fiddling around with everything I can fiddle around with!
I also tried removing and re-inserting the SIM. And signing up for TextNow with a different e-mail address.
TextNow still gives me the same frustrating message - that the phone isn't compatible, and that I should shop for phones on their website. Dang! Tearing my hair in frustration here!
The Not Compatible message is very odd, and perhaps tells us something...... I just can't quite figure it out.
Text Now activated this phone previously, so it was compatible then. It still seems to meet the minimum requirements for TextNow.
Then Venn said it wasn't compatible, and it would not activate. But I think this should have been the expected result at Venn. Venn is apparently reselling Sprint Postpaid business lines, and they use the Sprint BYOD test. We had wondered about that choice of tests originally, but if they're reselling business lines, they can only accept phones that are eligible for Sprint Postpaid-- and your Moto E2 is not.
I would wonder if somewhere between TextNow's last deactivation, and Venn's attempt, the phone got switched in Sprint's database to being listed as a postpaid phone without FEC/FED clearance. That would explain why TextNow says "not compatible" now-- but Tello saying it's good to go throws a wrench in that theory. (The phone would be acceptable at Tello if it was a Postpaid phone, but not if it didn't clear FEC/FED. I assume that TextNow would be fine with it, too.)
So confusing.....
Things are moving forward in baby steps 
--
- the phone has stopped going into its infinite "Activating.." loop.
- TextNow suddenly stopped telling me that the phone is incompatible.
- PRL and profile updates completed successfully, after I dialed ##SCRTN## at TextNow's urging.
I think the progress happened because I deleted the Google account that was on the phone. Which is a very weird reason to get things to improve, but that's the only reason I can think of. (Prior to this, I had messed around with every possible setting and done everything I could think of, with no success).
I then signed up for a new Google account, and then signed up for TextNow with this new Google account. Then let the phone just sit there for a couple hours. Then went into the TextNow app and clicked on a welcome text from TextNow inviting me to try their free cellular plan. That's when TextNow asked me to dial ##SCRTN## after which the PRN and profile updated successfully.
However, it's not all roses yet -- I can't dial out, can't receive calls, can't text, and don't receive texts unless I'm on wifi. Meaning, basically, TextNow's cellular plan still doesn't work for me. But hey, like I said, things are improving!
Just thought I'd post this here for anyone who enjoys solving cellphone mysteries! (BTW, I'm a mystery buff myself, and really enjoyed reading KentE's analysis in the previous post!)
Edited to add - Also, now when I pull down from the top of the screen, it doesn't show "Sprint" as the network; it shows "Chameleon" instead. So maybe Venn was indeed wrapped up in this mess somehow.
Just in case, I had a slow activation issue with the iPhone 6s I put that on. It took several hours (if not more) to finally provision correctly and calls and texts to work using TextNow. Unfortunately, several weeks after, it stopped receiving calls and making calls unless on WiFi. If I recall, it was after an app update. Have not tested it again using the phone's data. Interestingly, during that time I could use Hangouts just fine along with Google search and Google Voice SMS. Hopefully by now, your data works on the phone and then is just dealing with the app.
I have a boost phone do I use the card it came with or my text now card cause in the boost phone can't add Tex now static and it's very upsetting to me could really use some help if I use their card how do I get the cell and wfi free please help me
I believe TextNow is in the transition from Sprint to Tmobile now. Not sure if sprint sim still can be activated.