- Joined
- Jan 1, 2009
- Messages
- 15,512
- Reaction score
- 3,874
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Winchester, VA
- Your Mac's Specs
- MBP 16" 2023 (M3 Pro), iPhone 15 Pro, plus ATVs, AWatch, MacMinis (multiple)
I got a new iPhone 12 today, took three hours to get set up with Verizon. This is an account for anybody else on what happened.
First, when I ordered the new iPhone, they asked for my carrier and phone number. Had not been asked that before, so it did set off small alarm bells. I am in the iPhone Upgrade Program, where I can pay 1/24 of the cost per month, over 24 months, and can upgrade at no additional cost after 12. Basically, I'm "renting" the phone. So I give my carrier as Verizon and the number associated with it.
Phone comes today, nice. Opened the box, no instructions (it is Apple, after all). No problems because I had read at Verizon AND at Apple that all I had to do was power it on and follow the screens. So I did. Said "Hello," picked the language and area and then was offered to do an automated transfer or set it up manually (cue the sinister music). In he past the automated transfer has worked well, so I chose that. Wanted the two iPhones close, so did that, then wanted me to put the swirly blue dots in the camera frame on the OLD iPhone. Did that and they shook hands and started the process. Note that I was asked nothing but what language and what region and what type of transfer.
Next step was to activate the phone number. Asked for verification that the desired number, I tapped "Next" and the screen just stuck, no activation, no change, nada. Let it sit for about 20 minutes, cancelled the install and decide to do a manual setup. Rebooted the new phone, said Hello, got language and region and then selected Manual setup. Asked for verification that the number was what I wanted, got to the activation screen. Spent another 20 minutes with zero progress.
At this point in normal times I would drive the 5 minutes to the nearby Verizon store, but it's appointment only and the first available appointment is Monday. So I get online with a chat tech support person and we spend a fun (not) hour trying all the same things I have already tried, ending up exactly where I was every time. Finally gave up on that and got to the local Verizon store website where they offered a callback service for setup of new devices. Got a lovely lady on the phone who knew instantly what the problem was--activation of a new phone on Verizon MUST happen over the cellular network and my new iPhone was connecting to my WiFi home network because it had gotten the account information from my OLD iPhone in the brief time they actually talked to one another. The solution to the issue was to power off my WiFi router, then restart all over, Hello, language, region and MANUAL setup, which then led to a screen where I could decide if I wanted to restore over WiFi or cellular (pick cellular for now), then got to activation screen which took less than a minute to complete, then tested with a phone call and a text message, and finally turned on WiFi again and logged into my local net and now I'm in the middle of a restore from the backup I took this morning before this all started. Four hours in and still working at it. New phone is restoring, old phone is still there.
Lesson to be learned? Don't really know how I could have done much different except to not take the automated route in the first place, maybe that would have gotten me to the screen to pick cell vs. Wifi, but I'm not sure I would not have picked WiFi in that option and ended up in exactly the same place. But for those following me, learn from my bruised and battered brain and either set up your new Verizon iPhone where there is NO Wifi or kill your Wifi network before you start out if you want to do this at home.
Next week's challenge: Get the Verizon account over to the eSIM card. Yeah, that won't be hard...
First, when I ordered the new iPhone, they asked for my carrier and phone number. Had not been asked that before, so it did set off small alarm bells. I am in the iPhone Upgrade Program, where I can pay 1/24 of the cost per month, over 24 months, and can upgrade at no additional cost after 12. Basically, I'm "renting" the phone. So I give my carrier as Verizon and the number associated with it.
Phone comes today, nice. Opened the box, no instructions (it is Apple, after all). No problems because I had read at Verizon AND at Apple that all I had to do was power it on and follow the screens. So I did. Said "Hello," picked the language and area and then was offered to do an automated transfer or set it up manually (cue the sinister music). In he past the automated transfer has worked well, so I chose that. Wanted the two iPhones close, so did that, then wanted me to put the swirly blue dots in the camera frame on the OLD iPhone. Did that and they shook hands and started the process. Note that I was asked nothing but what language and what region and what type of transfer.
Next step was to activate the phone number. Asked for verification that the desired number, I tapped "Next" and the screen just stuck, no activation, no change, nada. Let it sit for about 20 minutes, cancelled the install and decide to do a manual setup. Rebooted the new phone, said Hello, got language and region and then selected Manual setup. Asked for verification that the number was what I wanted, got to the activation screen. Spent another 20 minutes with zero progress.
At this point in normal times I would drive the 5 minutes to the nearby Verizon store, but it's appointment only and the first available appointment is Monday. So I get online with a chat tech support person and we spend a fun (not) hour trying all the same things I have already tried, ending up exactly where I was every time. Finally gave up on that and got to the local Verizon store website where they offered a callback service for setup of new devices. Got a lovely lady on the phone who knew instantly what the problem was--activation of a new phone on Verizon MUST happen over the cellular network and my new iPhone was connecting to my WiFi home network because it had gotten the account information from my OLD iPhone in the brief time they actually talked to one another. The solution to the issue was to power off my WiFi router, then restart all over, Hello, language, region and MANUAL setup, which then led to a screen where I could decide if I wanted to restore over WiFi or cellular (pick cellular for now), then got to activation screen which took less than a minute to complete, then tested with a phone call and a text message, and finally turned on WiFi again and logged into my local net and now I'm in the middle of a restore from the backup I took this morning before this all started. Four hours in and still working at it. New phone is restoring, old phone is still there.
Lesson to be learned? Don't really know how I could have done much different except to not take the automated route in the first place, maybe that would have gotten me to the screen to pick cell vs. Wifi, but I'm not sure I would not have picked WiFi in that option and ended up in exactly the same place. But for those following me, learn from my bruised and battered brain and either set up your new Verizon iPhone where there is NO Wifi or kill your Wifi network before you start out if you want to do this at home.
Next week's challenge: Get the Verizon account over to the eSIM card. Yeah, that won't be hard...
Last edited:
Most of us generally don't do this very often...very easy for something like this to be off our radar. 
