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Google Fi: Anyone care to post their experience?

Old Sep 3, 2017, 5:37 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: Zorak
Which countries are supported?

https://support.google.com/fi/answer...intl_countries

Note that in some locations Hangouts (and Gmail) are not available (e.g., China, Russia, Thailand, South Korea, Mexico, Argentina, and more: see link below for full list of excluded countries), so you will need a VPN to access them (or to make VOIP calls via Hangouts Dialer)

https://support.google.com/hangouts/answer/3205646

Exceptions:

Listed, but no/spotty service:
  • Ukraine (Aug 2018) - no service, all providers listed as "forbidden". Post #660
  • Alaska (Jul 2018) -- had voice service, but inconsistent/spotty data (try forcing Sprint)
  • Peru (Sep 2016) post 341, 360
  • Grand Cayman Island (Jan 2018) post 547

Not listed, *did* have service
  • Belize (Jan 2018) post 547 Belize now appears on the "supported" international list
If you are having trouble connecting, level 1 Fi reps recommend you try the following steps before they will escalate. Try each step in the order listed below to see if it fixes your issue - if not, move on to next step.

1- Reboot phone
2- Toggle "airplane mode" on/off. Wait five seconds after toggling off (it resets phone modem).
3- Try manually connecting to each available network (rather than using the auto select feature).
4- Toggle down from 4g to 3g (removing the recommended 4g option) and then try manually connecting to each available network.
5- Toggle down from 3g to 2g and then try manually connecting to each available network.
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Google Fi: Anyone care to post their experience?

Old Jan 22, 2019, 1:26 pm
  #826  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 916
Ok , sounds good , I was just thinking that it would be helpful to be able to message the people in our family if they all had a data sims on an overseas trip ,
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Old Jan 23, 2019, 7:26 am
  #827  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,782
Originally Posted by LAXlocal
Ok , sounds good , I was just thinking that it would be helpful to be able to message the people in our family if they all had a data sims on an overseas trip ,
It does but be aware that the LTE data is so fast oversea that your family may decided to forgo free WiFi and stay on LTE and therefore your will hit the 6GB (max monthly payment) in no time LOL. Just be prepared that you may have to pay the max of $80 that month. At one of the hotel in Europe on our last trip, the WiFi speed was like 1Mbps and Google Fi was at 180Mbps
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Old Jan 24, 2019, 8:01 am
  #828  
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: BOS/MHT/PVD/BDL
Programs: Belong to Many but No Longer Loyal to Any
Posts: 878
SIM Questions

I was looking to upgrade my camera(phone) to a Pixel 2XL, signing up for Google-Fi and using it as my travel phone (maybe repace my regular phone, depending on coverage here etc)

At any rate, I am considering buying an unlocked Pixel 2XL on Swappa. I read that the 2/3s use a e-SIM, but there is still a slot. Would I need to use a SIM if buying the phone on a secondary market?

Also, am I correct, that I could order SIMs for say my kids, and they could pop them in their phones and use the data off my plan while traveling out of the U.S? Thanks!
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Old Jan 25, 2019, 1:42 am
  #829  
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: bay area, ca
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Posts: 4,820
Currently on infinite hold (call back was fast but agent knew nothing and after 15 minutes asked to be transferred to a supervisor) simply to find out why my $200 credit is still not showing that I have completed all the requirements (hasn't checked 30 days of service - after over 45 days)!
Not to mention that $90 credit they emailed me 2 months ago and said they would honor has also never shown up!
estnet is offline  
Old Jan 25, 2019, 10:26 am
  #830  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,782
Originally Posted by flyaxa
I was looking to upgrade my camera(phone) to a Pixel 2XL, signing up for Google-Fi and using it as my travel phone (maybe repace my regular phone, depending on coverage here etc)

At any rate, I am considering buying an unlocked Pixel 2XL on Swappa. I read that the 2/3s use a e-SIM, but there is still a slot. Would I need to use a SIM if buying the phone on a secondary market?

Also, am I correct, that I could order SIMs for say my kids, and they could pop them in their phones and use the data off my plan while traveling out of the U.S? Thanks!
I don't see why a used Pixel 2 can't activate the e-sim on Fi unless the e-sim is still activated on another carrier's service? If you are going to sign up with Fi anyway, you may also want to consider buying a new one off Fi also.. as I think they are giving $200 service credit on Pixel 2 so the price difference may not be too far apart than a used one on Swappa. Also don't forget to use a referral code to sign up with Fi and another $20 service credit.

Yes you could order Data Only Sim for other phones. You probably will have to manually set up the APN for a phone to get data but I did it with an iPhone 6s when I was oversea in Europe.
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Old Jan 27, 2019, 11:35 am
  #831  
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Grantham, NH
Posts: 530
Originally Posted by Need
According to Google, you could add up to 9 Data Sim per account:

https://support.google.com/fi/answer/6330195?hl=en
Yeah, I'm currently using 4 data sims on my account when I travel. Has worked pretty well.
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 5:07 pm
  #832  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 916
What are some of the Google Fi sign up promos to look for ?

I missed the big one on Black Friday with buying a new Pixel phone and getting gift cards back ,
But what else should I be looking for , will Google email me promos or do I need to look at Slickdeals etc?

Thanks for your help
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Old Jan 28, 2019, 5:25 pm
  #833  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,782
Originally Posted by LAXlocal
What are some of the Google Fi sign up promos to look for ?

I missed the big one on Black Friday with buying a new Pixel phone and getting gift cards back ,
But what else should I be looking for , will Google email me promos or do I need to look at Slickdeals etc?

Thanks for your help
I usually put in a Slickdeal Alert (4 Starts) on the item ("Pixel") with email alert. I used to have 5 stars, but usually when it get to 5 stars, the deal could be dead.
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Old Jan 29, 2019, 8:47 am
  #834  
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Originally Posted by estnet
Currently on infinite hold (call back was fast but agent knew nothing and after 15 minutes asked to be transferred to a supervisor) simply to find out why my $200 credit is still not showing that I have completed all the requirements (hasn't checked 30 days of service - after over 45 days)!
Not to mention that $90 credit they emailed me 2 months ago and said they would honor has also never shown up!
So I did 3 new Pixels and 1 SIM for an existing iPhone as part of the BF deal. I thought I'd get a $200 credit for the iPhone, but instead I got $90 on my first invoice. I have no idea whatsoever where they came up with $90. Was that some sort of other promotion? Maybe the $200 requires the full 4 months like the Pixels do?
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Old Jan 29, 2019, 12:30 pm
  #835  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,782
Originally Posted by pinniped
So I did 3 new Pixels and 1 SIM for an existing iPhone as part of the BF deal. I thought I'd get a $200 credit for the iPhone, but instead I got $90 on my first invoice. I have no idea whatsoever where they came up with $90. Was that some sort of other promotion? Maybe the $200 requires the full 4 months like the Pixels do?
The BF deal was $200 off Pixel 3 and get $200 Service credit if you port in a line. Did you also trade in your iPhone? If you trade in your phone, that could be the $90 credit? If you use a referral code, you would have also gotten $20 credit. As for the $200 service credit, I think that had been switched to the post BF deal. Instead of $200 service credit, they will match the Travel Gift card promo but give you service credit instead. So you should be getting like $600 to $800 depends on which Pixel 3 (64/128 XL?) you got. But the post BF deal said 12 weeks I think... instead of 1 month.
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Old Jan 29, 2019, 12:38 pm
  #836  
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Originally Posted by Need
The BF deal was $200 off Pixel 3 and get $200 Service credit if you port in a line. Did you also trade in your iPhone? If you trade in your phone, that could be the $90 credit? If you use a referral code, you would have also gotten $20 credit. As for the $200 service credit, I think that had been switched to the post BF deal. Instead of $200 service credit, they will match the Travel Gift card promo but give you service credit instead. So you should be getting like $600 to $800 depends on which Pixel 3 (64/128 XL?) you got. But the post BF deal said 12 weeks I think... instead of 1 month.
On my Pixels, it was definitely the travel card deal. 4 months, $800-900 per phone (we had one XL and two regular).

I did not trade in an iPhone. I just ported in a line, and thought I was supposed to get $200 credit for that. Used my own unlocked iPhone with the Google Fi SIM.
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Old Jan 29, 2019, 1:42 pm
  #837  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,782
Originally Posted by pinniped
On my Pixels, it was definitely the travel card deal. 4 months, $800-900 per phone (we had one XL and two regular).

I did not trade in an iPhone. I just ported in a line, and thought I was supposed to get $200 credit for that. Used my own unlocked iPhone with the Google Fi SIM.
I think the $90 is part of the Free Month of Fi on US promo for BYOD ($20 + max $60 data charge + $10 to cover tax/fee). I think it was the promo the day after the $200 BYOD promo. Maybe somehow they missed your sign up date?
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 12:31 am
  #838  
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: bay area, ca
Programs: UA plat, , aa plat, marriott LT titanium
Posts: 4,820
Originally Posted by Need
I think the $90 is part of the Free Month of Fi on US promo for BYOD ($20 + max $60 data charge + $10 to cover tax/fee). I think it was the promo the day after the $200 BYOD promo. Maybe somehow they missed your sign up date?
There was a $90 credit email sent to a number of people in error shortly after the $200 promo but google said they would honor it even tho it was a mistake BUT so far I have received neither the $200 credit I was promised for porting my number nor the $90 nor the $20 referral credit (although apparently I did get the $20 credit promised b/c my phone did not work in Thailand).
A supervisor can't figure it out and claims he will f/u - can't even count the hours I've spent,
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 6:28 am
  #839  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,782
I was supposed to order an extra Data-Only Sim, but somehow accidentally ordered a BYOD Sim. Just want to report that the new BYOD Sim kit has instruction card to manually setup your APN on iPhones. That's the same settings I looked up on the internet for putting a Data-Only Sim in the iPhone.
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Old Jan 30, 2019, 6:41 am
  #840  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 916
If you order a 2nd full sim for data at $15 a month for text and phone can you turn it on and off as many times as you want ?
the idea would be to order extra full sims , use them for 2 week vacation , deactivate the extra one until the next trip , maybe activating it for a few days every few months to keep it alive ,
Since the full sim gets free worldwide text and not too expensive calls it's seems like a good add on to the data only sim for the travel time ,.

Do I have my plan right ?
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