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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 Feb 20, 2019, 8:53 am
  #916  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,782
Originally Posted by yosithezet
Had this when I first got my Fi SIM. The first activation must be in the US where they can contact the base network they use which I think is tmo.

After that I haven't had the issue, but now and then I have to move the SIM from my iPhone to my Pixel to get on a new network when I arrive in a new country. This isn't always the case. For instance I flew from Tokyo to Singapore via Seoul. When I landed in Seoul it worked fine, landed in Singapore and couldn't get a network until I popped it into my Pixel and then back into the iPhone.
This is for a regular Fi SIM right? Not Fi Data SIM? I didn't have any problem with the Fi Data SIM in the iPhone when traveling between countries. The Data SIM was activated on the computer browser (entering the SECRET CODE) without it ever plugged into a device. I did have to enter the Fi APN settings manually on the iPhone for the mobile data to work, otherwise it looks like it has connection but no mobile data.
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Old Feb 20, 2019, 12:02 pm
  #917  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: K+K
Programs: *G
Posts: 4,859
Originally Posted by deniah
I've used Fi sporadically, and it works. I'm using a flagship carrier for my main service, with Fi on second SIM slot as secondary/backup service.

Roaming in EU is virtually free with my carrier by regulation, so I don't turn on the 2nd SIM often. But sometimes I don't get good strength even in home country, such as 2G/EDGE (=virtually useless), and there Fi usually grabs 4G/LTE signal from TMobile.

Sustained bandwidth is usually decent at 5, 10, 20, 40mbps....but ping is ALWAYS at 200ms+ maybe do do extra switching and hopping and routing....
In another neighboring country and once again get better signal from Fi than roaming with my native, flagship carrier
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Old Feb 20, 2019, 9:11 pm
  #918  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA Gold. UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt (Lifetime Diamond downgraded to Explorist)
Posts: 6,776
Got my $900 in gift cards this evening. Pretty stoked. The 4 listed options are Airbnb, Delta, Hotels.com & SouthWest.
estnet and LAXlocal like this.
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Old Feb 21, 2019, 4:54 am
  #919  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: K+K
Programs: *G
Posts: 4,859
Originally Posted by Yoshi212
Got my $900 in gift cards this evening. Pretty stoked. The 4 listed options are Airbnb, Delta, Hotels.com & SouthWest.
When did you activate your service? Mine was Dec 18th...still awaiting the GC
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Old Feb 21, 2019, 7:24 am
  #920  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA Gold. UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt (Lifetime Diamond downgraded to Explorist)
Posts: 6,776
The 12th of December.

Originally Posted by deniah
When did you activate your service? Mine was Dec 18th...still awaiting the GC
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Old Feb 21, 2019, 7:38 am
  #921  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,782
Originally Posted by Yoshi212
The 12th of December.
I activated mine on Dec 7th. I signed up 1 day before the Gift Card promo but Google Fi said I am supposed to get Black Friday price protection and they were going to give me the equivalent of gift card value in service credit. So I am supposed to get about $800 in service credit. I hope it would show up on my next bill in March.
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Old Feb 21, 2019, 9:24 am
  #922  
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: London
Programs: BA bronze, Hertz pres circle, Marriott Platinum, hilton diamond
Posts: 2,537
Originally Posted by yosithezet
Had this when I first got my Fi SIM. The first activation must be in the US where they can contact the base network they use which I think is tmo.

After that I haven't had the issue, but now and then I have to move the SIM from my iPhone to my Pixel to get on a new network when I arrive in a new country. This isn't always the case. For instance I flew from Tokyo to Singapore via Seoul. When I landed in Seoul it worked fine, landed in Singapore and couldn't get a network until I popped it into my Pixel and then back into the iPhone.
figured it out, just needed to add the apn settings. I was thrown by the fact that it automatically connected to 3G but didnt work. Changed the settings and all was fine, took a little while to get to LTE though. Have also noticed that occasionally it seems to be on 3G, whereas the moto on the actual primary sim never ever displayed anything other then LTE
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Old Feb 21, 2019, 1:20 pm
  #923  
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: bay area, ca
Programs: UA plat, , aa plat, marriott LT titanium
Posts: 4,820
Originally Posted by aceman


figured it out, just needed to add the apn settings. I was thrown by the fact that it automatically connected to 3G but didnt work. Changed the settings and all was fine, took a little while to get to LTE though. Have also noticed that occasionally it seems to be on 3G, whereas the moto on the actual primary sim never ever displayed anything other then LTE
What apn settings and what country?
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Old Feb 24, 2019, 1:24 am
  #924  
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: London
Programs: BA bronze, Hertz pres circle, Marriott Platinum, hilton diamond
Posts: 2,537
Literally the only thing I put into the apn setting was h2g2 and I was off. This was done and activated in Thailand.

faultless.

Laos tomorrow, will see how it copes.
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Old Feb 25, 2019, 8:54 am
  #925  
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Originally Posted by Yoshi212
Got my $900 in gift cards this evening. Pretty stoked. The 4 listed options are Airbnb, Delta, Hotels.com & SouthWest.
Was the act of selection and fulfillment all electronic and instant? Or is there a 2nd wait period to actually get the credit active to book flights with?
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Old Feb 25, 2019, 10:10 am
  #926  
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: London
Programs: BA bronze, Hertz pres circle, Marriott Platinum, hilton diamond
Posts: 2,537
Been doing some research on the vpn and it seems its not as wonderful as I thought. I couldnt figure out why the key symbol wasnt showing up, and in the app under more info it lists only a small handful of countries where the vpn actually works.

In response to an earlier question it also also appears that tethered devices do NOT benefit from the vpn, and the phone cannot be in airplane mode.
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Old Feb 25, 2019, 12:41 pm
  #927  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New York, NY
Programs: AA Gold. UA Silver, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt (Lifetime Diamond downgraded to Explorist)
Posts: 6,776
All electronic redemption and the e-gift cards sent from that website to me for use on Delta & Hotels.com were near instant. It does give a warning that it may take up to 24-hours. Hotels.com I could put in the exact amount I wanted but with DL it's a $50, $100 & $250 (I believe) in e-card.

Originally Posted by pinniped
Was the act of selection and fulfillment all electronic and instant? Or is there a 2nd wait period to actually get the credit active to book flights with?
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Old Feb 27, 2019, 7:02 am
  #928  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: K+K
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Posts: 4,859
Fi giftcard posted. 2 months and 8 days after activation... so about 70 days or so
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Old Feb 27, 2019, 10:05 am
  #929  
 
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 916
Originally Posted by deniah
Fi giftcard posted. 2 months and 8 days after activation... so about 70 days or so
That had to be one of the greatest phone sign up deals ever,
Did you have to pay sales tax on the list price or ,???
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Old Feb 27, 2019, 11:30 am
  #930  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: K+K
Programs: *G
Posts: 4,859
Originally Posted by LAXlocal
That had to be one of the greatest phone sign up deals ever,
Did you have to pay sales tax on the list price or ,???
Paid state tax on the list price of the phone (999$ pixel 3 xl 128gb). Gift card is $1000 flat.
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