Orange esim details

1 - if you say yes (to the new phone number) then you will need to supply that French number to anyone that you want to text you using that number. You will automatically receive iMessages from iPhone to iPhone due to its built in technology as long as you have a data connection whether it be sim, eSIM, WiFi, etc.

2 - WhatsApp will work as long as you have a data connection. The two factor authentication access is driven by how you’ve chosen to receive it. If your U.S. number is not active then you are unlikely to receive what you’re looking for. I’ve included email as an option in that process when possible to guarantee the ability to do so.

3 - when installing an eSIM you may need to follow the steps you’ve outlined in #3 where you may have to scan a QCR code. It depends on what method the carrier has provided. Mine has provided a download or a scan code option.

4 - you absolutely do not have to or need to remove your Verizon SIM card. If you want to guarantee that you do not accidentally use your Verizon SIM card then you can remove it. But that’s not necessary. You will need to ensure that it is not active by toggling it off or at least toggling the eSIM on. Technology varies greatly. For my iPhones 11 and 13 mini toggling one disengages the other.

5 - follow the instructions that Orange has provided for setting up you eSIM. Additionally follow the instructions that you know are necessary to insure that you using the proper connectivity. So, no, it may not be that simple.

Unless you’ve had issues installing the eSIM it is rare to have to reboot your phone. I used an Orange eSIM global in Oct/Nov with no issues.

I’m sure that others have more experiences and better details. I’m not tech savvy but I rarely have someone else handle my sim and eSIM installations or settings.

raymonelee has given you the same answers I would. I will just add my comments to reinforce his good explanations.

(1) You do not need (and should not) change messaging to your French number. By having and using the Orange eSim, you will not receive texts to your home number. But you CAN receive iMessages.

Most importantly for you - you will NOT receive the two-factor authentication text codes, if you do not have your Verizon cell plan (sim) turned on. This is an on-going difficulty. If you DO turn it on in order to receive the code text, you will pay whatever rate Verizon has (whether it is a per day charge or what). No way I have heard of around this.

I would love to be able to use email for this but so far my most important account (thanks, Citibank) will not use email.

(2) WhatsApp will use data or WiFi via your regular cell phone number (think of that as a log in name). No need to change it.

(3) I have used Orange Holiday twice and received a QR code via email. I open the email on my iPad and scan it with my phone.

(4) Agree - do not bother removing your physical sim. Yes, follow Orange directions.

Thank you so much Raymonelee and Texastravelmom. Yes, I have received the QR code from Orange and intend to follow their instructions; just was puzzled by the way the Orange illustrations don't match my iphone 13... I tend to not distinguish between imessages and texts, so that may have made my initial question confusing. I understand now that I can get TEXTS from, for example, my French cousins to whom I've given my Orange phone number, without choosing to change imessaging to the orange number. Imessages to my home number will appear on my phone but I won't answer them : )... So is it correct that imessages from my Frnech cousins to my Orange number will also appear on the same Messages screen? hmmm. Happy New Year!

You can respond to any text messages that you receive. Without your iPhone number being active on your Verizon plan you may not receive messages from other types of cell phones - google, android, etc. iPhones have that unique iMessage service that permits iPhone device to iPhone device text reception. Also you can respond to all of the WhatsApp messages that you receive.

There will be your standard text message screen (for any phone number) and also your WhatsApp message screen.

Thank you, Ramonelee.

I purchased an Orange eSim after reading this stream and others like it.

Buyer beware!

If you are considering purchasing one, you need to know that at least one version (5G) will not allow you to make any calls or send any texts to the US or Canada while in Italy. Period. You cannot even send a text to someone traveling with you if they are using their US or Canadian phone number. This was a huge safety issue for me.

It’s possible that the problem will resolve in the rest of Europe, but I was not ever able to call or text from England, Italy, France, or Spain. I can’t test the fix they eventually suggested because they didn’t offer it to me until about a week after I got home. That was three weeks after I first contacted them with the problem.

I had the text and calling issues on a 2 week vacation to Italy, France, and Spain (going through England, where the issue persisted). I got no help from the Orange Travel Support Team. All they did was (eventually) tell me that the eSIM would not work in Italy. They provided no options for fixing the issue and didn’t tell me what was needed until after I returned home. Even then, they didn’t tell me how to fix the issue, just said what was needed for it to work in jargon that made no sense to a layperson. I had to badger them to get instructions for the fix, but of course I couldn’t test if it works because I was back in the states.

After all of this, they refuse to give me any refund because the internet worked.

I had a family emergency during my trip and I begged them to help me resolve the issue so I could call and text to get updates. I heard nothing for more than 24 hours, and then they only repeated what they had told me previously. That it wouldn’t work in Italy…even though I had told them I was currently in France (their home country).

I understand that I apparently bought the wrong product, though that was not at all clear since their website said it would work in all of the countries I visited. These people were no help, and I was never able to call or text my family using my phone while in Europe.

Their solution at one point was for me to use WhatsApp. What the heck did I buy their product for if I needed to do that to call or text my family?

Maybe if you buy their eSIM, it will work for you. If not, don’t expect any help or to get useful responses when you need them.

Continuing this thread, will WhatsApp work in Europe with a NA phone number with SIM removed?

will WhatsApp work in Europe with a NA phone number

Yes. Not sure why you'd remove your SIM card, though, as that would essentially remove your US phone number from your phone. I suppose you might have a hard SIM that you've bought to use in Europe, which I think is a very bad idea. Keep the US SIM and get an eSIM in Europe if you want to have data. (Or, if you have a dual-SIM phone, just add the Europe SIM as a second card.) Put your US SIM on Do Not Disturb, turn roaming off on the US SIM and make the Europe SIM primary.

If you have a data-only Europe SIM, WhatsApp messages come through even if you have data, calls and texts suppressed on your US SIM. And they'll come through on WiFi if you don't have a Europe data SIM.

Pfinpa, sorry to hear about your bad experience with Orange.

Which specific version of Orange did you buy?

The one we used was called Orange Holiday. It provides data and unlimited calls texts in all Europe with few exceptions. There are also limited international call minutes and texts for back to US or Canada.

Pfinpa, I wonder whether you purchased a data-only eSIM. That's what most eSIMs are; you get the ability to surf the internet, get live directions, etc., but those eSIMs do not provide a telephone number, so there is no calling or texting capability. That's why a lot of Android-phone owners use WhatsApp and/or Skype.