Roaming APN settings "stuck"

[imNotHappyJan]

Network settings : Optus APN on SGS23 Ultra seems to be stuck searching for Australian Network when it should be searching for local (roaming) network in France? Shouldn't it be pointing to, searching for Orange Network?

Currently in France, have been using Optus daily Roaming pack for in/out 4G/5G calls and texts. 

Bought eSim from Holafly for unlimited mobile Data for duration of trip. 

Has been working fine until 2 nights ago, had mobile update to OS on 26 June, not sure if that is coincidence?

[imNotHappyJan]

I have been on chat with Optus and Holafly for hours with no result except buck passing.

[imNotHappyJan]

Samsung support did a remote access on phone, did everything that Optus and Holafly told me to do and got same result. Then bailed and said " I am no longer allowed to keep using this platform to help you" ...

[Troubadour]

I have revised my opinion.on what happens. When you turn on your phone it contacts a cell tower using an Access Point Name APN, specific to Optus, saying I am Optus, do you recognise me? My Optus plan is ... The cell tower then connects you to the Optus network with your particular plan details.

When you arrive in France your phone again yells I am Optus, does anyone know me? Orange then says, I recognise your APN we have an agreement with Optus and will connect you.

Try this. when you arrive in a country you get a message welcome to France. The local network follows the above process. and recognises you have a roaming package.with a carrier that Optus uses and completes the connection. to, in this case, Orange. So delete all French wi-fi networks (Connections, Advanced). Restart your phone and see if that works. You are trying to emulate what happens when you first arrive in a country.
I am interested in what luck you have so please give feedback.

Go into Play Store and find update settings and turn off automatic updates. In data you could install Skype and make outgoing calls to local numbers in Australia after adding a few dollars making sure to cboose Australia as the country Skype is calling, not using +61.

[imNotHappyJan]

Thanks for reaching out Troubadour, above solution would be great if this was situation from Day 1 in France and I had no access.

However, I am on day 25 of roaming and for 23 days I had no issues with Roaming Data with Holafly eSim or GSM calls/messages with Optus Roaming pack.

After chatting with 2x techs at 2x different times at Optus, Holafly and Samsung Member support over past 48 hours, the issue appears to be Samsung One U.I. 6.1 upgrade that I did on 26 June as all problems occurred from 27 June, eg I checked back on Google Photos and, unless I was on WiFi, no photos I took with S23 have Google Map location from 27/6.
I have logged an error report with Samsung but could be 24-48 hrs for them to respond. Meantime - no maps, no mobile calls or text unless I am on wifi.

[Troubadour]

Thank you very much for the feedback. Just one thing, depending on your esim data amount can you download maps, e,g, Waze?, Here? I presume you have set the esim data as the preferred data source? Home sreen, drag from top twice tap mobile data and choose on drop down. Best wishes.

[imNotHappyJan]

Yep, Holafly eSim has unlimited data for xxDays selected for $*** so no data limit.
All support techs at all 3 companies did checks on settings, limits, auto vs manual network selection etc. Samsung Tech also did remote access and I watched her on my screen doing everything I had done, multiple times, with same non-result. All 6 (or 7 or 😎 techs, tried similar/same fixes and got same nonresolution then basically threw hands in air and said " I have NFI so it must be X company's issue, contact them it is not us" - great support, not.

[Troubadour]

You might get location if you leave esim data set at your preferred source, probably not.

[imNotHappyJan]

Location data was only referenced as a way to establish timeline of when roaming data failed. Eg Photos taken on Day 1-24 of trip all have Date/Time and Google maps location, meaning there was access to either WiFi or active Roaming Data. Day after One UI upgrade, no roaming data available but photos taken within range of WiFi do have location data.

[Troubadour]

I take it that various users tried clearing caches, if not tell me.