Tag Archives: Google Fi

IF The ‘Google Fi’ APP Misbehaves When Setting Up A New Pixel Phone — Especially If Transferring From Another Pixel.

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by Anura Guruge
on June 30, 2022

Click to ENLARGE. Screenshots from my new Google Pixel 6 Pro.

This happened to me TWICE with my first Pixel 6 Pro in January of this year, & then a few days ago when I got another because I broke the screen on the other.

In the first instance I was transferring everything from my 2021 Pixel 5 to the Pixel 6 Pro.

The second time I was transferring everything from my broken (but still working) Pixel 6 Pro to the new one.

Each time, while the APPs, settings & data was being transferred — & the new phone being setup — the Google Fi APP was going CRAZY.

Starting up automatically & then aborting.

Tons of messages from Android saying that the Google Fi APP was not responding.

Scary, but I have learnt that no harm is being done.

Just ignore the APP. Yes, it is distracting BUT ignore it.

When everything has been setup, and all the other APPs have been updated, Fi will settle down.

You will then discover that can’t open it!

It will crash, each time you open it.

Don’t panic.

Restart the phone.

Check for any Android updates. Do all the updates since there may be more than one.

Once all the updates are done, go to SETTINGS –> APPs find ‘Fi’ … scroll down to STORAGE (see above). Clear data & cache. It is OK.

Just to be on the safe side restart the phone.

Start the APP. Sign onto Fi. You should be all set.

Got Myself A ‘Google Pixel 6 Pro’ For 2022.

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by Anura Guruge
on December 31, 2021

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Click images to ENLARGE.

First 2 pictures with it — & the ONLY pictures taken with so far. Will start, in anger, in 2022.

Over the last few years it has become a new tradition of my own making. I gift myself the latest Google Pixel phone for Christmas. Last year it was the Pixel 5 (which I used until today). In 2020 it was a Pixel 4. That said, I did NOT get a Pixel 3 in 2019. I gave that a miss. In 2018 I got myself a Pixel 2 — which happened to be the VERY FIRST smartphone I owned!

Yes, I am still quite new to smartphones. So, this yearly upgrading is kind of an over-compensation (for which I am known).

Prior to 2019 rather than phones I used to upgrade cameras. I got a new camera, on average, every 10 months! I also kept at least 2 cameras. I still have two cameras, both Panasonic, BUT I rarely use them.

Following with the Pixel 4 I — to my utter amazement — opted for using Pixel phones for my daily photography in place of expensive cameras. Age was becoming a factor. I was getting tired of lugging heavy cameras everywhere I went — & yes, I did have full-frame cameras, but ALWAYS mirrorless.

I got the Pixel 6 Pro for its camera. Supposed to have a nice zoom. I spent 10 seconds looking at it so far. I will start, in anger & earnest, tomorrow, January 1, 2022. New Year. New Pixel phone.

Moving from the Pixel 5 to the Pixel 6 Pro — staying with Google Fi as the carrier — was quite easy. Had to restart the phone. Had to mess with some Google Assistant setting. But, by & large it was OK.

I will keep you posed. Stay tuned. Happy New Year.

Two Of The ‘Pixel 6s’ I Ordered From The ‘Google Store’ Finally Shipped Today; I Cancelled The 3rd.

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by Anura Guruge
on December 5, 2021

Click to ENLARGE. Todays status. 2 units FINALLY shipped.

As I pointed out just last week it has been frustrating & confusing trying to get some Pixel 6 Pros from Google. I needed two. One for I (to replace my Pixel 5) & another for the wife to replace quite an old Samsung. She wanted ‘Cloudy White‘. I want my phones to be black since I use them mainly as cameras. When taking pictures a black camera/phone is less ‘obvious’. That has always been the rationale & why expensive cameras (these days) are invariably all black.

The Pixel 6 has a much bigger sensor & hence native image size than previous Pixels. As you know, I take quite a few pictures, EVERY DAY — sometimes in the high hundreds if I am travelling. So, I wanted to make sure I would have plenty of space. For a $100 difference it was kind of a no-brainer getting the 256GB rather than the 128GB.

As you can see I ordered the 1st of the 3 phones on November 12, 2021. I went for the UNLOCKED since that was the ONLY 128GB model Google was accepting orders for. Well, you can see the sorry saga.

We are ALL with ‘Google Fi’. So getting a Google Fi model, as opposed to an unlocked, made no difference. Both would have worked, just fine, with the built in software eSIM, on Google Fi.

So, my plan worked. Google lets you cancel, with no penalty, until the time a phone is shipped. So, once I got e-mails confirming the shipment of the two Google Fi phones I cancelled the unlocked. I would not have been heart-broken IF I was not able to cancel. I doubt I would have had trouble getting rid of a brand new, unused Pixel 6 Pro. SMILE.

Well it appears to have all worked out.

I will, however, only be fully relieved when I have the boxes in my grubby paws. That should be in the next few days. I will post a picture. SMILE. They are both Christmas presents.

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‘Pixel 6’ Order Fulfilment By ‘Google Store’ Appears To Have No Rhyme Or Reason.

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by Anura Guruge
on November 29, 2021

Click to ENLARGE.
Click to ENLARGE.

I have, as I chronicled in this post 17 days ago, been trying to get a 128GB, ‘Cloudy White’ Pixel 6 Pro that will work on ‘Google Fi’ — that being our cellular carrier. Earlier this month, when I went to place an order, Google Fi Pixel 6 Pros were out-of-order though unlocked Pixel 6 Pros could be ordered. As you can see from the top image I placed an order & was given a December 16 – 17 delivery date. I could live with that since I only needed it BEFORE Christmas.

A few days later I ordered a 256GB, ‘Stormy Black’ Pixel 6 Pro for myself. That, $100 more expensive that the 128GB model, was available in the Google Fi variant & I got a December 2 – 3 delivery date — which is but a few days away.

I checked the delivery status on a near daily basis. No updates. They still sit their static.

A few days ago I noticed that the 128GB Google Fi models were no ‘in stock’. Since, Google claims I can cancel orders right up to the time they are ready to ship, I placed a third order. Sure enough it has an earlier delivery date than that of my first order! Go figure.

But, as of now I have yet to see any of these three orders getting shipped. Yes, of course, I will monitor the status, with great diligence over the next couple of days. At least two of these should ship this week.

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Do NOT Be Misled By ‘Out of Stock’ Claim By Google, The ‘Pixel 6 (Pro)’ Unlocked Is Totally ‘Google Fi’ Compatible — Out-of-the-Box.

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by Anura Guruge
on November 12, 2021

Click to ENLARGE.

I have been both a ‘Google Pixel’ owner & a ‘Google Fi‘ customer for the last 4 years.

I bought a Google Pixel 2 because it was natively compatible with Google Fi with the (then revolutionary) ‘software SIM’ (now called eSim).

So, I was kind of confused to be confronted with the above at the ‘Google Store’ this morning.

Unlocked Pixel 6 Pro — in stock.
Google Fi Pixel 6 Pro — out of stock.

Did NOT make sense. I knew the unlocked would work on Google Fi, with the eSIM, out-of-the-box. Since, I have a Pixel 5 I was able to get through, on the phone, with Google Fi quite quickly. They confirmed that. Unlocked will work fine with Fi. Moreover, even the Google Fi APP, readily available from the ‘Play Store’ (given it is a Google APP), is pre-installed on ALL Pixel 6s! So, there is NO DIFFERENCE between an unlocked & a ‘Google Fi’ Pixel 6 (Pro) — other than one is in stock, the other isn’t.

So, don’t let this fool ya. OK?

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