Miss Alone
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Soon -- or rather on September 5 to be precise -- everyone in India with a phone that supports 4G technology will be eligible for the Jio Welcome Offer from Reliance. This means you will get a Jio SIM for free along with the benefits that come with it. What are these benefits? The benefits are "unlimited" data, calls and messages for almost three months. Although there is a fine print in all this -- the unlimited data is actually 4GB per day, which too is generous -- it is safe to say that the offer is fairly amazing. And tempting. No wonder, a lot of people are going to get the free SIM.
The problem is that in many phones that people have right now, the Jio SIM is not going to work. And in many, where it is supposed to work, it may not work until you troubleshoot it. But before we come to that, don't get the Jio SIM if:
-- You have a feature phone.
-- You have a phone that only supports 2G or 3G. Even some high-end phones that are older than 2 years -- Xiaomi Mi 4 for example -- doesn't support for 4G.
-- You have only one phone and you are not willing to change your phone number.
-- You have a Dual-SIM phone but 4G is supported on only one SIM and you are not willing to move your existing SIM card out of it.
Now, that we have taken care of these basics, let's look into the problems you may face after you put in the Jio SIM in your phone. The good bit about the Jio SIM is that it is a nano SIM with the micro and Full size adapters in built. So, see which size will fit your phone and then accordingly use the adapter. If you have a phone bought this year, chances are that it will use nano or micro size.
The SIM is not recognised
-- If this is the problem you face, ensure that you are putting the SIM in a 4G compatible slot. In many dual-SIM phones, only the primary slot -- the number 1 slot is the full-speed, fully supported SIM slow. So, put the Jio SIM in that.
-- Restart your phone.
-- Take out the SIM and put it again.
-- Even after all this the SIM card doesn't work, chances are that the Jio SIM won't probably work with your phone.
SIM recognised but no signal
-- Ensure the SIM is in the primary SIM slot (slot 1) if your phone has dual-SIM functionality.
-- Ensure that data is turned on for the SIM. On an Android phone, this can be accessed by tapping on the network sign in the notification shade. on the Mobile Data screen, ensure the data is turned on.
-- Ensure that in the network settings are all good and that you have opted the SIM 1 as your primary SIM for data.
-- Ensure that the phone is set to work with LTE Network. You can do so by going to Settings > Mobile Networks > Preferred network type.
-- If required, set the APN to Loop Internet. This is accessible only if Jio SIM is getting recognised in your phone. To check this go to Settings > Mobile Networks > Access Point Names.
-- Try choosing Jio as network operator manually by going to Settings > Mobile Networks > Network Operators.
-- If the Jio SIM still doesn't work, chances are that it has some software or hardware incompatibility in your phone.
SIM working but no calls
- Install the Jio Join app from Google Play Store. This will most likely fix the issue. Although, the app currently doesn't seem to work on Android Nougat, in case you have that software on your phone.
Options in case Jio SIM doesn't work in your phone: What are your options in case the Jio SIM doesn't work in your phone and you want to use the Jio network. Two options: get a new phone or get the JioFi, which is a kind of Wi-Fi hostspot router. The JioFi is the cheapest option, although if your phone is too old, something like 3 to 4 years and if you are thinking of replacing it, maybe you can go with a phone that supports 4G and will work with the Jio SIM.
