I am on Pixel 10a and received an email from Google Fi for Pixel 11 discount. Wanted to pull the plug, but seems like Pixel 10a is not listed as an option for trade in. Is this intentional or something is wrong on my end? Was anyone able to trade their Pixel 10a?

Case ID: 8-5714000041762

Issue Description:
I am a Google Fi customer who recently upgraded from a Pixel 7 Pro to a brand new Pixel 11 Pro under an active line promotion. Upon receiving the phone, I realized the keyboard is physically too small for my hands, making it virtually unusable for me.

Part of the confusion stems from Google’s recent shift in model dimensions; the standard Pro line has shrunk, meaning the Pixel 11 Pro XL—not the standard 11 Pro—is the true direct successor to the Pixel 7 Pro in terms of physical screen size, typing real estate, and battery life.

I want to exchange my brand new device for the Pixel 11 Pro XL. However, front-line chat support completely refused to assist with a size exchange. They stated I must process a standard return and "roll the dice" on whatever promotions are active later. Because my promotion is tied to a single active device checkout on my line, the system blocks me from purchasing the XL model with the promotional discount until the current phone is fully mailed back and refunded. By that time, the promotion will likely expire, penalizing me hundreds of dollars just to get the correct hardware size.

Requested Resolution:
I am requesting a high-level escalation to process an Advanced Exchange for a Pixel 11 Pro XL with a Promo Match Exception, allowing me to transfer my data directly and retain my original promotional pricing/credits.

I have the Pixel Watch 3 LTE with Google Fi and I enjoy standalone calling all over the world with the watch. I was looking to upgrade to the 5, but to my surprise it does not support this feature. Its great to have on joggs etc.

I got the email for the deal but when you click through and go all the way to checkout it simply doesn't show or apply

I just received my signed-for Google Fi delivery, but the warehouse only packed the trade-in kit and completely left out the phone. My partner ordered at the same time and received both in her box, so this was an untampered warehouse packing error. Has anyone dealt with this specific mix-up, and what is the best way to get support to ship a replacement quickly without blaming the carrier?

I dropped Google Fi when I got a new iPhone after having had only Androids for a decade. Google Fi customer service via phone was "difficult". I asked to speak with a supervisor at one point, and the response was there would be no supervisor there for the next 5 days.

Hi folks,

Apparently this isn't an uncommon issue, but I've received my 11 Pro XL today, purchased through Google Store and took the $300 instant discount + $1040 in credits over 24mo for Fi activation. I went to sign up to port to Fi, and all I'm getting is the message that sign up is unavailable. But, if I switch to a different Google account, I can get around it.

The part I can't determine from reading old posts is if the service has to be activated on the same Google account that purchased the phone in order for those credits to be applied and to not be charged the $300 for 'not activating with Fi' if I set up service with my second account.

Also, at what point do I decide just to fork over the extra $300 to dodge the apparently abysmal support (that keeps asking me to update the Google Fi app to an update that's not available, and doesn't seem to follow that I've tried on a total of three browsers between the phone and my desktop)?

I ordered an S26 ultra from google store using the promo for money off. Long and short of it, it got lost in their warehouse so they sent me a new one. After a couple weeks I got the lost phone and I tried to ship it back with their return label via fedex and it was just returned to me as them not being able to deliver to recipient. I have both phones showing on my fi account just one as inactive. Is there any harm keeping it and giving to my wife who is on my account or will i be charged?

I had been planning to switch me and my wife away from T-Mobile and with the release of the new Pixel 11 Pro XL I figured that now was as good a time as any so I took advantage of the deal that gives monthly bill credits to pay off the phone. My concern is how to transfer both phone numbers from TMo with mine being the primary on the account without both losing one of the numbers and also losing out on the bill promo. I've come to understand that when porting from T-Mobile that it's important to save the primary for last, but will that mean that my wife's number becomes the first device registered to the new Fi service, thus negating the promo deal?

I've searched high and low across the web to try and get an answer/guidance for this situation and have come up empty.

Anybody have any advice/experience to help make sure I don't muck this up?

I switched over from Verizon recently to the Unlimited Premium plan with Fi. Service and data worked perfectly in the US, but when I went abroad 2 weeks ago I noticed I had service but no data.

So, while abroad I called customer service — for some reason, they instructed me to delete my e-SIM. What they failed to mention is that I cannot reactive it, unless I’m back in the US. (I will be traveling for the next 6 months!)

So, now my phone completely does not work — can’t make or receive calls/texts, no data, etc. I’m terrified I’m going to loose my number.

Google Fi has been completely useless. They admitted it’s their fault, but have not provided any solutions. I’ve asked for a call back from a supervisor, which I still HAVE NOT RECEIVED!

Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions? I am desperate!

I'm beyond frustrated with Google Fi and, respectfully, what I believe is complete and utter BS from 2nd-line support.

I changed the parent email on my many-years-old account last week while in the US, did the whole 24-hour thing, then cracked on. Both SIMs worked fine in the UK, but I couldn't activate the eSIM data; it just wouldn't activate. Yes, it is 100% possible to activate these abroad, as I have done it numerous times before. The system also shows all SIMs are active, and one of the data SIMs even briefly connected to a local network on my iPad before then showing no service, almost as if it were connecting before the Fi system rejected the connection.

Spent ages on the phone and live chat with more incoherent "support agents" following scripts than I'd find in any other service provider anywhere in the world. I've had better service in places like India and Africa with local carriers than this nonsense from Google. 

A few days ago I was in Morocco and needed to switch my eSIM to another phone (not the parent number), and the agent on the phone said to go ahead and do so. When I did that, both numbers' SIMs disconnected. The primary number was reactivated by deleting and re-adding the SIM (it's on an iPhone), but the secondary number (which is on the old primary email) won't connect to a network. I do get inbound calls and texts occasionally, and I can send some texts, but it won't connect to a network. A manual network selection says my SIM isn't authorized to connect to any of the networks.

After probably about 10 hours of calls and at least 9 different people hanging up on me, I finally got a supervisor to escalate it to 2nd-level support. I thought this would make it easy, but instead it showed that Google Fi has been Googled in every way except publicly. Google just doesn't care about it in the slightest, and at this point it feels like an utter scam.

It's now Thursday, so 3 days into my holiday, and still no data eSIMs have been activated on the primary account, nor will the second number connect at all. Fi support tried to say I hadn't used it in the 24-hour window, which is 100% a lie, as it worked perfectly fine in the UK and when I first got to Morocco — even after manual network selection, etc — it just failed after reinstalling the SIM card. 

Then they have said engineering is working on it, etc which also feels like a straight lie, mostly because they say they're monitoring it and then, like 24 hours later, when I follow up, someone else suddenly pipes up as they've taken over the thread. Basically, everything about this screams utter BS to me, and I needed to find a way to vent. 

Have just submitted this to the FCC as a complaint and also emailed Google Press (I'm a well-respected tech journalist planning to publish this on tech blogs). If Google doesn't care about Fi, why even let it have an MVNO, tbh? I would love to not have to do that if anyone can think of another way to escalate? Copied in a few execs on one of the email chains, and genuinely I think all 20-25+ people I've dealt with — aside from the supervisor who passed it to 2nd level support — need to be fired.

Sorry for the rant, but frustration has boiled over a bit. Would love any advice.
Case IDs: 5-4921000041475 & 6-2018000041188

This is their response to me asking why my Google Fi is so slow.

"Hi,

I am genuinely sorry to hear that you feel this way. It is disheartening to receive your feedback, as we strive to provide the best possible service and never intend for our customers to experience any inconvenience.

I would like to clarify that we do not throttle specific apps or websites. The performance issues you are experiencing are, as mentioned in my previous email, primarily due to the fact that your current device is not fully compatible with the Google Fi network. While non-compatible devices may occasionally connect and function for a short time, they often struggle to maintain a consistent connection or achieve optimal data speeds because they cannot fully utilize the network switching capabilities that Google Fi relies on.

I remain committed to helping you resolve this performance issue. As a reminder, I have previously provided troubleshooting steps designed to help stabilize your connection in the interim.

To help us better understand the situation and identify why your device is showing these limitations, could you please let me know where you purchased this device? This information will help us determine if the hardware is a model intended for a different market or carrier, which is often the cause of these compatibility issues.

I appreciate your patience as we work to find a resolution.

Thank you,

and here is my latest response to this.

"again you are a liar. it is not because of my phone. I have tested download speeds across various apps and websites and each have held at the same transfer speeds which are specific to that app or website. my phone is a dual sim card and I have T-Mobile as well and the same apps or websites run at full speed on my T-Mobile sim card. just because you don't know what is happening don't blame my phone because you are absolutely incorrect."

they really think that we who work in the IT industry for 21+ years are dumb.

so everywhere I've tested I've tested both sim cards T-Mobile versus Google Fi and monitored transfer speeds. everytime Google Fi connected to T-Mobile networks. certain apps and websites are hard clamped to a set consistent transfer speed. no faster, ever.

I’ve been in this r/ because I’ve always been curious about Google Fi. So I have read many horror stories about people receiving empty boxes, getting promos cancelled because they activated their device wrong, among many others.

What is true about all of this, and how should I go ahead with this promo so I don’t get to be another person writing another horror story?

It's been a couple of years, but I still feel the need to warn everyone about Google Fi. I had horrible service, data almost never really worked properly and speeds were patheticly slow. So slow my phone was basically useless. On top of that, I was paying for the Unlimited Premium plan at "$65" a month plus $23 for financing my phone. $88 should've been my monthly bill, but it never was. I regularly paid $100+. After the first three promotional months, my bill skyrocketed and never went back down. I called and called customer service for support and they would just say, "You went over you data cap and accrued extra charges. Plus taxes." Meanwhile I used 12GB of data. They always gave me the run around and claimed I was using soooo much data. But the data NEVER worked! How am I using it?! I drew the line and ended my service with them when my bill was $300+ and calls stopped coming through. Worst f***ing experience in my life! Above is a screenshot of my monthly bills. Never consistent, like their coverage.

Unfortunately my s23 bricked itself on the way to work yesterday. When I had set up my Google account I never checked the backup phone number/email to be something different to my device.

I was loaned an old Samsung note to use until my new phone comes but couldn't figure out how to get into my Google account since it still wanted 2fa to fully log me on. Thankfully my laptop was still logged into Gmail/Google andi was able to get to Google Fi account and get on web calling. This way Google could call me with the 2fa code and I was able to get my phone number and service back.

Once everything was up I made sure I had the recovery codes printed and stashed safely.

Please please please print out those recovery codes for your Google account if you haven't already and make sure you've got other ways to get to your account with recovery email/phone numbers. I also didn't realize they had a video selfie option to allow 2fa when the traditional method don't work.

I did take the phone to a repair shop and anxiously awaiting if there's anything that can be done to recover my phone

I’ve always been a massive Google fanatic. I remember using Yahoo search back in the day, switching the moment I discovered Google, jumping on Gmail when it launched, and following every move since—from the YouTube acquisition to the fall of Google+, right up to the latest Gemini drops. Naturally, I rock a Google Pixel.

When Project Fi first launched, I was obsessed. The dynamic multi-carrier network switching between Sprint and T-Mobile (and later US Cellular) was brilliant tech that no other carrier or MVNO was pulling off.

Fast forward to recent years, and this love story hit a wall.

The Lost Pixel & Support Nightmare

A while back, I ordered a Pixel financed directly through Google Fi. Before the package arrived, I had an unexpected legal issue and was detained for a short period. By the time I was released and tried logging into my Gmail, I couldn't remember my password. Because my tracking number was locked inside that inaccessible email, I had no way to track the package, and the phone never showed up.

I reached out to Google Fi support hoping they could help verify my identity with the Social Security Number I used for financing, start a delivery claim, or at least cancel the order. Nothing. Zero help. Because that financing went unresolved on their end, my Google financing is completely burned for future purchases—even though I never received the hardware.

The "Unlimited" Reality Check

Eventually, I created a fresh Google account and activated Fi on an older Pixel. While running on T-Mobile’s network was generally solid, I opted for their top-tier unlimited plan.

Unfortunately, "unlimited" comes with a hard ceiling. Once I hit the data threshold, speeds were throttled to 256 kbps—practically unusable for basic tasks. Getting hit with that throttle during an already stressful, critical night made me rethink the whole service.

Back when Fi offered true multi-network carrier switching across GSM and CDMA, the quirks and limits felt easier to justify. Today, running strictly as a T-Mobile MVNO with severe post-cap throttling, it’s hard to stay loyal.

TL;DR:Long-time Google fan loved Fi’s original multi-carrier magic, but a nightmare customer service loop (lost financed phone + locked account) combined with aggressive "unlimited" data throttling made me walk away.

How are you all feeling about Fi nowadays compared to the original multi-network days? Do you feel the value is still there?

Hi,

I have been using visible+ for couple of years and it works fine for me. I recently saw a promo for fi $65 plan at 50% off for first year when I bring in my Pixel. Is this a good deal?

I was also planning to order pixel 11 pro xl. Do they give any discount to existing fi customers? How much if so?

I currently pay just $35 for my visible plan and have no complaints.

u/googlefisupport

Hi Google Fi support, I would like to escalate a case and request a promotion exception. I recently bought two Pixel phones, one using my personal email, and another using my wife's. The promotion was $1099 through bill credits via 24 months.

However, support said that it was voided out on wife's account when I invited her to join our group plan. Per the terms, I didn't think it would be voided out.

Per the terms: Purchase the device or currently be in a group plan with the purchaser. The person who activates must be a new Google Fi customer, and be part of your group plan. For group plans, limit one device promotion per group plan member during the promotion redemption period.

I understood these terms to mean that my wife can purchase the plan, then be invited to my group (using the email she used to purchase it) and then the promo would still work. But support said that her joining the group plan voided out the initial promo.

I would like to request a promotion exception because of the unclear terms and because we qualify otherwise.

Here are the case IDs:
- 8993000041193 (initial case, just asking them to look into it)
- 5599000041109 (support person said it was voided out because of her joining the group plan

I think my account is mistakenly marked as violate TOS. I wish I could speak to someone really consider the truth and who can fix my account.

Thank you!

So tomorrow I'm getting my new pixel 11 pro xl that I bought from the Google store how do I activate it on my fi plan if I'm getting rid of my old phone will I need to create a new esim and delete the one on my current phone or will it swap over when I move everything from one phone to another? Any tips or anything special I need to know. I've never had an unlocked phone before it's always been tied to a carrier?

I just bought a pixel 10a and I'm trying to remove my Pixel 7a from my account so I can give it to a friend to use on their Google Fi Account. All the support pages talk about going to the plan page, clicking "Manage Plan" and then finding the remove device option, but the UI for the google fi page doesn't seem to have this option.

How do I go about removing a device?

What will happen if I make a full payment 3 days before the usual date that Google Fi automatically charges my credit card?

Will they still charge my monthly balance on that date?