iPhone 3G, upgrade to 3.1 now no visual voicemail

Glad that it worked for you, but not everyone has "Profiles" to delete. AT&T subscribers don't even see that choice. FYI.

For anyone who has had their visual voicemail broken since the 3.1 update try this solution. I do not know if this will work outside of AT&T.

So the problem seems to be that if you installed the hacked ipcc file (either through help.benm.at or manually uploading the file through iTunes) and then updated to 3.1, not only would the 3.1 update disable the tethering/mms, but it would also corrupt the carrier file, therefore breaking visual voicemail. I have tried every method out there including resetting the network settings, removing Profile settings, restoring my iPhone (seven restores including a downgrade to 3.0) as well as spent more than four hours on the phone with AT&T and Apple but to no avail. Here is what finally worked for me. And for those interested, this was done on my iPhone 3GS 3.1OS.

1. Perform a system restore on your iPhone.
2. After the restore, choose the option to setup as a NEW iPhone.
3. Perform a “Restore from Backup…” in iTunes (in iTunes, right click on your iPhone and select Restore from Backup…)
4. Open safari on your iPhone and navigate to <Edited by Host>
5. Enter wap.cingular in the APN field for both Mobile Internet and Visual Voicemail. Leave the rest of the fields BLANK and click GENERATE!.
6. When the Install Profile page opens, click Install and the then Install Now on the confirmation warning.
7. After it finished install, go back to your home screen.
8. Perform a HARD RESET by holding down the Lock and Menu buttons (power and home buttons)until the iPhone reboots and the Apple logo appears on the screen.

You should now have visual voicemail AND mms working on your 3.1 updated iPhone! I understand the frustration of the whole process and sincerely hope this works for you!

Were you able to continue to utilize tethering using your method?

{quote:title=rockstars wrote:}Glad that it worked for you, but not everyone has "Profiles" to delete. AT&T subscribers don't even see that choice. FYI.{quote}

I am on AT&T and I do have that Profile file and deleting it fixed my problem.

Did you have the hacked ipcc file?

The only phones that show this Profile with AT&T are ones with hacked ipcc files, unlocked phones from another area, or roaming from another area. It appears that this "problem" of lost VVM after 3.1 applies only to iPhones that had hacked carrier files installed for illegal tethering with AT&T (or other unauthorized hacks). This is part of the cat and mouse war that Apple has with hacked iPhones.

Curiously, those who did this are now complaining that AT&T techs were "clueless" in helping them, even though their hacks constitute +theft of service, a potential felony+. - it's a good thing for them that AT&T reps were unaware, right? These users are +publicly discussing the tethering hacks+ and even complaining that the fix for the VVM (correctly restoring the legit ipcc file) trashed tethering. Brilliant!!

Mr. 747,

You're kind of a wet blanket, you know? As to whether hacking your phone (note, it is "YOUR" phone) is any way nefarious, well, so far, Apple hasn't tried to test that in court. As for AT&T, I think a valid defense is that you DO pay for data service with iPhone. Who is AT&T to tell one how you should use it? I can surf all day on iPhone Safari; why should it bother them if I do it through tethering? I'm paying for it!

One could make the argument that AT&T is actually illegally restricting someone who does this from using a service they pay for, thereby breaching their contract to provide service.

Just a thought...

Be interesting to see how much AT&T charges for tethering. I for one, think they will lose some of their competitive advantage if they charge at all, and may be subject to a class action suit. I'm waiting for that, in fact. AT&T has VERY deep pockets....

+1 on tethering. I had the same problem related to loss of VVM after the 3.1 upgrade. Spent over an hour with Apple then AT&T tech support. Both eventually concluded that it was a "problem with the AT&T network." Multiple reboots and restarts failed to ever fix the problem. Restored the phone from backup- still no fix.

Then I got to thinking, maybe it has something to do with the "tethering hack," because the tethering option was still present after restoring from backup. So, I did a restore as a NEW PHONE and the tethering hack disappeared. Immediately, VVM returned.

So, I think this is conclusive evidence that the failure of VMM after the 3.1 upgrade is directly related to the presence of the hacked file.

As to whether hacking your phone (note, it is "YOUR" phone) is any way nefarious, well, so far, Apple hasn't tried to test that in court
As for AT&T, I think a valid defense is that you DO pay for data service with iPhone. Who is AT&T to tell one how you should use it? I can surf all day on iPhone Safari; why should it bother them if I do it through tethering? I'm paying for it!
One could make the argument that AT&T is actually illegally restricting someone who does this from using a service they pay for, thereby breaching their contract to provide service.

Yes, it's "your" phone, but not "your" cell network. You can do whatever to your phone, but that doesn't entitle you use it to steal services from others. No, you are NOT paying for data access *not used by the iPhone*. From the AT&T Terms of Service you agreed to with your contract:

"+General Requirements: AT&T provides wireless data services, including but not limited to, features that may be used with wireless data services and wireless content and applications ("Services"). The absolute capacity of the wireless data network is limited. Accordingly, *service is only provided for prescribed purposes and pricing for Data Services is device dependent and based on the transmit and receive capacity of each device. A pricing plan designated for one type of device may not be used with another device.+*"

http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/legal/plan-terms.jsp#data

The "unlimited" rate plan fee for the iPhone applies only to what the iPhone itself can utilize as a smartphone, and as it was originally designed at the time the rate plan was set. Tethering to a computer by using the iPhone +as a modem+ increases data throughput capacity several fold, and you have to pay extra for that! EVERY CELL CARRIER charges at least $30 extra a month for tethering (including the Sprint "Everything" plan). This is contractual in the Terms of Service.

Be interesting to see how much AT&T charges for tethering. I for one, think they will lose some of their competitive advantage if they charge at all, and may be subject to a class action suit. I'm waiting for that, in fact. AT&T has VERY deep pockets....

Good luck arguing you're entitled to services explicitly excluded by your contract. Hope you and your lawyer have very deep pockets...

Message was edited by: modular747

Well, you make a good point, although it is arguable as to whether using the iPhone as a modem is any different than using it as a browser, particularly since tethering would apparently be within "the transmit and receive capacity" of the device. It is NOT specifically excluded, as far as I can tell. The fact that other providers charge for it is irrelevant. I don't have a contract with them.

Furthermore, it would appear that AT&T is not vigorously asserting that tethering violates the contract, so it would seem that either they don't care, or realize this provision is unenforceable.

Of course, you could take the approach that the network has become so slow, why would you WANT to tether?

In any event, it's an interesting question... I would argue that data access through the iPhone is data access, regardless of what the input source is.

Johnnie B. Goode wrote:
Well, you make a good point, although it is arguable as to whether using the iPhone as a modem is any different than using it as a browser, particularly since tethering would apparently be within "the transmit and receive capacity" of the device. It is NOT specifically excluded, as far as I can tell.

The rate limiting factor of data reception in the iPhone is it's processing and rendering capacity, limiting its throughput capacity to much less than the 3G network can provide. The iPhone can't transmit receive files over the cell network. Using it as a modem bypasses these limitations, and greatly alters it's "transmit and receive capacity". The rate plan was set for a smartphone, not a modem. Altering the iPhone to function as a modem, in addition to a smartphone, makes it effectively a different device,

Furthermore, it would appear that AT&T is not vigorously asserting that tethering violates the contract, so it would seem that either they don't care, or realize this provision is unenforceable.

How could you possibly know that? So far, the iPhone tethering hacking has been fairly limited, and they have no rate plan as yet. When they do turn it on, they will likely look for and prosecute those pirating the service.

In any event, it's an interesting question... I would argue that data access through the iPhone is data access, regardless of what the input source is.

Not if you try to argue that you're entitled to it at the same rate plan as the phone alone.

Message was edited by: modular747

Aw... you win...

I read further. There is a clause on Permitted and Prohibited Uses further down in the contract that specifically prohibits tethering unless it is specifically permitted.

Right idea. Wrong clause.

That sounds better that doing a reset to New Phone. Yes I had the Ben.m tether app too. I noticed that in the settings and wondered if that would work. So just hitting the remove button and then resetting took care of the VisVmail not working then?

Hey Rockstars,

This fix totally worked for me. Thanks a lot. My visual voice mail is back, baby! 🙂

I had the same problem with VVM disappearing after 3.1 upgrade. No help even with a full restore. Hours spent with ATT, Apple phone support. Told that I had a hardware problem. WEnt to Apple store. They did their diagnostics and told me that they weren't going to touch it because the moisture sensors had been tripped (!!!!!!!).

I finally rolled back to 3.0.1 and everything worked fine.

Here's a reference.

http://spicycauldron.com/2009/09/14/how-to-rollback-iphone-software-3-1-to-3-0-1 /

Good luck all.