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Facetime not installed in Middle East Apple Device

Apple Please give us a Solution.


I bought the Iphone 7+ in Abu Dhabi and before buying it ask in the store if is possible to activate Facetime once it was out of UAE. They confirmed that it is possible. However call the Apple technical support in UAE and they told me it is possible with the following procedure. (Not working).


1. Download the IOS version on my computer

2. Insert a SIM Card from another country (No UAE)

3. Restore the phone with the IOS downloaded through iTunes

To do this you only have to press Shift and then click restore, that you will allow you to select the IOS you downloaded and there will be an installation from scratch.


The whole process was done satisfactorily but it did not work. Facetime does not reappear.


I am a user from the iPhone 1 and the truth is very frustrating that we fill the blogs commenting on this problem for those who going through Middle East bought a phone and then we can not afford the desired support. If you visit the NY Apple Store the staff has no idea of ​​this problem and the genius bar are not at all geniuses when something comes out of their customer service manual.

iPhone 7 Plus, iOS 10.3.3

Posted on Aug 20, 2017 5:55 AM

Reply
9 replies

Aug 20, 2017 1:20 PM in response to jcnett

That SIM won't enable FaceTime on Middle Eastern iPhones for which it's restricted; the Dominican Republic isn't a Middle Eastern country.


iPhones originating from Egypt, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan won't have FaceTime in the last three countries listed, Turkey, Israel, or anywhere outside the Middle East.


(153013)

Aug 20, 2017 1:25 PM in response to LACAllen

The blocking of FaceTime is done at the firmware level. No SIM trick will get you past this.


No, it isn't. The reason why some other Middle Eastern SIM cards will work is because those countries use iPhones that have AB or AE in their model numbers but don't ban FaceTime. The second clause in the text you quoted isn't consistent with your statement.


(153014)

Facetime not installed in Middle East Apple Device

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