Motorola Moto G5 Android 7 single-SIM phone with a cheap prepaid T-Mobile SIM. When I added the $20 500-MB/month-free-data-for-life hotspot, the hotspot took over the 'phone' function and, being wifi only, can't perform it. It provides wifi just fine, but I can't make voice calls using the T-Mobile 'phone'.
When I try to phone, I get a Freedompop blue screen and the following message:
"Unable to recognize SIM Make sure FreedomPop SIM card is inserted properly and in the primary slot if dual-SIM. Please contact customer support if you continue to have issues."
There are [OK] and [Manual Login] buttons. Neither one helps. No difference with the hotspot being on or off.
I also have a phone with a Freedompop SIM, and I think that somehow SOMETHING is getting them confused.
FP responded to my email in 5 days with instructions for updating the PRL, which made no difference. When I replied to their email, 3 days later they sent the same instructions. Awaiting the third response.
I can't find any setting in the G5 that I might change/delete to eliminate recognition of the hotspot.
If FP doesn't help, I'll phone Motorola next week. Worst case: factory reset, which is NOT what I want to do under any circumstances.
The little hotspot is perfect for what I want it for -- occasional use when I'm away from home or any other wifi source, which is rarely. NOT at the cost of the phone function, though. I can use the google hangouts dialer with the hotspot, but I'm willing to bet that T-Mobile's coverage is better than whatever the hotspot uses, and I use the phone only for 'emergency' calls ("Don't leave, I'm on my way..") rather than ordinary usage.
The 99-cent FP SIM in the OTHER phone has been really useful (Gas Buddy usage alone is well worth the price of admission!) , so FP provides an amazingly good free service -- their CUSTOMER service, OTOH, is abysmal.