When Tello failed to transfer my CenturyLink number I canceled their service. I then tried to remove their eSIM from my phone. Apple's instructions worked -- but the line name remained even with a deleted eSIM.
It's a bug.
When Apple asks if you want to update any contacts using the number associated with the removed eSIM you have to say yes -- even if there are none. Looks like a simple logic bug. Then the entry will be removed.
Writing this up quickly, I might get back to it later.
I want to have a shortcut to a specific macOS Notes.app note that I can put in a folder.
1. In the note I want to link to hit ⌘K. Search on name of the current note.
2. Do NOT use the note title option. Unclick that and provide your own title. Create link in note.
3. A link is created in the note. Click on that that and then drag it to the desktop. An inetloc file with a deep link is created.
This is what the .inetloc shortcut has in it:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>URL</key>
<string>applenotes:note/fcbf1ab3-4779-49d5-b12f-ab33e9809113?ownerIdentifier=_5e4c6731f56ce6c061ce7014d9bc1b2a</string>
</dict>
</plist>
UPDATE 6/26/25: I wrote this in an optimistic moment. As of 6/26 my 6/22 transfer request initiated on the Tello web site has not been processed by CenturyLink. I think the porting process has been slowed by major security issues with number theft and by CenturyLink decline; one rep told me CenturyLink's porting office is swamped and backlogged.. Both CenturyLink and Tello say they won't talk to me, I have to contact the other company.
I'm going to give this a few days and then I'll try Ting to see if they have more luck. If Ting can't extract the number from the cold dead grasp of dying CenturyLink I'll try AT&T. Then once the number is extracted I'll move it to a lower cost carrier or, more likely, to Google Voice.
In theory I could initiate an FTC complaint -- but that is laughably futile in the modern era.
I suspect the failure is on the CenturyLink side and that I need a bigger partner than Tello to get CenturyLink to relinquish the number.
Original optimistic post below, I'll rewrite this to be more useful after I fight my way through the porting process.
UPDATE 6/26/2025: CenturyLink did not respond to the port request. I then discovered that the Tello link for account deletion does not actually work; the underlying link is simply https://tello.com/contact so it merely shows me the Help screen. Funny that account deletion doesn't work! I submitted a complaint to the BBB about the delete account not working. I was able to cancel my mobile plan.
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We are among the last in America to have a $43/m voice only family landline. It persisted because our ancient security system relies on two of the standard four copper landline wires, and the switching costs were comparable to our monthly landline fee. The landline was purely a message phone, it doesn't ring.
It was on the list of things to replace but lower priority since minimal savings and added hassles.
Then copper wires disappeared everywhere. I think wire theft may have peaked for the moment, but the copper side of Century Link isn't paying what it would take to maybe keep the wires working. When the elderly techs come by they beg us to leave copper so they can finally rest.
We want to keep the legacy number so I looked into the 2025 porting options. The only thing that's changed since I last looked in 2015 or so is the eSIM. Mastodon friends suggested voip.ms, but it was obvious that we're not their business. (These days we think a lot about how things get managed after we die, and we assume that the kids are having to make decisions. They are not techies.) Also, canceling voip.ms service requires tedious interactions with their outsourced retention people. A huge red flag.
You still can't port from landline directly to Google Voice. I think the regulatory/legal frameworks are different. The AIs claim you can't port from CenturyLink VOIP to Google Voice either.
CenturyLink (fiber) will sell us a VOIP phone service for about $30/m. Not the worst option and a savings from $43 though, of course, we have new security system costs.
That leaves the old burner phone solution. AT&T is our ($$) current family carrier and we could add a $30+/m line from them. But of course there are cheaper options. Back in 2012 we used H2O Wireless for the kids phones. It's rock bottom service quality but if you work at it you should be able to use them for under $100 a year (prepay, no contract). They are still around! Also familiar from the old days: Tello, Hello Mobile, Ting. All of which will provide new phones that could be left in the kitchen. We could even use one of our old iPhones. (Note Apple vmail requires some data support, so data-free won't work).
So far, nothing new since 2010 or so. But in the past few years eSIMs have started to work fairly well on iPhones. Our current phones can all handle at least 2 (I think up to 8?) eSIMs. So rather than hassle with an old iPhone holding the number, we could instead port it to Emily's iPhone. One less device!
I asked the AIs which had the better customer service among H2O Wireless, Tello, Ting, and Hello Mobile. Tello and Ting won easily, and Ting is rather more expensive. So I chose Tello.
It was surprisingly easy to setup a Tello account. Their account software includes the Quality Seal of Approval - an option to delete the account. Their web UI is clear and clean and is consistent with the AI's recommendation. Their porting directions aren't too bad.
Once you setup your Tello account with payment information the web UI provides an eSIM QR encoded URL and a phone number they choose. Emily's iPhone accepted the secondary eSIM, but to get the full setup questions and configuration you need to restart your phone.
After you verify texting and voice mail and so is working you start the Port Procedure.
The port procedure needs an account number (on paper bill) and a Transfer PIN (aka Authentication PIN) that CenturyLink provides. Thanks to a separate CL issue with their legacy copper account management I was working with CL overseas chat support and they provided the Transfer PIN. (Otherwise you need to phone CL. Incidentally, the chat support worked around multiple defects in an evidently obsolete CenturyLink web page.)
I'll update this page with what comes next. I'm cautiously optimistic the port will work (CL definitely wants us off that dead copper) and that Emily will have our ancient home number associated with her iPhone for $10/m or so. We'll see how that goes and decide if we want to stay with Tello or port to GV for, at the moment, $0/m.
