How To Activate Airtel GPRS/EDGE Plan On Unlocked iPhones In India
So you bought unlocked iPhone and wondering how to get the Airtel GPRS/Edge plan activated on iPhone.
Here are the steps to get the task done:
1. Call up the Airtel Customer Care on 121, ask them about the GPRS plans they are offering, like we are using the Mobile Office plan, which offers unlimited browsing and downloading for 20Rs per day. So, pick up your plan and tell them to activate for you.
2. In iPhone go to Settings >> General >> Network >> EDGE
and enter
APN: Airtelgprs.com
Username: Leave it blank
Password: Leave it blank
Thats it, now just wait to get the plan activated and you are good to go, no more setting are required 
Update: After upgrading to iPhone 2.2 firmware i was not able to see the EDGE settings under Network, but GPRS worked fine without even doing any settings at all. So, if you are not able to see the EDGE tab under Settings>>General>>Network don’t worry just get your GPRS activated, it will work fine.
i want to know that whether orkut is paid site
Hey Divya I am guessing you are asking about accessing orkut on mobile through gprs. Orkut is a free site and you can access through mobile for free however the gprs connection charges will be applied, like i have a connection which gives me unlimited browsing and downloading for Rs20/per day. So, charges depends on your carrier and type of gprs plan you are taking so for eg if you are on airtel ask them the charges and downloading limit details properly before taking the connection.
Hope it helps.
hi, i have an unlocked iphone and have a bsnl postpaid plan.. did activate the GPRS and got a E icon on status bar of iphone but unable to access the safari
So does that mean all appliations on the Unlocked iphone would start working just by enabling GPRS activation ?
I heard airtel gives 500 MB free and then charges .30rs per 50 kb. Is that plan different then the rs 20 per GPRS one.
So If I take 20Rs per day GPRS i dont get limited with the Iphone specific plan ?
Please clarify. I have an iphone I want to bring to India but I am spectical about which apps would work or not.
Hi Himanshu,
Yes all applications on unlocked iPhone will start working with enabling gprs, and with application i hope you mean to say the apps which needs internet connectivity to operate, like cydia, youtube, weather app etc.
About the second question the i think the plan your are talking about is for iPhone 3g which are locked with airtel and are not available for others. So, you have to take the 20rs per day GPRS plan if you want unlimited download and upload and yes there wont be any limitation put of browsing.
So, if you are bringing your iPhone from US, it wont really make any difference as per apps perspective.
Hope it helps, let me know if any more info is required, will be gald to help.
HI all I’m currently using iPhone 3G from Canada and I’m wondering if I use in India will there be an option to activate GPRS through airtel. Also I dont want to unlock my phone and thos who wonder how it works with Airtel then here it is I use turbo sim which is a chip so you can use any network without unlocking. I need some info to do it officially and would pay even rs2000 for a month of GPRS. Please reply me
Vig
Hi Vig,
The GPRS connection can only be activated from Airtel, and to do that i think you must have an valid Airtel Phone No. and same will be for other networks also.
Thanks iPhoneGeek for the speedy reply but just another question so the GPRS will work with Airtel SIM without any settings?
Well with an Airtel Sim, you have to call up the Airtel Service Center guys on 121 or 123, and they will activate the GPRS plan according to your choice like unlimited 20rs per day plan which i am using.
And setting to run GPRS on iPhone, are in the post above thats all
how we start gprs on handset RG500 having airtel sim
Thanks IphoneGeek
Everything works just as described in above post.
1. Activate GPRS by calling 121.
2. Take the Rs 299/Month or Rs 15/day plan.
Just one extra step …after makig sure GPRS is activated from Customer care.
3. Goto Settings->General->Reset->Reset Network settings and reboot.
And we get a small O symbol alongside the Airtel logo ( I dont get E for Edge as I used to get it in US) ..which is the signal for data connectivity on your iphone.
Thanks to IphoneGeek. I got this all working in just few hours after landing…had not expected it to be some smooth here
.
mail Dekhna hai mobale pe
I am using unlocked iphone in India, by using Airtel network. Before one month I used one week plan (Rs 75), in that time GPRS works good but now I am using unlimited plan (00.30p/50kb) and it’s not working for me, but the symbol ‘E’ is showing in the TOP. Plz any one clarify this is network problem (or) my iphone problem?
-Raj
hi………i hav a iphone 2g unlocked ……….but in that settings>genera> after this EDGE option is not there……..its showing jus wi-fi and VPN….plz help me
Hi Raj,
If you didnt change any settings in iPhone and just changed the plan then its definitely a network problem, call the customer care guys up and tell them that your gprs is not working.
hi i am useing iphone 3g brought frm londan i was able to use internet on my phone for 3 weeks or more i have’nt paid my bill so they have stoped my services now i have paid de bill nd dey r saying dat gprs is active and all settings are all right but i am not getting a E symble at de top pls help meeeee
hello. I have an Iphone 3g unlocked thru a turbo sim coz of my baseband . Anyways, i have activated the 25rs/day unlimited plan but when i surf nd close my session, i get debited according to the per KB plan. I would really be thankful with some help here.
Hi Chetan,
The only one to blame here is Airtel, call their custom care and ask them what in world is going on here. Otherwise they will keep doing their billing. And tell them to do it asap. If nothing happens, then tell them to disable your gprs connection and start from all over again by getting it activated again. Hope it helps, let me know what they respond on that.
Thanks for visiting iPhone3G-India
Hey… i called them up and told exactly wat u told me to say. They were like sorry for the inconvenience…. they did the disabling and enabing of the service again. They told me 1 thing that i guess might be the reason…..they told me that i mih=ght be using airtel live settings. In my sim services also i see airtel live but no Mobile office(unlimited plan settings) and i dont get the APN options (sumtimes it comes, sumtimes it doesnt) in my Iphone.
I have unlock iphone 3g handset and i am using BSNL post paid connection ..Any one tell me how to activate GPRS services in the iphone(GPRS is working fine with airtel number )
To have the Edge option back, you need to download a APN update file from Cydia, under Tweaks section. Then add the EDGE info to your iphone.
Hi Mohit..but how does the Cydia work without edge in the first place for me to be able to download the APN update.
Mohit, I enabled the APN settings and nothing has happened. The Network option still only shows VPN and WiFi. Any other solution, I am desperate for EDGE.
Thank you!
hey m using i phone 2g
n i want kn how to use free gprs on that cl
can u plz help m
thnks
Hi Avi,
Well No idea about using the gprs for free
Hey guys. I’m from the US using an unlocked (ultrasnow), jailbroken 3.0 iphone 3g. I will be in India for a week and need to be connected. Can I just walk into an Airtel retailer and get a sim? I thought there were strict rules and documentation required to procure a sim card in india.
@Jay
Yes you can use your mobile phone, and messaging but for the data network the default is us.att.profile and the airtel data network is Airtelgprs.com and you must change it so it can work.
Hi there!
I have recently brought an I phone from the United States that was being used by my friend there with some local carrier… but guys as soon as i brought it to India and tried my Airtel Postpaid SIM with it, it says that only Emergency Calls are allowed and that has been verified with the software iTunes that also said that the SIM i am using with the iphone is not supported with it.
Guys please help me out… how can i make it work? will i have to approach Airtel for this or can i make it happen on my own?
Hi,
Well this seems like a unlocking issue, are you sure that the iPhone you are using is unlocked to use with any sim’s.
Cos the emergency screen and sim not supported messages are only displayed when your are using a sim card which is not of the official carrier from which the iPhone was bought in US.
Do, let me know if thats the case we will take it from there to next step.
@ iphonegeek
Yes.. i suppose you are absolutely right coz i had bought two of them and one of them is working fine with my Airtel SIM but the one we discussed is not. what can we do to unlock it?
have to learn a lot from you about the Iphone.. please revert back soon..
thanks for the help by far
DS
hi there guys!!! i am from mumbai and my brother is in US i had asked him to get an i phone 3GS for me from there He is quite confused weather i will be able to use the phone in india as it is bought from the apple store of at&t network by even paying penalty for cancellation of service.My query is will i be able to unlock this phone out here in mumbai and use it with any other service provider? as i am a globtrotter i will be wanting to use it in different places wish you could help me out.
NN
HEY
i have iphone 3g 3.0 OS unlocked but i cannot use internet on it. i just got the Microsoft office activated on my airtel sim. but still cant use it..what should i do ??
I got a iPhone 3G 2 months ago and it was working fine (without unlocking it) with Airtel. Today when i did a software update the phone got locked. What should be done to unlock and bring it back to normal?
Note: The SIM that i use now is a different one than the other one.
Raj.
Hi Guys,
I have a 2G iPhone which is unlocked and using with AirTel SIM, and i have installed some push enabled apps like AIM, Twitter etc.., but i am not able to recv any Push notification even through i have enable the notifications in Settings.
Can any body tell me is Push notification working with AirTel in India.
hi geek,
i bought an unlocked iphone in US and when i called up airtel to activate gprs thewy said they are not suporting iphones to enbable gprs… mine is a 3G and i see the E symbol to the side of Airtel… i followed the steps mentioned above but is not working for me… Please let me know.Thank You…
Hi Sandeep,
Airtel guys response on not supporting gprs is pathetic, i mean are they simply stupid or what. Anyways actually the “E” icon is for the edge network. Which means you should get atleast some type of net connectivity. Tell the airtel guys to enable airtel live as well, may be that will solve the problem. Also it will be great if you can tell me the iPhone OS version you are running.
Regards,
iPhoneGeek
Hello guys
hope somebody here can help, I am trying to get GPRS working on my IPhone 3GS. but no way to get it to work.
My Iphone is factory unlocked (no ultrasn0w)
I have already used it succesfully for 2G and 3G connectivity in thailand, bali and singapore.
here in india I got an Airtel sim card and boom, no internet.
As some of you already said the “cellular data network” menu disappeared. The interenting thing is that it disappears only when I use the airtel sim card. (if I plug in my thai sim card the menu come back)
I tried resetting the network settings of the iphone from the “reset” menu a few times, but no luck.
I also tried to plug my thai sim card, and input the correct GPRS settings for airtel, then plug my airtel sim card but nothing.
of course I called Airtel customer care but they know nothing, somebody even told me that my phone needed to be unlocked, to which I responded that I was calling with the iphone so how could I call if the iphone was locked?
I called about 20 times and most of the times when they don’t know what to do they just hang up on me, that’s terrible!
By the way the package I activated is mobile office monthly unlimited for 398 rps.
and what is more intersting is that trying the sim card on a nokia n95 gprs works great
for some reasons the airtel sim card f_cks up something in the iphone settings…
any idea?
Thank you very much
and happy diwali to all
hey..
i am currently in australia and i am planning to buy an iphone 3g and i will get it unlocked..my question is that after getting it unlocked can i use any gsm simcards in india like airtel,or idea??and will this apply true for even iphone 3gs??
yes harsh it will apply same for iPhone 3GS as well. So after unlocking it you will able to use it with local india players like airtel, idea n all.
@devaraj….
You are right..airtel customer care people dont know anything about our problem..
I have an iphone and whenever i put airtel sim in it “cellular data network” menu disappears..If someone knows how to rectify this kindly post it here
Guys If the Celluar Data Network disappears then you need to edit your carrier.plist file to enable edge editing. for your sepcific carrier. I suggest do a little googloing for plist editors and how to enablw edge editing on Iphone.
I have a Iphone 2G and have enabled Edge editing for vodafone and aitel. IF you are using the unlocked Iphone on any other carrier sim you shall get the option of “Cellular Data Network”
i hav a chinese mobile phone.
the name of that mobile is Ag-tel ag-12 qwerty series.
i want to enable gprs in it can somebody help me wat to do?
Hello iphonegeek,
i know you’ve explained it many times in the comments section but i need clarity on one thing, ive got a N95 and unlimited airtel mobile office service. im planning to get a factory unlocked IPHONE 3GS from dubai. My only doubt is will push notifications (gmail, yahoo, fastmail, exchange) work on if i transfer my current sim to the iphone 3gs(and wait for the settings). This is the only thing thats stalling my decision.
Awaiting your response…
Hi Nishant,
Push notifications started working with iPhone with iPhone 3.0 which is the default OS for iPhone 3GS. I have personally used gmail push notification. I hope it exists for other email provider as well.
hiii…i am currently using iphone 2g and i wanted to activate gprs or edge service on it…can u plss help me with the steps…and also what are some good plans for that…plss reply asap
Hi,
Can you tell me whether i can use the unlimited GPRS plan of IDEA cellular, in an unlocked iPhone for Tethering (act as modem to access internet from PC)?
I tried to put a SIM of my friend which already have unlimited GPRS plan, but Tethering did not work. But could able to access internet in the phone.
The settings are okay and able to connect using Bluetooth and Cable from the PC, but not able to get the internet. The connection status in the PC shows ‘limited connectivity….’..
Am I missing any other steps.??? Please help…
Thanks in advance….
-uk
Hi,
Tethering does work on iPhone but I havent tried it personally. Try searching for iPhone Tethering , it gives you pretty good guides on first page. Please note that in US, network carriers charge a huge amount(based on the usage n stuff) if any one is found tethering, not sure about how it works out in India. So be careful while taking this path. Let me know if anything.
Thanks for the info.
Btw, Don’t forget to shut down and RESTART the phone after you do this for the nwe settings to take effect.
Enjoy !!
Hey guys can someone please help me
i have a iphone 3g and im going to india next week, and i will get a airtel sim card but how do i get access to internet through my phone, i was also wondering if i could use the tethered internet thing on my iphone to use the web access on my laptop as well
Hi,
Am planning to buy an Unlocked iPhone 3G S 16GB in the Grey Market @ Hyd at the price of 35K. Please let me know if am paying too much. If I buy, do you think by any way they wud try to cheat me. I are the things I shud keep in mind. Will the product work for longer run.
Also should I bargain more or shud I ask someone in US or Canada to get one for me, which I guess might be cheaper. None interested to do so….
Please let me know friends…..
Raju
i have not geting iphone 2g gprs settings
hey,
i just bought an iphone 3g which is locked with airtel as i did not unlock/jailbreak it. i activated gprs nd i am currently using the unlimited 30p/50kb plan.
but the airtel people are denying that there exits a plan for 500mb free permonth for 12 months for new iphone users.
as i have already spent a lot on getting the original no-need-to-unlock iphone i wish to get all the services but the airtel people are flatly denying even the existance of such plan!!!!
plz help me !!!!!!!
gokuishero@yahoo.co.in
Thanks Himanshu Vats, I was struggling with this till I found your comment. Now it works just fine.
hi, i have an iphone 3gs unlocked. i had mobile office working with out any set up on my iphone. but that was in postpaid. Now i converted to prepaid and i cant use internet eventhough its activated.
Hey,
I just got I phone 3GS 32GB from us , the one which cost $699. My question is 1.) Is it factory Unlocked ?
2.) Do I need to jailbreak it ? or else would it be able to download apps from Apple site. What is advisable.
hi, i bought a Iphone 3GS from USA, i got it unlocked here in India now.
I have two questions:
1. after i call Airtel and ask them to activate GPRS what do i need to do(settings) so that i can browse the internet from the phone.
2. Since there are many applications on the iphone, will those app wch require the net to work, will they keep running in the background and my net usage will it increase or only when i access them they shall be active.
thanks
SK
Hi Sk,
To answer your questions :
1. I am pertty sure once they activate your gprs, you are all good to go. Not much settings required, the above settings were required to be done in older versions.
2. For the app, you have to read their description what they are all about, if you are using a app with “PUSH” technology, then your net usage may increase, cos they keep looking for updates on net, let says you mail account. Other then that no issues in using any app. You can go for the unlimited net packages, most of the companies are offering pretty good prices nowdays.
Hey got a Iphone 3gs from mumbai grey market itself and it’s factory unlocked any idea how to activate GPRS on it …and it’s unlocked but not jailbroken do let me know called vodafone but no reply’s from there …..thnkz !