Using Cape Outside of the Owner Profile
Overview
- Cape service must be activated from your Owner Profile, but the primary number can be used across profiles on your device. If you plan to use Cape outside of the Owner Profile, there are a few important limitations to keep in mind.
Requirements & Limitations
Activation Must Be Done in the Owner Profile
- All initial setup and activation steps must be completed from your Owner Profile. The Cape app can only be installed here, as the Owner Profile is the only profile with permission to manage and control the eSIM.
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The way the AOSP implemented the telecom stack restricts us from working on Secondary Profiles. This is because apps cannot gain Carrier Privileges, which our app requires for basic functionality, if they are not in the Owner Profile. This is not a restriction of GrapheneOS itself, but something that applies across all Androids.
While there have been some customers who have been successful in installing Cape in their Secondary Profiles, this seems to be unpredictable & causes errors that are very hard to debug. For this reason, we have decided to disable the Cape app if you try to install it on a Secondary Profile (but existing installations will continue to work).
Once installed in the Owner Profile, the eSIM should work in any Secondary Profile, assuming you have given that profile access to phone calling & SMS.IMSI Rotation Is Only Supported in the Owner Profile
- Due to the aforementioned AOSP implementation of the telecom stack, IMSI rotation is not supported outside of the Owner Profile. If an IMSI rotation occurs while you are in a Secondary Profile, you may lose service until you switch back to the Owner Profile due to our app not being able to apply the carrier configurations necessary to connect to the network.
Recommendations
To avoid any interruption in service whilst you are using your Secondary Profile, we recommend:
- Completing the Cape activation and setup process from the Owner Profile
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Disabling IMSI rotation
Related articles: Troubleshooting Call and Text Issues on GrapheneOS, Activating Cape Service on GrapheneOS