eSIM not working: what to try when there is no signal or no data

• Connect to Wi-Fi or a hotspot. Apple lists this first, with the exception of some eSIM-only models in some regions.
• Check that the phone supports eSIM and is unlocked, and that you have the latest software it can run.
• Check the activation details: a QR code that is cut off, expired or already used may be refused. Ask the provider to issue a new one rather than trying repeatedly.
• If the provider gave you a confirmation code, enter it exactly as given when the phone asks.
• If the code is on the phone you are installing on, use the touch-and-hold option on iOS 17.4 or later, or show the code on a second screen.

1. 1Turn Airplane Mode on and off.
2. 2On iPhone, open Settings and then Cellular. If the line you are activating appears, turn it off and back on. On a Pixel, open Network & internet and Mobile network, tap the SIM and check that Use this SIM is on.
3. 3Restart the phone.
4. 4Check for a carrier settings update: on iPhone open Settings, General, About and look at the eSIM section, where an update prompt appears if one is available.
5. 5Update the phone’s software if an update is waiting.

• Check which line carries mobile data. On iPhone it is set under Settings, Cellular, Cellular Data; on a Pixel under Your primary SIMs. Only one line carries data at a time.
• Check the data roaming switch for the eSIM line and follow the provider’s instructions for it. A travel plan may work on a partner network, which a phone can treat as roaming; the provider’s instructions say whether the data roaming switch should be on for that line.
• Turn Wi-Fi off for a moment to see whether the connection works without it.
• Check the plan itself with the provider: whether it has started, whether the allowance has been used up, whether the validity has ended and whether the country you are in is on the plan’s list.
• Enter access-point or network settings only if the provider tells you to, and exactly as given.
• Do not choose a network by hand unless the provider tells you which one.

Many travel eSIM plans are data-only and have no phone number, so calls and text messages on that line are not expected to work. Use a messaging or calling app over the data connection. Text-message codes from your bank usually go to your home SIM, which should stay switched on.

• Coverage gaps: mountains, tunnels, trains, ships and remote areas are weak spots for any network. This is not a fault with the eSIM.
• Crowds: a busy airport, station or event can slow a network for everyone.
• Country list: a plan that names certain countries does not work in one it does not name. Check the list before crossing a border, especially into the United Kingdom or Switzerland.
• Plan started early: a plan that counts from installation may have used part of its validity before you travelled.

• The exact error message, or a screenshot of it.
• Your phone model and software version.
• Your phone’s IMEI and eSIM identifier (EID). On iPhone both are under Settings, General, About.
• The order or plan reference, and the time you installed the plan.
• What you have already tried, in order.
• A question to ask: can the plan be installed again, and what happens to the validity if it cannot be used?