eSIM Not Working Abroad? A Step-by-Step Fix Checklist

If your travel eSIM will not connect abroad, three causes explain the large majority of cases: data roaming is switched off for the eSIM line, your phone is still using your home SIM for mobile data, or the plan has not started yet. Work through the checks below in order and you will usually be online within a few minutes — no reinstalling, no panic, and no expensive call to your home network.

This is the checklist we would run ourselves, from the fastest fixes to the things worth checking only if the quick ones fail.

First, the 30-second checks

Before changing any settings, confirm the basics. Most "dead" eSIMs are simply not switched on, or the phone is quietly routing data through the wrong line. Match your symptom to the likely cause and jump to the fix that fits.

Symptom	Most likely cause	Jump to fix
"No Service" or no signal bars	eSIM off, or not registered yet	Turn data roaming on
Bars show, but no data / pages won't load	Wrong line selected for mobile data	Turn data roaming on
Connected briefly, then dropped	Needs a manual network	Select the network manually
Data works on some apps, not others	Missing or wrong APN	Check the APN
Was fine yesterday, dead today	Plan expired or data used up	Restart and re-check

Three things to verify in the first half-minute:

• The eSIM is installed and turned on. In your SIM or mobile-plan settings, the travel eSIM should be listed and its line switched on — not greyed out or paused.
• The correct line is selected for Mobile Data. A dual-SIM phone lets you pick which line carries data. It must be set to the travel eSIM, not your home SIM.
• Cycle aeroplane mode. Turn aeroplane mode on, wait about ten seconds, then turn it off. This forces a fresh network search and clears a surprising number of first-connection hiccups.

New to installing eSIMs, or want to double-check the profile went on correctly? Our step-by-step guides for iPhone and Android walk through every screen.

Turn data roaming ON for your travel eSIM

This is the fix that catches most travellers out, because it feels wrong. A travel eSIM connects to networks in your destination as a roaming profile — that is how it reaches local coverage without you holding a local contract. So Data Roaming has to be on for the travel eSIM line, or the phone refuses to use it for data.

The important nuance: turn roaming on only for the travel eSIM, and keep it off on your home SIM. That way the travel plan handles your data while your home line stays dormant, so you are never hit with a roaming bill from your home network.

• On iPhone: Settings → Mobile Data → select the travel eSIM plan → Mobile Data Options → Data Roaming ON. Then open your home SIM's entry and confirm its Data Roaming is OFF.
• On Android: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → pick the travel eSIM → Roaming ON. Paths vary slightly by manufacturer, but the roaming toggle sits under the individual SIM's settings.

If you are unsure why roaming behaves differently for a travel plan than for your normal contract, our guide on data roaming on or off explains it plainly.

Select the network manually

If roaming is on and you are still offline, your phone may be failing to pick a local network automatically — common in the first minutes after you land, or in border regions where several networks overlap.

Take control and choose one by hand:

• On iPhone: Settings → Mobile Data → select the travel eSIM → Network Selection → turn Automatic OFF → choose an available network from the list.
• On Android: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → travel eSIM → Automatically select network OFF → pick a network.

Choose one, then wait. Registration is not instant — it can take two to three minutes for the phone to authenticate and show data. If the first network you pick does not connect, switch automatic selection back on for a moment, then try a different network from the list.

Check the APN

Some plans need a specific APN (Access Point Name) — a short setting that tells your phone how to route data through the network. Most modern eSIMs configure this automatically, but a few require you to enter it by hand. If your install email lists an APN, that is a strong sign you need to set it.

• On iPhone: Settings → Mobile Data → travel eSIM → Mobile Data Network → type the APN under Mobile Data exactly as shown in your email.
• On Android: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → travel eSIM → Access Point Names → add or edit the APN.

Enter it precisely — no extra spaces, and matching the capitalisation in the email. Leave any username or password fields blank unless the email specifies them. Save, then toggle aeroplane mode once to apply it.

Restart, then re-check the basics

If you have reached this point, restart the phone fully. A restart re-initialises the modem and often resolves a stubborn line that has all the right settings but simply will not latch on.

After it boots, run back through the essentials: eSIM line on, data roaming on for that line, correct line selected for mobile data. Then confirm your plan's start condition. Some plans activate the moment you install them; others begin on first connection in the destination, so the validity clock has not started until now. If you are unsure which applies, check your plan's details page — it states when the plan begins and how long it runs.

Still offline? What to send support

If the checklist has not brought you online, it is time to reach out — and the detail you provide decides whether you are fixed on the first reply or stuck in a back-and-forth.

Include these, up front:

• Your exact device model (for example, iPhone 15 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S24), and iOS or Android version.
• Your destination — the country and city you are trying to connect from.
• What you have already tried — roaming toggled on, network selected manually, APN entered, phone restarted. This saves everyone a round of "have you tried…".
• What you see — the exact status ("No Service", bars but no data, connects then drops).

Send all of that through our contact page and support can go straight to the cause instead of asking for basics. One honest note: please do not delete the eSIM to "start fresh" — most travel profiles install only once, and removing it can leave you unable to reinstall the same plan.

Heading somewhere new and want a plan that is ready before you land? Browse eSIM Today plans for your destination and install over Wi-Fi before you fly.

FAQ

Why does my eSIM say "No Service"? "No Service" usually means the eSIM line has not registered on a local network yet. Make sure the eSIM is turned on, data roaming is enabled for that line, and give it two to three minutes after you land. If it persists, select a network manually in your settings.

Should data roaming be on or off with a travel eSIM? On for the travel eSIM. Travel eSIMs connect to local networks as roaming profiles, so Data Roaming must be enabled for that specific line. Keep roaming off on your home SIM so you are never billed by your home network.

Does aeroplane mode reset the connection? Often, yes. Turning aeroplane mode on for about ten seconds and then off forces your phone to search for and re-register on a network, which clears many first-connection issues without changing any settings.

Do I need to delete and reinstall the eSIM? No — do not delete it. Most travel eSIM profiles can only be installed once, so removing it can leave you with no way to reinstall the same plan. Work through the checklist first and contact support before deleting anything.

Why does my eSIM work in one country but not the next? Each country uses different local networks. A regional or multi-country plan has to re-register on a new network when you cross a border, which can take a few minutes. If it does not connect, select the network manually and confirm your plan covers that country.