eSIM installed but no service: what to check, in order
The ordered checklist for a travel eSIM that installed correctly and shows No Service. Data roaming, the data line, manual network selection and APN — and the one thing you must not do.
The short answer
In almost every case the cause is one of two settings: data roaming is off for the travel line, or the travel line is not selected as the line for mobile data. Turn data roaming on for the travel eSIM, set it as the mobile data line, then toggle flight mode for fifteen seconds. If it still shows nothing, select the network by hand instead of automatically. Do not delete the eSIM — deleting it destroys the plan permanently and it cannot be reissued.
Before anything else
Also worth ruling out first: a travel eSIM only connects in the country it is sold for. It will show no service at home, before you fly, and that is correct behaviour rather than a fault.
The checklist, in the order that fixes the most cases
- Turn on data roaming for the travel line. This is the single most common cause. The plan is a roaming profile: it is roaming by definition and cannot connect without it. iPhone: Settings › Mobile Service › tap the travel line › Data Roaming. Android: Settings › Network & internet › SIMs › tap the travel line › Roaming.
- Make the travel line the one carrying data. iPhone: Settings › Mobile Service › Mobile Data › select the travel line. Android: Settings › Network & internet › SIMs › Mobile data › select the travel line.
- Check the line is switched on at all. A newly installed eSIM can be added and left disabled. On iPhone the line shows "Turn On This Line"; tap it.
- Toggle flight mode on, wait fifteen seconds, and turn it off. This forces a fresh network registration and resolves a surprising share of cases on landing.
- Restart the phone. Second most effective step after roaming, and the one people skip because it feels like a non-answer.
- Select the network by hand. iPhone: Settings › Mobile Service › tap the travel line › Network Selection › turn Automatic off and pick a carrier from the list. Android: Settings › Network & internet › SIMs › Automatically select network › off. Try each carrier the plan lists in turn; automatic selection sometimes locks onto a network the profile has no agreement with.
- Check the APN, last. Most travel eSIMs configure it automatically and it rarely needs touching. If support has given you an APN value, it goes under Settings › Mobile Service › Mobile Data Network on iPhone, or Settings › Network & internet › SIMs › Access Point Names on Android.
What each symptom usually means
| What you see | Usually |
|---|---|
| No Service, on the travel line only | Data roaming is off, or the line is switched off. |
| Signal bars but nothing loads | The travel line is not selected as the mobile data line. |
| Connected, then dropped after a day | The plan ran out of data, or the validity ended. Both are visible in your account. |
| Never connected at all, anywhere | The phone is carrier-locked. Nothing on the phone will fix this. |
| Worked, then stopped in a second country | The plan covers one country, and you crossed a border. Regional plans list every country they cover. |
| Nothing loads, no signal, at home before the trip | Correct. The profile connects at the destination, not before. |
If none of it works
Write to support before touching the profile. A plan that is genuinely faulty and cannot be fixed is refundable in full; a plan you deleted is not, and there is no way back from that regardless of who was at fault.
Include the order number, the phone model, the country you are in and what the travel line shows on screen. That is enough to tell a settings problem from a profile problem without a round of questions.
Common questions
- My eSIM installed but says No Service. What do I do?
- Turn on data roaming for the travel line, then set that line as the one carrying mobile data. Those two settings account for most cases. If it still shows nothing, toggle flight mode for fifteen seconds, restart the phone, and then select the network manually instead of automatically. Do not delete the eSIM.
- Why do I need data roaming on for a travel eSIM?
- Because the plan is a roaming profile. It connects to a local network as a visitor, which is exactly what data roaming permits — with it switched off the phone refuses to register at all. Turning it on for the travel line does not let your home carrier charge you; that is controlled by your own line’s roaming setting, which should stay off.
- Can I reinstall an eSIM that is not working?
- No. An eSIM profile can be installed one time only, and deleting it destroys the plan permanently — it cannot be reissued and it is not refundable once installed. Contact support with the profile still on the phone.
- Why does my travel eSIM not work before I travel?
- It is not meant to. The profile connects to networks in the country it was bought for, so it shows no service at home. Installing it before you fly is still the right thing to do — validity starts at the first connection abroad, not at installation.
Written by Ahoray · Last revised 6 September 2026
The other guides
How much mobile data do you actually need abroad?
A week of maps, messaging and email is about 1 GB; add photos and social media and it is nearer 3 GB.
Travel eSIM or your carrier’s roaming: which is actually cheaper?
A day pass charges by the day, an eSIM by the gigabyte — which is cheaper depends entirely on the shape of your trip.
Does my phone support eSIM? How to check in ten seconds
Dial *#06#: if an EID number appears the phone supports eSIM. It must also be carrier-unlocked, which is a separate thing.
How to choose a travel eSIM: the six things that actually differ
Price per gigabyte, exit-IP country, tethering rights and top-ups — the coverage map is the least useful comparison.
Does a travel eSIM give you a phone number? (WhatsApp, SMS and bank codes)
None of them have a number, so SMS codes arrive on your own line. WhatsApp and iMessage work normally over the data.
