Why is my eSIM not working?

Your eSIM may not be working for a number of reasons — going through a few troubleshooting steps can help you identify the issue and get connected quickly!

Where does my eSIM work?

Remember, your eSIM can only work in its coverage area — for example, an eSIM for France will only work in France. If you install the eSIM outside the coverage area, you’ll need to wait until you arrive to connect to a network.

How to check why your eSIM isn’t working

If you’re in the eSIM’s coverage location, take the following steps if you’re having trouble using your eSIM.

Make sure your eSIM is installed correctly

If you’ve followed the instructions to install your eSIM, you should see it under the SIMs section of your device settings — you’ll also see that it’s installed successfully in the app, when possible.

Remember to give your eSIM a unique label or name — this makes it easy to identify if you have multiple SIMs on your device.

If you don’t see the eSIM in your device settings, check the following article: Why can't I find my eSIM when the Airalo app says it's been installed?

Make sure you’ve followed the steps to connect

If the eSIM is installed on your device, you’ll need to adjust a few settings to connect to a network. Depending on your eSIM and your device, the steps will be a little different, but you’ll always need to do the following:

Make sure the eSIM is on
Make sure the eSIM is selected for data

For eSIMs with calls and texts, you’ll also need to make sure it’s selected for calls and texts, too.

To see the steps required for your eSIM, go to My eSIMs > Details > View Instructions and find the steps for “Access Data.” Read and follow the steps carefully.

Check the APN settings

Some eSIMs require you to enter a specific Access Point Name, or APN, into your device settings. You can find this in the installation instructions in the app — in many cases, the APN is set automatically.

If it’s not set automatically, follow the steps under “Access Data” to copy and paste the APN.

Turn on data roaming

Some eSIMs require you to turn on data roaming — you can do this from your device settings. If required, follow the steps under “Access Data” to turn on data roaming for your eSIM.

For iOS devices, you can turn on data roaming for individual SIMs — make sure it’s turned off for your primary SIM to avoid roaming charges.

For Android devices, data roaming usually applies to all SIMs in use — make sure you have your primary SIM turned off to avoid roaming charges.

Select the network manually

Your eSIM will be able to connect to at least one network in its coverage area — in some cases, it will be able to connect to multiple networks.

In most cases, it will automatically connect to the strongest available network — in some cases, it may choose the wrong network.

You’ll find your eSIM’s available networks in the “Access Data” section of the installation instructions. Follow the steps related to network selection to choose the network manually.

Temporarily turn off any other eSIMs

If your device allows multiple SIMs to be enabled at once, temporarily turn off any other SIMs that may be interfering with your eSIMs ability to connect.

You can manage this from the SIMs section of your device’s settings.

Adjust your network mode

In some cases, it’s easier for your eSIM to connect to a network in a different mode. If you’re attempting to use 5G, try connecting with 4G/LTE or 3G.

For iOS, you’ll need to go to your eSIM in your device settings to adjust the network mode.

For Android, you’ll need to go to your mobile network settings to adjust the network mode.

Once your eSIM is working, you can try adjusting this to your preferred network mode.

Restart your device

If you’ve tried all the other steps, you can try restarting your device — in some cases, this will refresh your device’s connection and allow your eSIM to connect.