What to do if your eSIM is not working abroad

Try these first

If your eSIM is installed but you have no internet abroad, the cause is almost always one of two settings. Check them before anything else.

• The travel eSIM is selected for mobile data. In your SIM or mobile data settings, the travel line must be the one chosen for data, not your home SIM.
• Data roaming is on for the travel eSIM. Travel eSIMs connect to partner networks, which your phone treats as roaming. Without data roaming on that line, you may see signal bars but no data. Our data roaming guide shows where the switch is.

Work out which problem you have

The fix depends on what your phone shows. Look at the status bar and at the travel line in your SIM settings.

• Signal bars but no data: usually the data line or data roaming setting, or an APN issue. Start with the quick fix above.
• No service, or 'SOS only': the phone has not registered on a network. Try manual network selection and check you are in a covered country.
• The eSIM line is missing or shows as off: the line may be disabled in settings, or the install did not complete.
• Data worked, then stopped: you may have used up your allowance or reached the end of the plan's validity.
• Data is very slow: weak signal, a congested area, or reduced speed after heavy use on an unlimited plan.

Signal bars but no data

This is the most common situation. The phone is connected to a network but will not pass internet traffic.

• Re-check that the travel eSIM is selected for mobile data.
• Re-check that data roaming is on for the travel eSIM line specifically. On some Android phones the roaming switch sits under Mobile networks rather than inside the SIM settings.
• Make sure mobile data itself is switched on.
• Turn off any VPN, private relay or ad-blocking profile temporarily, then test again.
• Turn off Low Data Mode or Data Saver briefly to rule it out.
• Open a simple web page rather than relying on a single app, which may have its own problem.

No service or SOS only

If the travel line shows no service at all, the phone has not managed to register on a partner network.

• Check you are in a covered country. A country plan only connects in that country, and a regional plan only in the countries it lists. The eSIM will not connect before you arrive.
• Select a network manually. In your network settings, turn off automatic network selection, wait for the list to load and choose a network. If the first one does not work, try another. The networks a plan uses are listed on its destination page.
• Move to a better spot. Inside airports, underground stations and thick-walled old buildings, signal can be weak. Step outside or near a window and try again.
• Restart the phone after changing network settings.

The eSIM line is missing or switched off

Open your SIM settings and look for the travel line. If it is there but switched off, turn it on. If it is not listed at all, the installation may not have finished.

If you never completed the install, you can still do it abroad as long as you have an internet connection, such as hotel or café Wi-Fi. Follow the guide for iPhone, Samsung or Pixel. If the QR code gives an error, see the QR code will not scan.

If the line was deleted, do not buy a replacement straight away. Read our guide on a deleted eSIM and contact us first.

Data worked, then stopped

If everything was fine and then data suddenly stopped, check your balance and plan dates before changing settings.

• Open My eSIMs to check how much data is left and the days remaining. The balance there is the one that counts; your phone's own counter is only a rough guide.
• If the allowance is used up or the plan has ended, you can add more data to the same eSIM. There is nothing new to install.
• If you have data left and days remaining, go back to the quick fix: airplane mode, restart, then manual network selection.
• If you have just crossed a border, give the phone a minute to find a network in the new country, then toggle airplane mode.

Data is working but slow

Slow data is harder to pin down because it depends on the network, the location and the time of day.

• Check the signal. One bar indoors may be three by a window. Rural areas, mountains, ferries and trains between towns often have weaker coverage for every provider.
• Try a different network through manual selection, if the plan offers more than one in that country.
• Busy places such as stadiums, festivals and city centres at peak times can be congested.
• On an unlimited plan, speed may slow after heavy use. That is part of how unlimited plans are designed rather than a fault, and the plan page explains how it works.
• Background apps such as photo backup or a laptop on your hotspot can make the connection feel slow for everything else.

Problems with the phone itself

Occasionally the issue is the phone rather than the eSIM.

• Carrier lock: a phone locked to your home operator may accept the eSIM but refuse to use it. Only your operator can unlock it. Before buying, it is worth asking whether your phone is unlocked and using our compatibility check.
• Software updates: an out-of-date operating system can cause odd network behaviour. Update on Wi-Fi if you can.
• Reset network settings: this clears Wi-Fi passwords and network preferences and is a last resort. On most phones it does not remove eSIMs, but read the on-screen wording carefully and do not choose any option that mentions erasing eSIMs.

Prevent problems before you travel

Most arrival headaches can be avoided at home.

• Install the eSIM a day or two before you leave, on Wi-Fi.
• Label the lines 'Home' and 'Travel' so they are easy to tell apart.
• Set the travel line for mobile data in advance, so on arrival you only need to switch on data roaming.
• Save support@spidot.com and the link to your install page somewhere you can reach offline, such as a screenshot.
• Download offline maps for your arrival city in case you need to find Wi-Fi.
• Read dual SIM explained if you are new to running two lines.

When to contact us

If you have worked through the checklist and data still does not work, write to support@spidot.com. To help us help you quickly, include:

• The email address you used to order.
• The country and, if possible, the town you are in.
• Your phone model.
• What you see: signal bars, no service or SOS only, and any error message.
• What you have already tried.