Why is your eSIM not working? Diagnose the symptom before changing settings

First check what has failed: installing the profile, joining a network or using mobile data. Look for the eSIM in your phone's SIM settings, then check whether you have no signal, no internet or a problem with just one app. Each points to a different set of checks.

Keep the profile installed. Apple advises against erasing an eSIM as a troubleshooting step unless the provider directs you to do it. Apple's guidance on deleting an eSIM

Find your symptom

What you see	What it tells you	First thing to investigate
No eSIM in the SIM list	Installation may not have completed	Compatibility, connection and activation instructions
QR code invalid or already used	The code may not be reusable, or the profile may already exist	Check installed profiles and ask the issuer
Profile present, no network	Installation is not the same as registration	Covered destination, enabled line, eligible networks
Signal bars, no internet	A line may be connected without a usable data session	Data-line selection, balance, roaming and APN
Websites work, one app fails	The fault may be specific to that app or connection route	App settings, restrictions and service availability
Internet works, ordinary calls do not	The package may not include voice	Purchased service type and selected voice line

Signal bars may belong to the other SIM. Open the line details before deciding that the travel eSIM has connected.

The profile will not install

Check the exact phone model and sales-region variant against the manufacturer and provider's supported devices. A phone can have a similar name to a supported model and still differ in eSIM capability.

Then check carrier lock and the installation connection. Use reliable Wi-Fi or another permitted internet connection. If the code appears used, look for a profile that was installed during a previous attempt instead of repeatedly scanning it.

Capture the error wording. "Code no longer valid" and "SIM not supported" are different clues. Send the message through the provider's verified support channel without posting the QR code publicly.

It installed, but there is no service

Confirm you are in a country covered by that package. A Japan-only plan may not connect while you are still at home. Check whether the provider requires a separate start action and whether the activation deadline has passed.

Make sure the line is enabled. Try a brief airplane-mode cycle, then give the phone time to register. On iPhone, Apple recommends airplane mode for at least 15 seconds when trying to reconnect. Restart if necessary. Apple's no-service guidance

Leave network selection on automatic initially. If the provider instructs manual selection, choose a network listed for your package. Seeing a network in a scan does not mean your plan is entitled to use it.

If every eligible network rejects the connection, ask the provider to check provisioning, package status and local outages. Repeating the same phone setting cannot fix an account-side restriction.

There is signal, but mobile data does not work

Select the travel eSIM as the mobile-data line. A default voice line is a separate choice. On supported Pixel phones, Google documents these preferences separately and allows only one default data SIM. Pixel Dual SIM settings

Check the remaining allowance and expiry. Then follow the plan's roaming instructions on the travel line. Avoid enabling the home line's roaming just to see what happens; it has separate billing terms.

If the provider supplies an APN, compare it exactly with the configured value. Do not paste a generic APN from another seller's guide. Samsung describes APNs as part of the network settings and notes that available options vary by carrier. Samsung connection settings

Disconnect Wi-Fi temporarily and test a small webpage. If it loads, test a second site before running a large speed test that consumes more of your allowance.

Only one app fails, or the connection feels slow

Try a different website and a different app. Check whether that app is allowed to use cellular data. An expired login, regional restriction or service outage can look like an internet problem.

If several services are slow, investigate signal, congestion and the package's fair-use conditions. An unlimited-style plan may reduce speed after a daily threshold. Reinstalling the profile will not reset a legitimate speed limit.

If a VPN or filter is involved, follow its provider's or your organization's troubleshooting process. Do not remove workplace security settings just to test a theory.

Send support evidence that narrows the problem

Include the order reference, device model, software version, current country, exact error and whether the profile appears. Add which line is selected for data, the package balance and what you have tried.

Share device identifiers only through verified private support when requested. Never put activation codes, full identifiers or account secrets in a public forum.

For a short sequence you can follow while traveling, use what to do when your eSIM is not working. For iPhone menus and messages, use the iPhone-specific guide.