You've landed, switched off aeroplane mode, and nothing loads. Before you decide the eSIM is faulty, take a breath: when a travel eSIM won't connect, the cause is usually a setting rather than a broken plan. The fixes below are ordered so the most common culprits come first. Work down the list and test after each one.
Read the status bar first
What your phone shows narrows things down quickly:
- No bars, or "No Service": the phone hasn't registered on a network. Start with fixes 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7.
- Bars, but nothing loads: the phone is on a network, but data isn't flowing through the eSIM. Fixes 3, 4, 10 and 11 are your best bet.
- Worked yesterday, stopped today: jump to fix 9.
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Line and data settings
1. Confirm your plan covers where you are
An eSIM connects only in the destinations its plan covers. A country plan works in that country; a regional or Global plan works in the countries on its list. If you've crossed a border since you bought it, check the plan page.
2. Make sure the eSIM line is switched on
On iPhone, go to Settings → Mobile/Cellular, tap the HelloSIM line and check that "Turn On This Line" is enabled. On Android, open the SIMs or SIM manager screen and make sure the eSIM is switched on.
3. Set the eSIM as your mobile data line
Your phone uses one line for data at a time. On iPhone it's Settings → Mobile/Cellular → Mobile Data; on Android, look for the mobile data or preferred SIM option in the SIM settings. Choose the HelloSIM line.
4. Turn on data roaming for the eSIM line
This is the step travellers miss most often. Your HelloSIM eSIM works by roaming on local networks, so data roaming must be on for that line. It costs nothing extra, because the data is prepaid. Leave data roaming off on your home line, so your own carrier can't charge you.
Network fixes
5. Toggle aeroplane mode
Switch aeroplane mode on, wait a few seconds, then switch it off. The phone searches for networks again, which fixes a surprising number of problems straight after landing.
6. Restart the phone
A full restart clears more than aeroplane mode does. Power off completely, wait a moment and turn it back on.
7. Choose the network manually
Automatic selection sometimes clings to a network the eSIM can't use, especially near borders. In the network settings for the eSIM line (Network Selection on iPhone, Network operators on most Android phones), turn off automatic selection, wait for the list to load and pick one of the networks listed for your destination on the plan page. If the first one doesn't work, try another from the list.
8. Step down from 5G to 4G/LTE
5G is available only where the networks listed for your destination are marked 5G. If your phone keeps hunting for 5G, set the eSIM line to 4G/LTE: on iPhone under Voice & Data, on Android under preferred network type.
Plan and phone checks
9. Check your remaining data and days
If the eSIM worked and then stopped, the allowance or the days may have run out. Check the balance on the Check / Top up page, in your HelloSIM account or in the app, and top up the same eSIM if needed.
10. Switch off Wi-Fi and any VPN to test
Wi-Fi can hide what mobile data is doing, and a VPN can block traffic on a new connection. Turn both off briefly, then try loading a page.
11. Check the APN
Travel eSIMs normally set the access point name (APN) automatically. If the APN field for the eSIM line is empty or holds something unexpected (on iPhone under Mobile Data Network, on Android under Access Point Names), contact support for the correct value rather than guessing.
12. If it never installed, check the phone
When the eSIM wouldn't install in the first place, the phone may not support eSIM or may be locked to your carrier. Look for an "Add eSIM" option in Settings, and ask your carrier whether the phone is unlocked. Bear in mind that many iPhones sold in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao use two physical SIM slots instead of eSIM.
What not to do
- Don't delete the eSIM. The QR code is meant to be installed once, so removing the eSIM to "start again" can leave you without it. Ask support first.
- Don't switch on data roaming for your home line as a workaround. That's exactly how carrier roaming charges happen.
- Don't try the QR code on another phone. Each eSIM is installed on one phone.
When to contact HelloSIM support
If you've worked through the list and still have no data, contact HelloSIM by email at [email protected], where emails are answered within 24 hours, or through the live chat in the HelloSIM app. Connect to Wi-Fi first, and include:
- Your phone model and software version
- The country and city you're in
- What the status bar shows: no service, or bars with no internet
- Screenshots of the eSIM line's settings
- The fixes you've already tried
All sales are final once the eSIM is delivered, with one exception: a verified technical fault that support can't fix, on an eSIM where no data was used.
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