At trvllr, we understand that when you purchase something, you have every right to expect it to just work. Yet some of the most common questions we get asked are "My eSIM is not working?" or "I can't use my eSIM?". So whether or not you have purchased your eSIM from trvllr, here are the top reasons why most travel eSIM's may not be working. This data is based on common user complaints, technical support issues, and the underlying technology from download to deployment and operation: The issues are listed in frequency order with the most common reason listed first.
Not all phones support eSIM. Even if your device does, it might only support eSIMs from specific carriers or regions. Some phones (particularly models bought through U.S. carriers) may block third-party eSIMs entirely. Always check with your phone provider before attempting to download any eSIM.
Is your device listed as eSIM-compatible and open to third-party providers?
To use a travel eSIM, your phone must be unlocked from your original mobile network. A network-locked device will reject any eSIM that’s not from your home carrier. Always check with your phone provider before attempting to download any eSIM.
Has your mobile provider confirmed your device is unlocked? Contact your phone service provider.
Errors often occur during installation:
Always follow the installation guide step by step. You may need to delete and reinstall.
Even after download, some eSIM's may not become active. In some cases, the profile may become corrupted during installation. These issues often require a full removal and reinstallation of the eSIM profile.
If your phone shows "No SIM" or "No Service" after setup, try deleting and reinstalling the profile. Contact your vendor for assistance.
Despite the marketing, Roaming agreements are very flexible and often change with minimal notice. Quite often your eSIM might be technically active, but it still won’t work if:
Check to see if your destination is covered and supported by your eSIM vendor. If it is, you may be able to force the sim to select a different network.
Some eSIM's still require a manual configuration of some settings such as the APN (Access Point Name) settings in order to connect to mobile data. Without this, you may be connected to the network but unable to access the internet. This is one of the most common technical issues. Note: Sometimes these settings can return to default during some background updates. Checking your APN settings is a good place to start if you are experiencing unexplained connectivity issues.
Go to your phone settings and check that the APN details are correct for your installed eSIM.
Check your eSIM plan details to see if it has a start or 'use by' date. Contact your vendor if you need to update, or top up your plan.
In dual SIM phones, your device might still be using your physical or Primary, domestic SIM for data, even after installing the roaming eSIM. This may mean you won't be allowed to connect, or you are allowed and are charged expensive roaming charges. Make sure that you are using the roaming eSIM whenever roaming, as it will be unlikely that you will be refunded any charges if this happens.
Got to your phone settings and ensure that the eSIM that you want to use when travelling has been enabled and that your primary sim has data roaming disabled.
Travel eSIMs nearly always require data roaming to be enabled, even though you may be using a local plan. Often you will be told that you are using local rates, but in reality, the eSIM is still technically roaming. This is quite often missed or misunderstood.
Go to your phone settings and ensure that data roaming has been enabled. Some phones will require this on ALL installed sim plans.
Your phone may need the latest OS or Android update or carrier settings update to support new eSIM functionality or international providers. This is a catch all debug, but as most apps are updated regularity to work with the latest software, it is always good practice to ensure your phone is updated regularly.
Always ensure that your phone has the latest software update. This may eliminate the issue being with your phone.
Bundles and Packages can be confusing. Indeed its one of the main reasons that trvllr does not provide them. But if you bought a plan for the wrong region (e.g., "Europe" instead of "EU-only"), it may not work in your current location. Warning: A lot of eSIM vendors will not allow you to migrate package value from one region to another so choose carefully.
Contact your eSIM vendor to re-purchase the right package if available.
Occasionally, the problem may lie with the eSIM provider:
Contact your eSIM vendor support to check on any issues and request a solution timescale.
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