Last updated on 9 November 2026
Your eSIM is installed, but nothing loads once you land? Turn on data roaming for the eSIM first. In 131 WhatsApp conversations with our support team between February and October 2026, data roaming switched off on the eSIM was the most common cause (36 cases). A travel eSIM joins a local network as a roaming guest, and without data roaming your phone will not send data over it. You find every destination in the POVNOMAD eSIM store.
59 of the 131 conversations (45 %) were about “no internet” or setup. In most of them a setting on the phone was the problem. Below are all causes in the order we saw them, with the menu path for iPhone, Samsung and Google Pixel. Menu names checked on 1 November 2026 (iOS 26).
Why does my eSIM have no internet? The causes by frequency
| Cause | How you recognise it | Fix | Device and menu path | Cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data roaming off for the eSIM | Signal bars and a network name show, but no app loads | Turn on data roaming for the eSIM | iPhone: Settings › Cellular › eSIM line › “Data Roaming”; Samsung: Settings › Connections › Mobile Networks › “Data Roaming”; Pixel: Settings › Network & internet › SIMs › eSIM › “Roaming” | 36 |
| eSIM line not found or switched off | You cannot tell which line is the new eSIM, or it is switched off | Find the bottom line and turn it on | iPhone: Cellular › line › “Turn On This Line”; Samsung: Connections › SIM menu; Pixel: SIMs › “Use SIM” | 22 |
| Phone stuck | Everything is on, still no connection | Airplane Mode on for 15 seconds, then off; then restart | all devices | 17 |
| APN missing | Android shows a network, mobile data stays dead | Enter the APN from your installation link | Samsung: Mobile Networks › “Access Point Names”; Pixel: SIMs › “Access point names” | 15 |
| Phone picks no suitable network | “No Service” abroad, although roaming is on | Turn off automatic network selection, pick a network by hand | iPhone: line › “Network Selection” › “Automatic” off; Samsung: Mobile Networks › Network operators | 14 |
| Not in the destination yet | At home or on the plane the eSIM shows no network | Nothing to do, the eSIM connects on arrival | all devices | 12 |
| iPhone message “Unable to Activate eSIM” | Message with a single “OK” button | Do not scan again; the eSIM is usually already there as the bottom line | iPhone: Settings › Cellular | 12 |
| Mobile data off | Nothing loads without Wi-Fi, the mobile data switch is off | Turn on “Cellular Data” | iPhone: Cellular › “Cellular Data”; Samsung: quick settings; Pixel: SIMs › “Mobile data” | 7 |
| Carrier lock or faulty phone | The eSIM will not work after all steps | Ask your home carrier to unlock, otherwise replacement or refund | all devices | 6 |
| Phone without eSIM support | There is no “Add eSIM” option | Refund | all devices | 4 |
| Two lines already active on the iPhone | The eSIM line will not turn on | Switch another line off | iPhone: Cellular › line | 2 |
Based on 131 WhatsApp conversations with our support team, 10 Feb to 7 Oct 2026; one conversation can have several causes. We assigned the causes ourselves. Menu names checked on 1 November 2026: iPhone in the iOS 26.7.1 strings (applelocalization.com) and on support.apple.com, Samsung on samsung.com, Pixel on support.google.com. iPhones set to UK English say “Mobile Service” instead of “Cellular” and “Mobile Data” instead of “Cellular Data”.
How do I turn on data roaming for my eSIM?
Data roaming works per line. Turn it on for the eSIM, not for the whole phone. With a travel eSIM you only pay for the plan you bought.
| Device | Menu path | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone with two lines | Settings › Cellular › tap the eSIM line › scroll to the bottom › “Data Roaming” | The switch sits below “Limit IP Address Tracking”, so you have to scroll. |
| iPhone with one line | Settings › Cellular › “Cellular Data Options” › “Data Roaming” | “Cellular Data Options” only appears while a single line is active (UK: “Mobile Data Options”). |
| Samsung Galaxy | Settings › Connections › Mobile Networks › “Data Roaming” | With two SIMs each one has its own entry. If a list opens for the eSIM, choose the option for all networks, not national roaming only. |
| Google Pixel | Settings › Network & internet › SIMs › tap the eSIM › “Roaming” | The switch only applies to the SIM you tapped. |
Sources: iOS 26.7.1 strings “Data Roaming”, “Cellular Data Options”, “Limit IP Address Tracking” (applelocalization.com, 1 Nov 2026) and Apple Support, If you see No Service or Searching; Samsung: samsung.com, How to turn international data roaming on or off; Pixel: Pixel Phone Help, Connect to mobile networks. All retrieved on 1 November 2026.
On a Samsung the national-roaming option is the trap. With it, no data flows abroad, because the eSIM always runs as a guest on a foreign network there.
Where do I find my eSIM in the first place?
In 22 conversations customers could not find the new line. Between 18 September and 7 October another six conversations came from mixed-up line names.
- iPhone: Open Settings › Cellular. Your newest eSIM is the bottom line. Older eSIMs show “No Number” and stay switched off. If your new line is off, tap it and turn on “Turn On This Line”.
- The name can mislead you: iOS 26 labels an eSIM installed from a link “Travel” plus the network name. In some of our cases the line was called “Mobile Data”, the same as the switch above it. You want the line, not the switch.
- Samsung: Settings › Connections, then the SIM manager. Switch the eSIM on there.
- Pixel: Settings › Network & internet › SIMs › tap the eSIM › turn on “Use SIM”.
An iPhone can keep two lines active at the same time and store more. If your home SIM and a second eSIM are already on, switch one off before you turn on the travel eSIM.
Does restarting the phone really help?
In 17 cases it did. Apple suggests turning on Airplane Mode for at least 15 seconds and then off again (Apple Support). If that does not work, restart the phone. On Android do the same: Airplane Mode on and off, then restart.
When do I have to pick the network by hand?
When your phone shows “No Service” abroad although data roaming is on. That happened in 14 conversations. The networks your eSIM may use are listed in the personal eSIM link in your order email.
- iPhone: Settings › Cellular › eSIM line › “Network Selection” › turn off “Automatic” › pick a network from the list.
- Samsung: Settings › Connections › Mobile Networks › Network operators › turn off automatic selection › pick a network from the list.
- Pixel: Under Network & internet › SIMs, open the eSIM, turn off automatic network selection and pick the network from the list.
If the first network does not work, try the next one in the list.
Do I need an APN, and where do I enter it?
Most phones set up the access point (APN) on their own. In 15 conversations customers had to enter it by hand, nearly all on Android. Three of them were Android phones in Turkey, where the APN “globaldata” fixed it.
The APN for your eSIM is in the installation link from your order email. It can change, so do not rely on old guides.
- Samsung: Settings › Connections › Mobile Networks › “Access Point Names”, add a new entry with the APN, save it and select it.
- Pixel: Settings › Network & internet › SIMs › eSIM › “Access point names”.
- iPhone: The iPhone normally fetches the APN itself. The “Cellular Data Network” screen only shows up if the carrier allows it (Apple Support, View and edit your APN).
The steps with screenshots for Samsung and other Android phones are in our installation guide for Android, for iPhone in the installation guide for iPhone.
My eSIM shows no network at home. Is it broken?
No. The eSIM only connects to a partner network in your destination. At home and on the plane it shows “No Service”, and that is normal. In 12 conversations customers wrote to us for exactly this reason before they left. According to the product page, validity starts on first contact with the partner network. You can turn on data roaming for the eSIM at home already; it does no harm.
If your iPhone shows “Unable to Activate eSIM” during installation, do not scan the code again. In 12 cases the eSIM was already installed and sat as the bottom line under Cellular. A second scan only brings up “eSIM Cannot Be Added” with the note “This code is no longer valid.”
What if “Cellular Data” is off?
Then nothing loads without Wi-Fi. That was the case in 7 conversations. On an iPhone turn it on under Settings › Cellular › “Cellular Data”, on a Samsung in the quick settings, on a Pixel under Network & internet › SIMs › “Mobile data”.
When is it not your fault?
Sometimes no setting helps, and we tell you so:
- Carrier lock or faulty phone (6 cases): A phone locked to your home carrier will not accept another eSIM. Only that carrier can unlock it.
- No eSIM support (4 cases): If your settings have no “Add eSIM” option, you cannot install an eSIM.
- Network outage on site: Partner networks go down too. Another network from the list sometimes helps, otherwise you have to wait.
- Deleted eSIM: A code works only once. You cannot reinstall an eSIM you deleted.
In these cases a replacement eSIM or a refund is the only fix. In the same period our support team issued 14 replacement eSIMs.
What if none of this works?
Write to us through the chat on povnomad.com, on WhatsApp or in the POVNOMAD app. Send a screenshot of Settings › Cellular (iPhone) or of the SIM manager (Samsung). Then we can see which line is on and whether data roaming is running. From February to September 2026, 19 of 80 cases (24 %) were solved with our short checklist alone. This guide is also available in German, French and Spanish.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my eSIM show signal but no internet?
Usually data roaming is off for the eSIM. In 131 conversations with our support team (10 Feb to 7 Oct 2026) that was the most common cause, with 36 cases. Turn it on on the eSIM line’s page; on an iPhone it sits at the bottom under “Data Roaming”.
Does data roaming on a travel eSIM cost extra?
No. The eSIM joins a local network as a roaming guest, and you only pay for the plan you bought. You can leave data roaming off for your home SIM. As of 1 November 2026.
My eSIM says “No Service” at home. Is it faulty?
No, that is normal. The eSIM connects to a partner network only in your destination, and according to the product page the validity starts then. In 12 of 131 conversations that was the only reason customers wrote to us.
What does “Unable to Activate eSIM” mean on an iPhone?
In our 12 cases the eSIM was already installed. Check the bottom line under Settings › Cellular. Do not scan the code again, or iOS 26 shows “eSIM Cannot Be Added” and “This code is no longer valid.”
Which APN do I need for the Turkey eSIM on Android?
In three support cases with Android phones in Turkey the APN “globaldata” fixed it. The APN in your installation link is the one that counts, because it can change. On a Samsung you enter it under Mobile Networks › “Access Point Names”.
What do I do if I deleted my eSIM?
Write to our support team. An eSIM code works only once, so you need a replacement eSIM. Between 10 Feb and 7 Oct 2026 we issued 14 replacement eSIMs.
Where do these numbers come from, and are they current?
The case numbers come from 131 WhatsApp conversations with our support team between 10 Feb and 7 Oct 2026; one conversation can count for several causes. We checked the menu names on 1 November 2026 in the iOS 26.7.1 strings and on the help pages of Apple, Samsung and Google. New system versions can change them.
📦 Matching eSIM plan: Our best-selling destinations in October 2026 were Turkey, Morocco and Indonesia with Bali. Every other country is in the eSIM store.
Last updated on 1 November 2026. Support numbers from 10 February to 7 October 2026, menu names checked on 1 November 2026. Menus can change with any system update.