Carrier settings update after adding an eSIM: what it is and when to install it
Install it. Apple says that when you set up a new eSIM you might need to download the new carrier's settings, and the prompt is how the iPhone offers them. If it already says OK instead of Update, the update was mandatory and is already installed. The similar-looking Cellular Settings Updated message is something else, and Apple says it needs nothing from you.
Check if my phone is compatibleWhat the update contains
Apple describes carrier settings updates as the way a carrier delivers updated network settings to the iPhone. When one is available, the phone shows a prompt to install it. Apple adds the line that matters here: if you set up a new eSIM or insert a new SIM card, you might need to download the carrier settings for your new carrier.
So a prompt appearing shortly after you add a travel eSIM is expected, not a warning sign. Each line has its own settings, which is why the phone can ask even though your usual line was already up to date. Installing it does not switch lines, turn on roaming or pick the data line for you; those stay exactly as you left them.
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Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
Update or OK: the two buttons
Apple explains the difference in one sentence. If your carrier releases a mandatory update, you see an OK button instead of an Update button, and in that case the system has already downloaded and installed it. Tapping OK only closes the notice.
With an Update button, the choice is yours, and there is little reason to wait. If you dismissed it by accident, Apple's manual route is short: connect the iPhone to Wi-Fi or a mobile network, open Settings, tap General and then About, and follow the instructions on screen. The version number appears next to Carrier on that same screen, and tapping it shows more detail. To confirm you have the latest version, Apple's advice is to ask the carrier.
Cellular Settings Updated is a different message
Apple has a separate page for an alert called Cellular Settings Updated. According to Apple, it means an update was made to the cellular modem configuration, the part of the iPhone that handles connections to 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G networks, and that the modem updates itself automatically to keep service quality up and meet compliance requirements.
Apple is clear on two points. These modem updates do not affect your plan or your carrier settings, and there is no action required from you. If it appears right after you added a travel eSIM, it is a coincidence of timing rather than something the eSIM needs. Dismiss it and carry on.
When the update is part of a fix
Apple includes the carrier settings check in its troubleshooting for an eSIM that will not set up, and in its checklist for the Invalid SIM and No SIM alerts. For the eSIM case, Apple's route is Settings, General, About, scroll to the eSIM section and tap the version number next to Carrier; if an update is available, you are asked to choose OK or Update.
In Apple's order it comes after the simpler steps: Airplane Mode on and off, the line switched off and on in Cellular, and a restart. One related detail from Apple: an iOS update resets any APN changes you typed in by hand, unless they came from a configuration profile. If your provider asked you to enter an APN, our guide to APN settings explains how to check it afterwards.
What it will not fix
A carrier settings update does not install an eSIM, switch on data roaming or choose which line carries data. If the travel line is installed but has no internet after you land, the usual causes are those switches, and the order to check them is in our guide to an eSIM with no internet.
The prompt is an iPhone feature. On Android, Google's connectivity checklist for Pixel phones points instead to the line's Use SIM switch, a full power-off and, for an error about the SIM, the provider of that line. If a Snoozim line still does not connect after these checks, write to us with your phone model and a screenshot; if the fault is on the service side, we fix it or replace the eSIM.
Is it safe to install a carrier settings update for a travel eSIM?
Yes. Apple says a new eSIM may need its carrier's settings, and the update comes through the iPhone's own Settings app.
Why does the prompt only show an OK button?
Apple says an OK button means the update was mandatory and has already been installed. Tapping it just closes the notice.
Do I need to do anything when I see Cellular Settings Updated?
No. Apple says it is an automatic modem update that does not affect your plan or carrier settings.
Where do I check my carrier settings version?
In Settings, General, About, next to Carrier. Tap the number to see more detail.
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