How to tell if your eSIM is actually working
Three checks answer it: the line is switched on, it is the line chosen for mobile data, and data is really passing through it. On an iPhone, the upper row of bars in the status bar belongs to the data line. On any phone, the final proof is turning Wi-Fi off, loading a page and watching that line's data counter go up.
Open the data calculatorCheck one: the line is switched on
An eSIM can be switched off without being deleted, and an off line looks a lot like a broken one. On an iPhone, open Settings, Cellular (Mobile Data in some regions) and tap the eSIM: if you see Turn On This Line, it is off, and Apple's advice is to tap it and then check for service. On a Pixel, go to Settings, Network and internet, SIMs, tap the eSIM and make sure Use SIM is on. Google notes that a carrier name greyed out with No SIM means the SIM is missing or inactive. On a Samsung Galaxy, each line has its own switch in Settings, Connections, SIM manager.
If the eSIM is not listed at all, it was never installed or has been deleted, and the checks below do not apply. Start instead with Invalid SIM or No SIM after installing an eSIM.
One eSIM for 33 European countries
Several countries on one trip? Same eSIM, same data, no swapping lines at the border.
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For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Buy up to 180 days before you fly: the plan only starts when the eSIM connects at your destination.
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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.
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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.
Check two: it is the line carrying data
A phone with two lines uses one at a time for mobile data. Apple puts it plainly: one number at a time can use cellular data, chosen in Settings, Cellular, Cellular Data. Google says the same for Pixel phones, where only one SIM can be the default for data, set under your primary SIMs in Settings, Network and internet, SIMs.
If your usual line is still the data line, the travel eSIM can be perfectly healthy and simply unused, while your home line spends roaming data. Abroad, also confirm that Data Roaming is on for the travel eSIM: on an iPhone in Settings, Cellular, the travel line, Cellular Data Options; on a Pixel in that SIM's own settings. Why a travel eSIM needs it is explained in do you need data roaming on for a travel eSIM.
Check three: read the status bar
On an iPhone with two lines, Apple's guide to status icons says the upper row of bars shows the signal of the line you use for cellular data, and the lower row shows your other line. Open Control Center to see each row next to its plan label and carrier name; it is the quickest way to confirm that the top bars belong to the travel eSIM.
Next to the bars, a network type such as LTE or 5G means that network is available and the iPhone can connect to the internet over it. No Service means that line has no signal. SOS means full service is not available, although emergency calls may be possible through other networks. On a Pixel, Google suggests turning off Wi-Fi so you know you are looking at the mobile network, then checking the signal indicator at the top right. Android can also show a small R while roaming, which is normal with a travel eSIM, as explained in what the roaming icon means.
Check four: the proof is data moving
Bars only say that the phone can hear a network. To know data is flowing, turn Wi-Fi off and open something that needs a fresh connection: a news site, the map of a street you have not looked at before, a search. If it loads, mobile data works.
Then confirm the eSIM is the one doing the work. On an iPhone, Settings, Cellular shows usage for the selected cellular data number, and Reset Statistics at the bottom of that screen starts the count from zero, so after a few minutes of browsing the figure should have moved. On a Pixel, Settings, Network and internet, SIMs shows the data used at the top, and App data usage breaks it down by app and period. A counter that rises on the eSIM and stays still on your usual line means everything is where it should be. Our guide to checking data usage on a travel eSIM goes into detail.
When the signs disagree
- Bars and LTE or 5G on the travel line, but nothing loads: check the data line and Data Roaming again, then turn Airplane Mode on and off.
- No Service on the travel line before you have arrived: expected with a country plan, which only connects in its own country.
- No Service on the travel line inside its country: restart the phone, and if it stays, contact the provider with a screenshot.
- No Service on your usual line during a call on the other one: Apple notes that while one line is in use, the other can show No Service.
For anything else, our guide to signal bars but no internet and the no-service guide list the next steps in order.
How do I know which line my iPhone uses for data?
Look in Settings, Cellular, Cellular Data. In the status bar, the upper row of bars belongs to the data line, and Control Center shows each row with its label.
If the eSIM shows bars, is it working?
Not necessarily. Bars mean the phone hears a network. Turn off Wi-Fi and load a page to confirm data is flowing.
Why does my travel eSIM show no service before the trip?
A country plan only connects in its country, so at home it has no network to join. Check it again after you land.
Does the phone's counter match the plan's balance?
Not always. Google notes that carriers can measure usage differently from the phone, so treat the phone's figure as a guide.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
Open the data calculator