The wheels touch down, the seatbelt sign goes off and every phone in the cabin lights up. Except yours.
The travel eSIM you installed at home shows a carrier name, or nothing at all, and not a single page loads.
Usually nothing is broken. A travel eSIM depends on a few settings that only matter once you cross a border.
Here is what to check, in order.
“No Service” in the air is normal
A travel eSIM is designed to connect once you reach your destination. Until you land, a “No Service” label on that line is expected, not a fault.
After landing, give the phone a moment to find a local network.
1. Turn the travel line on
On iPhone with iOS 26 or later, Apple says you may see a “Turn On Travel eSIM” notification on arrival. It lets you choose between using the travel eSIM only or keeping both lines, with the travel eSIM handling data.
No prompt? Open Settings, tap Cellular (Mobile Data in some regions) and check the travel line is switched on.
On a Google Pixel, each line sits under Settings, Network & internet, SIMs, with its own “Use this SIM” switch. On a Samsung Galaxy, open Settings, Connections, SIM manager and check the travel line is turned on.
2. Allow data roaming for the travel eSIM
This is the step travellers most often miss. The travel eSIM needs data roaming turned on to connect abroad.
Apple’s support pages note that with an international data plan “you may need to keep Data Roaming on”. On an iPhone with two lines, the switch sits in each line’s Cellular Data Options. On a Samsung Galaxy, it’s under Settings, Connections, Mobile networks, Data roaming.
If your phone shows a separate roaming switch for each line, leave it off on your home line. Apple suggests turning data roaming off to avoid roaming charges, and warns that if you keep both lines active you might still incur roaming fees from your home SIM.
3. Send data through the right line
Apple and Google both state that a phone uses one SIM for mobile data at a time. If that is still your home line, the travel eSIM sits idle.
On iPhone, go to Settings, Cellular, Cellular Data and pick the travel line. On Pixel, go to Settings, Network & internet, SIMs, Mobile data. On a Samsung Galaxy, go to Settings, Connections, SIM manager, Preferred SIMs and choose the travel line for Mobile data.
On the same iPhone screen you’ll find Allow Cellular Data Switching, which lets the phone move data between lines. If your data keeps falling back to the home SIM, switch it off. Pixel and Samsung have a similar option (Automatic data switching on Pixel, Data switching on Samsung).
4. Reset the connection
Still nothing? Turn Airplane Mode on for around ten seconds, then off, so the phone searches for networks again.
If that fails, open the travel line’s network settings, turn off automatic selection and pick a local carrier by hand.
Resist the urge to delete the eSIM and start over. Some eSIM QR codes can only be installed once, so contact support before you erase anything.
5. Check the plan itself
A plan that has expired or run out of data looks like a settings problem. Log in to your provider’s account and confirm the plan is active and has data left.
Do the homework before you fly
A little preparation avoids most of this. Confirm your destination is on the provider’s list and that your handset supports eSIM before you pay. For example, doctorSIM, which covers more than 150 destinations, lets you check both when choosing a travel eSIM, and the QR code arrives by email once the payment clears.
Save that email so it opens without a connection.
Your own number keeps working
A travel eSIM for data sits alongside your usual line. Leave the home line switched on and calls and texts still reach your own number.
Apple says that even if you use only the travel eSIM, FaceTime and iMessage keep working on your home line.
Flying home
With iOS 26 and later, Apple says the iPhone can switch the travel eSIM off and turn your home SIM back on automatically when you return, depending on the country.
No notification? Open Settings, Cellular, make sure “Turn On This Line” is enabled for your home line, then switch off the travel line.
Frequently asked questions
My eSIM showed “No Service” during the flight. Is it faulty? Not necessarily. Travel eSIMs connect once you reach the destination country. If “No Service” persists on the ground, start with data roaming on the travel line.
Will turning on data roaming for the travel eSIM bring charges from my home carrier? On iPhone, data roaming is set line by line, so you can turn it on for the travel eSIM and keep it off on your home line. Apple notes you might still incur roaming fees on the home line if you keep it active, so check your carrier’s terms for incoming calls and texts abroad.
Will WhatsApp and iMessage still work with my usual number? Yes. A data travel eSIM runs alongside your usual SIM, so apps tied to your number keep working over the eSIM’s data.
What if my phone is locked to my home carrier? A carrier-locked phone can’t use a travel eSIM from another provider. On iPhone, go to Settings, General, About: if “No SIM Restrictions” appears next to Carrier Lock, the handset is unlocked. Otherwise, ask your carrier about unlocking before you travel.
