Before you buy
My SIM isn't working abroad: the checklist
Eight checks ordered from most to least likely, which work the same for a physical card and for an eSIM.
Bea Nogales 5 min Photo by Guille Álvarez on Unsplash It makes no difference whether it's a card bought at the airport or a profile downloaded at home: when there's no data, the causes are the same and in the same order of likelihood.
The eight checks
- Is the line switched on? Installed, or slotted in, isn't the same as switched on.
- Is that the selected data line? With two lines, your phone uses whichever is marked.
- Is data roaming switched on FOR that line?
- Is there signal? Switch aeroplane mode on and off once to force it to register.
- Does a local operator appear? If it's on automatic and won't latch on, pick one by hand.
- Is an APN needed? Only if the plan's instructions say so.
- Has the plan started, and does it have credit or data left?
- Is the phone carrier unlocked? A lock rejects other providers' lines.
And if it's still the same after all eight, restart the phone. It works more often than anyone likes to admit.
Symptoms and likely cause
| Symptom | Usual cause |
|---|---|
| Signal but no data | Roaming off or the wrong data line |
| No signal and no operator | Failed registration: aeroplane mode or pick the network manually |
| Painfully slow | Plan used up and running at reduced speed |
| Works on and off | Coverage in that area, not the plan |
| It won't accept the line | Phone locked to an operator |
What not to do
Delete the profile or throw the card away. With an eSIM the code is single use, and with a physical card, losing it when the problem was a setting is worse still.
The detailed version for eSIMs is in what to do when the eSIM isn't working.
Frequently asked questions
Why isn't my SIM working abroad?
Nearly always three things: the line isn't switched on, it isn't the selected data line, or its data roaming is off.
What do I do if it can't find a network?
Switch aeroplane mode on and off, and if nothing changes go into network selection and pick an operator by hand.
And if it's very slow?
That usually means the plan has run out and is continuing at reduced speed, or that coverage in that area is poor.
Could it be the phone?
Yes, if it's locked to an operator: then it rejects any other provider's line, physical or eSIM.
