eSIM not working: no data after landing

Check first

Are you there yet? Your plan connects only on a supported network abroad. At home, and in the air, it shows no service, and that's normal.

Give your phone a minute to connect once you land. Still nothing? Switch on Airplane Mode for 30 seconds, then switch it off again.

The five checks

Each check names the screen to look at. The exact taps for every check, by phone, are in Turn on data roaming for your plan on iPhone, Turn on data roaming for your plan on Samsung, and Turn on data roaming for your plan on Android.

1. Your plan is on your phone and active

Open the KnowRoaming app and go to My plans. Your plan should show under your device as active. If it isn't there, it was never added: go back to your order page and add it. If it shows as expired or used up, it needs a top-up or a new plan, not a settings fix.

2. The KnowRoaming line is on

A line can be on your phone and switched off. On iPhone, look under SIMs in Settings > Cellular. On Samsung, look in SIM manager. On other Android phones, look under SIMs in Network & internet. The KnowRoaming line needs to be on.

3. Data roaming is on for the KnowRoaming line

This is the setting the app can't switch for you. It's a separate toggle from turning the line on, and it sits inside the KnowRoaming line's own settings, not your home SIM's. Turn it on.

4. The KnowRoaming line is selected for data

Calls and texts stay on your home SIM; data has to be pointed at the KnowRoaming line. If your home SIM is still the data line and its roaming is off, you get exactly this symptom: full bars, calls work, nothing loads. Set Cellular Data (iPhone), Mobile data SIM (Samsung), or Mobile data (Android) to the KnowRoaming line.

5. Network selection is automatic

If the phone was set to a network by hand, it can hold onto one that doesn't carry your plan. Set network selection back to automatic, then give it a minute. If it keeps landing on the same network with no data, pick a different one manually and wait a minute again.

Still no data after the five checks

Your destination needs an APN

Most destinations need no APN. If yours is on this list, add it before you connect:

Destination

APN

Global, Israel, Kuwait, Morocco, Mauritius, Middle East, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa

knowroaming

Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico

tn1

Bahamas, Caribbean

altanwifi

Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan

kroly

Europe, United States

No APN needed

Enter the value in lowercase with no spaces. Where the APN screen is on your phone is in the platform article linked above, under Setting your APN. If you have full bars and still nothing loads, this is the most likely cause: see Full bars, but nothing loads.

Low Data Mode or Data Saver is on

Both settings hold back apps on mobile data, so Wi-Fi works and the KnowRoaming line looks dead. Turn them off for the KnowRoaming line while you travel.

Your plan has run out

Open My plans and check the status and balance. A fixed plan stops when its data is used up. An unlimited plan slows down after its daily full-speed allowance, but it doesn't stop. If the plan shows as expired, its validity days have ended.

Your phone is carrier-locked

A phone locked to your home carrier accepts the KnowRoaming line but won't use it. Your home carrier can confirm and unlock it; see Carrier-locked vs. unlocked: How to tell which you have.

Still not working?

Still not working? Message us on WhatsApp at +1-888-357-7347 and include four things: your ICCID, your order number, your phone model and OS version, and what you've already tried.