In summary: common eSIM problems almost always boil down to three causes: the wrong data line selected on the phone, data roaming turned off in the eSIM profile, or a QR code already used on a second installation attempt. In most cases, these are resolved in less than five minutes without needing to contact support.
Installing an eSIM is usually a matter of scanning a code and waiting a few seconds. But when something goes wrong, it fails silently: the phone doesn't alert you with a clear message, there's simply no data, or the eSIM appears installed but doesn't connect. If you've landed here searching for "eSIM not working," "my eSIM is not working," or simply because your eSIM keeps disconnecting, this guide covers the most common eSIM problems we encounter and how to fix them, starting with the quickest things to check.
First things first: check this in 30 seconds
Before assuming the plan is broken or writing to support, check these three points. They resolve the vast majority of issues we receive:
| Check | Where to look (iPhone) | Where to look (Android) |
|---|---|---|
| Active data line = eSIM, not your physical SIM | Settings → Mobile Data → Mobile Data Line | Settings → Connections → SIM Manager → Mobile data |
| Data roaming enabled on eSIM | Settings → Mobile Data → [eSIM line] → Data Roaming | Settings → Connections → Mobile Networks → Data roaming |
| Airplane mode restarted (forces reconnection to the best network) | Enable for 15-20 sec and disable | Enable for 15-20 sec and disable |
Problem 1: "QR code is invalid" or unable to add plan
Each eSIM QR code is for single use and is linked to the first device where it is scanned. If the process was interrupted midway — the app was closed, Wi-Fi was lost, the screen locked — the system may mark that QR as "partially used" and reject it on a second attempt, even if you feel it was never fully installed.
Other common causes: a screenshot of the QR with too low a resolution for the scanner to read, attempting to install it on a different phone than the one you first opened, or a temporary provider server failure at the exact moment of scanning.
What to do: Scan the QR from the original PDF or email, not from a screenshot forwarded via WhatsApp (WhatsApp compresses images, and sometimes that's enough to cause reading failure). Use Wi-Fi, not mobile data, during installation. If it still doesn't work after two clean attempts, write to support with your order number: a new QR will be generated in minutes, at no cost. The complete steps of the process, with screenshots, are in the guide on how to install an eSIM.
Problem 2: eSIM is installed but there is no data
This is the most common alert and is almost never a plan failure, but rather a phone configuration issue. With Dual SIM active (your physical Spanish SIM + the travel eSIM), the operating system defaults to which line it uses for data, and it doesn't always choose the one you want.
Cause A: The data line is still your Spanish SIM
Solution on iPhone: Settings → Mobile Data → Mobile Data Line → select the eSIM. On Android (Samsung and most manufacturers): Settings → Connections → SIM Manager → Mobile Data → select the eSIM.
Cause B: Data roaming is disabled specifically on that line
Although the eSIM functions as a local line at the destination, many manufacturers still call the switch that activates data outside of your home country "roaming," and that switch is independent for each line. Activate it specifically on the eSIM line, not the physical one.
Cause C: The plan has not yet been activated
Some plans only start the validity countdown when the phone first connects to a network at the destination. If you installed the eSIM at home before traveling, it's normal not to see data until you land and the phone gets local coverage.
Why my eSIM doesn't work when I arrive at my destination
If the alert comes right after getting off the plane — "eSIM not working," "my eSIM is not working" — before touching any settings, try the simplest thing: activate airplane mode, wait twenty seconds, and deactivate it. The phone usually takes a few minutes to detect and latch onto the new country's network, especially if you were connected to the previous one's network. If after five or ten minutes you still have no coverage, go into manual network selection (Settings → Mobile Networks → Network selection) and choose the available operator manually instead of leaving it on automatic.
A nuance often overlooked: if your route crosses several countries in a few days (for example, an Interrail trip or a getaway through Southeast Asia), check that the plan you purchased covers the exact country you are in and not just the arrival country. A regional plan is not the same as a single-country plan, and confusing them generates most of the "I have no coverage" issues, which are actually "I have the wrong plan for where I am now."
My eSIM disconnects on its own every few minutes
If the connection appears and disappears intermittently ("my eSIM keeps disconnecting"), before thinking about a profile failure, check these three points, which most often explain it:
- Aggressive battery saving: some Android devices kill background processes so strictly that they cut the data connection when the screen has been off for a while. Check if battery optimization is applied to "Mobile network" or similar and disable it.
- Automatic switching between Wi-Fi and data: if the phone jumps to a weak hotel or airport Wi-Fi network and then loses it, it may take time to return to mobile data. Disable Wi-Fi while moving around outside if you notice constant disconnections.
- Two active eSIM profiles at once (for example, your travel eSIM and another old eSIM that remained installed): the phone may alternate between both if both have data enabled. Keep only the one you are currently using active.
If none of this explains it and the drops are constant in the same area, it's probably weak coverage from the local operator at that specific point (indoors, basements, rural areas), not a problem with the eSIM profile itself.
Problem: The phone says it doesn't support additional SIM cards
First, check if your phone actually has an eSIM: dial *#06# and if an EID number appears, it does. On iPhone, you can also see it in Settings → General → About → EID Number. Models prior to 2019-2020 generally do not have an eSIM, nor do versions in some markets (certain units sold in China, for example, do not include it even if the same model does in Europe).
If the EID exists but the system still rejects the plan, the phone may be linked to an operator that blocks third-party eSIM profiles. This happens especially with phones purchased in installments with a specific operator. The solution does not depend on PuraSIM: you must ask the original operator to unlock the device for eSIM.
The connection is very slow
Before suspecting the plan, check which network you are connected to: if the phone has dropped to 3G instead of 4G/5G, the speed difference is enormous. Force LTE manually (iPhone: Settings → Mobile Data → Mobile Data Options → Voice & Data → LTE; Android: Settings → Mobile Networks → Preferred network type → LTE/4G).
A specific case that surprises many people: in historic city centers with narrow streets and thick stone buildings — the Medina of Fes, the center of Dubrovnik, many mountain villages in Peru — the signal drops inside alleys even if there is perfect coverage a hundred meters away. Download offline maps before entering such areas; it's not an eSIM failure, it's radio frequency physics against old stone.
If the plan has limited data and you have already exhausted it, some plans reduce the speed instead of cutting it off completely: this also feels like "slowness" when it is actually a consumption warning.
I ran out of data sooner than expected
Unexpected consumption almost always comes from processes you don't see: automatic photo backups (iCloud, Google Photos), app updates in the background, or someone using your hotspot without your knowledge. Check the breakdown by app in Settings → Mobile Data (iPhone) or Settings → Data Usage (Android) before assuming the plan was insufficient.
If it really ran out, you can buy an additional plan for the same destination, and it activates with a new QR in minutes. Before buying impulsively, check how many days of your trip are left: sometimes it's more cost-effective to get a plan with more GB initially than two small plans back-to-back. If the problem is that your consumption gets out of hand without you noticing, this article on how to save eSIM data while traveling outlines the specific settings that cut down the most volume.
What almost no one tells you about eSIM problems
There are a number of details that do not appear in generic FAQs because they are only discovered by seeing real cases, not by reading manufacturer manuals:
- Restarting the phone "forgets" the data line on some Androids. If after a restart it goes back to using the physical SIM for data, go to SIM Manager and mark the eSIM as "Always use this SIM for data," not just as active. These are two different settings, and only the second one survives a restart.
- An active VPN can make it seem like there's no data even if there is. If you use a VPN to access content from your home country while traveling, try it disabled first if something doesn't seem to load: sometimes the problem is the VPN server, not the eSIM.
- Wi-Fi Calling can confuse the phone about which line to use for both calls and data. If you have Wi-Fi Calling enabled on your Spanish line and connect to a weak Wi-Fi, the phone might prioritize that call over Wi-Fi and neglect the eSIM's data connection. Disable it while traveling if you don't need it.
- The name you give your eSIM in Settings matters more than it seems. If you install several eSIMs throughout the year and they are all called "eSIM" plain and simple, it's easy to select the wrong one as the data line when setting up Dual SIM. Rename it with the destination and date as soon as you install it.
- You don't always need to buy a new eSIM. If you're spending a weekend in another European Union country with a Spanish line, your national rate already includes roaming at no extra cost within the EU: buying a data plan for that trip would be overspending. Travel eSIMs make sense outside the EU, for long stays, or when you want to separate data consumption from your main line without using roaming.
Summary table: symptom, probable cause, and solution
| Symptom | Most probable cause | Quick solution |
|---|---|---|
| QR rejected as "invalid" | Partially used QR or low-resolution image | Scan the original PDF, not a screenshot; request a new QR if it persists |
| eSIM installed, no data | Wrong data line or roaming off on that line | Select the eSIM as the data line and activate roaming on it |
| No coverage upon landing | Phone still latched onto the previous network | Airplane mode for 20 sec + manual network selection if it persists |
| Intermittent disconnections | Battery saving or weak Wi-Fi interfering | Exclude mobile network from battery saving |
| Very slow speed | Connected to 3G or data exhausted | Force LTE manually in network settings |
| Data exhausted prematurely | Automatic backups or background apps | Review app usage before buying more data |
If you have reviewed all of the above and it still doesn't work, contact PuraSIM support via email or WhatsApp with your order number and exact phone model: we provide support in all languages, 24/7. To understand how roaming compares to an eSIM before deciding what to buy, the comparison of eSIM vs. roaming and the article on what data roaming is will clear up most pre-trip doubts.
Frequently asked questions about eSIM issues
Why isn't my eSIM working even though it appears installed?
Almost always because the phone is still using the physical SIM as the data line, or because data roaming is specifically disabled on the eSIM line (it's an independent setting per line, not general). Check both points first.
Can I reinstall the eSIM if I accidentally delete it?
In most cases, no: travel eSIM profiles are single-use and become invalid when deleted. If this has happened to you, write to support as soon as possible, indicating whether the plan was activated or not; depending on the status, it is sometimes possible to regenerate the QR.
Does the eSIM work in airplane mode with Wi-Fi enabled?
Airplane mode cuts off all mobile data, including the eSIM. You can manually re-enable Wi-Fi within airplane mode to browse over that network, but the eSIM data connection only returns when you fully disable airplane mode.
Can I use the same eSIM on two phones alternately?
No. The profile is linked to the first device where it is installed and cannot be freely transferred between phones. If you need to use it on a different phone than planned, contact support before attempting it: in some specific cases, it may be possible to manage the transfer, but this is not typical.
What do I do if my eSIM constantly disconnects in the same place?
If it always happens in the same area (a building, a historic center, a rural area), it is usually weak local operator coverage at that point and not a profile failure. If it happens anywhere and randomly, check battery saving settings and if you have two eSIM profiles active at the same time.
Do I need a travel eSIM if my Spanish operator already includes roaming?
It depends on where you're going. Within the European Union, your Spanish rate usually includes roaming at no extra cost for short stays, so buying an additional eSIM is not worth it. Outside the EU, your operator's roaming can be very expensive or unavailable, and that's where a local eSIM makes sense: you can see the available plans for Europe or for the United States depending on where you travel.
How do I contact support if none of this works?
By email or WhatsApp, indicating your order number, phone model, and at what exact step it fails. PuraSIM support is available in all languages, 24/7, for any of the more than 200 destinations in the catalog.
