Airalo eSIM Not Working? How to Fix It

Your Airalo eSIM is installed, you have landed, and there is no data. It is a horrible moment, usually happening in an airport when you most need a map. The good news is that the overwhelming majority of these problems are settings issues on the phone rather than anything actually broken, and you can fix them yourself in a few minutes.

Work down this list in order. It is arranged from most common cause to least, so most people are back online before they reach the bottom.

Prices and settings in this guide were checked by hand in August 2026. Providers change plans often, so always confirm on the provider page before you buy.

1. Data roaming is switched off

Do I need to turn data roaming off when using Airalo?

It is the opposite way round, and this trips up a lot of people. Data roaming must be ON for the Airalo line, because the plan works by roaming onto local networks. Switch roaming OFF only on your home SIM, so your normal carrier cannot bill you.

This is the cause more often than every other reason put together. A travel eSIM works by connecting to a local partner network, which technically counts as roaming. If roaming is off for that line, you get no data at all.

On iPhone: Settings, then Cellular, tap the Airalo line, then switch Data Roaming on.

On Android: Settings, then Network and internet, then SIMs, tap the Airalo line, then enable Roaming. On Samsung it is Settings, then Connections, then Mobile networks, then Data roaming.

Turning this on does not create a bill. The plan is prepaid and your home carrier is not involved. Do keep roaming switched off on your home SIM though, because that line is the one that can charge you.

2. Your phone is using the wrong line for data

Why is my Airalo eSIM activated but not working?

Activation and connection are separate things. An activated plan still sends nothing if your phone is set to use a different line for cellular data. Check which line is selected for data before you assume the plan itself has failed.

You can install an eSIM perfectly and still route all your data through your home SIM without noticing. People often discover this weeks later on a roaming bill.

On iPhone: Settings, then Cellular, then Cellular Data, and select the Airalo line.

On Android: Settings, then Network and internet, then SIMs, then set the preferred SIM for mobile data.

While you are there, make sure Allow Cellular Data Switching is off on iPhone. That setting quietly falls back to your home SIM when the travel line is weak, which is exactly what you do not want.

3. The plan has not actually started

How do I get an Airalo eSIM to work?

Install it before you fly, then on arrival switch the Airalo line on, set it as your data line, and turn data roaming on for it. Airalo plans usually start counting when the profile first connects to a network abroad, not when you buy.

Most travel eSIMs begin counting when they first connect at the destination, not when you buy them. If you installed the eSIM but never turned roaming on after landing, the plan may still be dormant.

Check your Airalo account or app to see whether the plan shows as active and how much data is left. If it shows as expired, that is a different problem and no amount of settings changes will help.

4. No network selected

Why is Airalo not connecting to the internet?

A line that shows a carrier but passes no traffic has usually attached to a partner network it cannot actually use. Turn off automatic network selection and pick a different local operator by hand. This fixes more cases than any other single step.

Sometimes the phone simply fails to pick a partner network automatically, particularly right after landing.

1. Turn airplane mode on, wait ten seconds, turn it off. This forces a fresh network search and fixes a surprising number of cases.
2. If that fails, go into network selection and choose a carrier by hand. On iPhone: Settings, then Cellular, tap the line, then Network Selection, turn off Automatic and pick from the list. On Android the equivalent lives under Mobile networks, then Network operators.
3. Give each attempt two or three minutes before deciding it has not worked.

5. The APN is missing or wrong

What are the Airalo APN settings?

Airalo lists the APN for each plan in the app under your eSIM details, and it differs by country, so take it from there rather than from a forum. Android usually needs it entered manually under Access Point Names. iPhone normally does not.

Occasionally the access point name does not configure itself. Your provider publishes the correct APN in their setup instructions or confirmation email.

On iPhone: Settings, then Cellular, tap the line, then Cellular Data Network.

On Android: Settings, then Network and internet, then SIMs, then Access Point Names.

Type it exactly as given, with no capital letters or spaces added. If there is no APN field on your iPhone, your carrier profile has locked it, which usually means the handset is not fully unlocked.

6. The QR code will not install in the first place

Why will my Airalo eSIM not install?

The three usual reasons are that the code has already been used, the handset is locked to a carrier or does not support eSIM, or there was no stable connection during the download. Install over home wifi before travelling rather than at the airport.

• You must be on Wi-Fi. The profile downloads over the internet, and you cannot download it using the connection you are trying to set up.
• You cannot scan a code displayed on the same phone you are installing to. Open the email on a laptop or a second device, or use manual entry with the SM-DP+ address and activation code.
• If it says the code is already used, the profile has been installed once already. Most eSIM profiles install a single time only, so you need the provider to reissue it.

7. Things specific to Airalo plans

Why is my Airalo eSIM not working after a top up?

A top up adds data to an existing eSIM but does not always restart the connection. Toggle airplane mode, or turn the line off and on, so the phone re registers with the network. Check in the app that the top up applied to the eSIM you are actually using.

Airalo sells mostly fixed size plans, so the first thing to confirm is simply whether you have data left. Open the Airalo app and check the remaining balance, because a plan that has run dry looks identical to a broken one from the phone's point of view.

If you bought a regional plan such as one of the multi country packs, check that the country you are standing in is actually included. Regional packs cover a defined list, and it is easy to assume a neighbouring country is on it when it is not.

Tethering is permitted on Airalo plans, so if your hotspot is not working, that is a phone settings issue rather than a policy block. Check that the hotspot is pointed at the Airalo line rather than your home SIM.

8. It connects but everything is slow

Why is my Airalo data slow?

Look at the remaining balance in the app first, since Airalo sells fixed amounts and speed collapses as a plan runs out. If data remains, you are likely on a congested or weaker partner network, so select another operator by hand.

First, check whether you have passed the daily full speed allowance. Every unlimited travel plan in this industry reduces speed after a daily threshold, and a slow but working connection usually means you have hit it.

If that is not it, you may be attached to a weaker partner network. Toggle airplane mode, or select a different operator manually using the steps in section four. Signal strength matters too, so try moving nearer a window before blaming the plan.

9. When it really is not your phone

Is Airalo down, or is it just me?

Whole network outages are unusual and seldom affect one customer alone. Test the eSIM in another phone, or the same phone somewhere else, before contacting support. Those two results are the first thing any support agent will ask you for.

If you have worked through all of the above and still have nothing, the problem sits with the provisioning rather than your settings. At that point contact Airalo support with your order number and tell them precisely what you have already tried, which usually gets you past the first line script much faster.

Two things worth asking them directly: whether the plan shows as active on their side, and whether the profile can be reissued if it appears to have failed provisioning.

Airalo says too many attempts: what that error means

What does the Airalo too many attempts error mean?

It means the profile has been asked to install more times than the system allows, usually after several failed downloads. Stop retrying, because more attempts make it worse. Contact Airalo support and ask them to reissue the profile.

This one deserves its own section because the wording panics people. The too many attempts message appears when the Airalo app or website has rate limited you, usually after several rapid tries at logging in, verifying an email, or installing the same eSIM. It is a security brake, not a broken plan, and your data is not gone.

The fix is patience plus one clean attempt. Stop retrying, wait fifteen to thirty minutes, then try once on a different connection if you can, switching from WiFi to mobile data or the other way. If the error came during eSIM installation specifically, do not keep scanning the QR code, each scan can count as an attempt. Wait out the cooldown, then use manual entry instead of the camera, typing the activation details in one careful pass. If the account itself stays locked past an hour, that needs Airalo support to release, nothing on your phone will do it.

Airalo not connecting in Taiwan

Why does Airalo not connect in Taiwan?

Taiwan is a known trouble spot where automatic selection often picks a network the plan cannot use. Select the operator manually instead. If the first choice fails, work through the others in the list rather than assuming the eSIM is faulty.

We see a steady stream of travellers whose Airalo eSIM stopped working specifically in Taiwan. The checks above solve most of it, and in Taiwan the one to try first is number 4: manual network selection. Force the phone onto Chunghwa Telecom, the island's strongest network, and give it a full minute. Automatic selection sometimes parks phones on a partner network with weaker agreements, which looks exactly like a dead plan.

If the plan itself has expired or support cannot revive it and you are standing in Taiwan without data, our own Taiwan eSIM runs on Chunghwa 5G with a fresh gigabyte every day, installs over any WiFi in minutes, and activates on first contact with the network.

A checklist you can screenshot

How do I fix an Airalo eSIM that will not connect?

Data roaming on for the Airalo line, that line set for cellular data, home SIM roaming off, airplane mode off and on, operator selected by hand, APN matching the app, plan showing active. Three minutes covers nearly every case.

1. Data roaming ON for the travel line.
2. Travel line selected for cellular data.
3. Home SIM data roaming OFF.
4. Airplane mode off and on again.
5. Network selected manually if automatic fails.
6. APN matching the provider's instructions.
7. Plan showing as active in the provider's app.

Seven checks, about three minutes. That covers nearly everything.

Questions people ask about Airalo eSIMs

What are the disadvantages of an Airalo eSIM?

Airalo sells fixed data amounts, so you have to estimate usage in advance and top up if you guess low. Unlimited plans exist in only a few markets and throttle after a daily allowance. Like every major travel eSIM it is data only, with no calls or texts on your travel number.

Does Airalo work on Samsung and Android phones?

Yes. The settings simply live in different places. Look under SIM manager or Mobile networks for line selection and roaming, and under Access Point Names for the APN, which Android is more likely to need than iPhone.

Can I top up an Airalo eSIM instead of buying a new one?

Yes, if the plan supports it. A top up keeps the same profile so you do not reinstall anything. Make sure you are topping up the correct eSIM in the app, because holding several at once is where most mistakes happen.

Why does my Airalo eSIM show No Service?

No Service means the line has not attached to any network. That is either coverage, a plan that has not started, or automatic selection failing. Choosing an operator by hand is the quickest way to tell which of the three it is.

Does an Airalo eSIM keep working when I change country?

Only on a regional or global plan. A single country plan simply stops at the border, which looks identical to a fault. Check which type you bought before troubleshooting anything else.

If you would rather not go through this again

Genuinely, we hope the steps above got you back online, and none of them require you to change provider. Fix it, enjoy your trip.

That said, if you are reading this because your plan failed at the worst possible moment and you are looking at alternatives for the next trip, we sell travel eSIMs too. Ours start at $1.29, cover 196 countries, allow hotspot use on your normal allowance, and we publish the daily full speed allowance rather than hiding it in the terms. Our support is answered by people around the clock, which matters most on exactly the day you are standing in an airport with no signal.

No pressure either way. The checklist above works whoever you buy from.