Your Saily 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 data roaming on for a Saily eSIM?
Yes. Saily connects you through local partner networks, which your phone counts as roaming, so the Saily line needs data roaming switched on. Turn it off on your home SIM at the same time so your usual carrier cannot charge you while you travel.
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 Saily line, then switch Data Roaming on.
On Android: Settings, then Network and internet, then SIMs, tap the Saily 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 eSIM on but not working?
An eSIM can be switched on and still carry no data if another line is selected for cellular data. Being enabled only means the profile is available. You have to name it as the line your phone uses for data before anything moves through it.
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 Saily 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 tell if my Saily eSIM is working?
Open the Saily app and check the plan reads as active with time left on it. On the phone, the Saily line should display a carrier name instead of No Service. If the app says the plan has not started, no phone setting will help yet.
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 Saily 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 Saily not working on my iPhone?
On iPhone the usual cause is automatic network selection failing after you land, leaving the line attached to nothing. Go to Settings, then Cellular, tap the Saily line, then Network Selection, turn Automatic off and pick a local operator yourself.
Sometimes the phone simply fails to pick a partner network automatically, particularly right after landing.
- Turn airplane mode on, wait ten seconds, turn it off. This forces a fresh network search and fixes a surprising number of cases.
- 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.
- Give each attempt two or three minutes before deciding it has not worked.
5. The APN is missing or wrong
Does Saily need APN settings entered by hand?
Usually not, because the profile carries its own settings. If data still fails after everything else checks out, compare the APN against what Saily lists for that destination. Android is far more likely to need this than iPhone.
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 is my Saily eSIM not installing or not showing up in settings?
A profile that never appears in settings did not finish downloading. That happens when the connection dropped mid install, when the code has already been used, or when the phone is locked to a carrier. Reinstall over stable wifi rather than airport wifi.
- 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 Saily plans
Is Saily compatible with iPhone 16 and iPhone 17?
Recent iPhones all support eSIM, so a compatibility warning almost always points at the handset being carrier locked or at a regional model sold without eSIM, rather than the phone being too new. Check the model against the seller before assuming the plan is at fault.
Saily plans are managed entirely through their app, so the first check is that the app itself shows the plan as active and installed rather than merely purchased. Those are two different states and it is easy to buy a plan and never complete the install.
If you use their built in security features, try switching them off briefly while you diagnose. Any tool that routes your traffic can make a working connection look broken, and ruling it out early saves time.
Tethering is permitted on Saily plans, so a hotspot that will not work points at your phone's settings rather than a policy restriction. Confirm the hotspot is sharing the Saily line and not your home SIM.
8. It connects but everything is slow
Why is my Saily data slow?
Check how much of the plan is left first, because Saily sells fixed amounts and speed drops hard once you approach the end. If plenty remains, you are probably on a weak partner network, so select a different operator by hand and try again.
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 Saily down, or is it just me?
Outages are rare and almost never affect a single customer. Put the eSIM in another phone or move to a different area first. If a second device on the same plan fails somewhere else too, send Saily support both of those details.
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 Saily 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.
A checklist you can screenshot
How do I make my Saily eSIM work?
In order: data roaming on for the Saily line, that line set for cellular data, home SIM roaming off, airplane mode off and on, network picked manually, APN matching Saily, plan showing active in the app. Around three minutes end to end.
- Data roaming ON for the travel line.
- Travel line selected for cellular data.
- Home SIM data roaming OFF.
- Airplane mode off and on again.
- Network selected manually if automatic fails.
- APN matching the provider's instructions.
- Plan showing as active in the provider's app.
Seven checks, about three minutes. That covers nearly everything.
Questions people ask about Saily eSIMs
Can I keep my normal number while using Saily?
Yes. The Saily profile sits alongside your existing SIM, so calls and messages still reach your usual number. Set Saily as the data line and switch roaming off on the home line so only data travels through the travel plan.
Does a Saily eSIM work in more than one country?
Only if you bought a regional or global plan. A single country plan stops at that border and looks exactly like a fault when you cross. Check which plan you are holding before you spend time on settings.
What happens if I delete the Saily eSIM by mistake?
You may not be able to reinstall it, because most QR codes work once only. Contact Saily support before deleting anything, and never remove a profile as a first troubleshooting step.
Does Saily work on Samsung and other Android phones?
Yes, though Android scatters the settings across more menus than iPhone does. Look under SIM manager or Mobile networks for the line selection and roaming switches, and under Access Point Names if you need to check the APN.
Is Airalo or Saily better for a short trip?
Both sell fixed data amounts, so the honest answer is whichever is cheaper for the size you need in that country on the day. Neither has a structural advantage on a short trip, and prices move often enough that last month's comparison is not much use.
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.
- ✓Plans from 1 GB up to unlimited
- ✓Hotspot on your normal allowance
- ✓Daily full speed allowance published upfront
- ✓Support answered around the clock
