Travel eSIM stuck on Activating or has no data abroad

A travel eSIM needs an unlocked iPhone, a connection to activate, and the right line for cellular data. Most problems are in Settings > Cellular.

Fix this with your agentCopies a prompt for Claude Code, Codex or any agent that can use Terminal.

My Mac has this problem: Travel eSIM stuck on Activating or has no data abroad. Read https://kilobat.app/guides/travel-esim-not-working.md and work through it with me. Install the Kilobat CLI if it’s missing: brew install seifip/kilobat/kilobat. Run the guide’s Terminal and kilobat checks yourself and tell me what you find. List the steps only I can do. Ask before you change any setting.

Applies to: iPhone XS, iPhone XR and later. The Turn On Travel eSIM prompt and the automatic switch back are in iOS 26 and later.Checked: 7 November 2026

Symptoms

  • The eSIM stays on Activating, or setup does not finish.
  • The eSIM line shows signal bars, but no web page loads.
  • The iPhone still uses the home line, and the carrier sends roaming messages.
  • Data stopped when the travel plan ended, and the home line did not come back.
  • The Mac on the iPhone hotspot has no internet abroad.

Likely causes

  • The iPhone is locked to a carrier. Apple says that an iPhone must not be locked to a carrier to use another carrier's eSIM.
  • No connection during activation. Apple says that the iPhone must be on Wi-Fi or a hotspot to activate the eSIM, except in some places for eSIM-only models.
  • The wrong line for cellular data. With two lines, iPhone uses the line chosen under Cellular Data. Personal Hotspot uses the same line.
  • Data Roaming is off for the eSIM line. Travel eSIM providers such as Airalo tell you, for each plan, whether to turn on Data Roaming for that line.
  • APN, network or carrier settings are wrong. Some plans need APN values or one named network. A new eSIM can also need a carrier settings download.
  • The plan ended or ran out. A prepaid travel plan stops at its end date or when its data is used up.

How to check

  1. Open Settings > General > About. Next to Carrier Lock, look for No SIM Restrictions.

  2. Open Settings > Cellular. Make sure that the eSIM line is on.

  3. Tap Cellular Data. Make sure that it uses the travel eSIM line.

  4. Tap the travel eSIM line, then Cellular Data Options. Look at Data Roaming.

  5. In the provider's app, look at the plan's status, its data left and its end date.

  6. Look in the provider's setup steps for APN values and a network name.

How to fix it

  1. Set up the eSIM while you are on Wi-Fi or another hotspot.

  2. If the iPhone is locked, ask your carrier to unlock it. You cannot use another carrier's eSIM until then.

  3. Choose the travel line in Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data.

  4. Set Data Roaming for the travel eSIM line as the provider's app tells you.

  5. To avoid roaming charges, turn off Data Roaming for the home line.

  6. If the provider gives APN values, enter them in Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Network.

  7. If the provider names a network, open Network Selection for the line. Turn off Automatic and choose that network.

  8. Install a carrier settings update in Settings > General > About, if one appears.

  9. Turn on Airplane Mode for at least 15 seconds. Then turn it off.

  10. Restart the iPhone.

  11. When the plan ends, open Settings > Cellular. Turn on the home line and turn off the travel line.

  12. Choose the home line again in Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data.

With Kilobat

  1. Kilobat cannot see the iPhone's lines. It counts what the Mac uses on the hotspot.

  2. Add the travel eSIM as a data pack, for example 10 GB for 30 days.

    kilobat pack add 10 30 --name "Japan eSIM"

  3. See the data left and the day it runs out at the current pace. The menu shows the same.

    kilobat pack

  4. If the phone also uses the pack, enter the figure from the provider's app.

    kilobat pack correct 5.1

  5. The pack's networks count as metered. Essentials, the updater pause and Send later then treat them as a hotspot.

  6. Kilobat notifies at 50, 80 and 95% of the pack. Data packs in the app are part of Kilobat Pro.

  7. When you change to a new plan, end the old pack.

    kilobat pack end

Questions

Does the travel eSIM need Data Roaming on?

Often, but not always. Airalo, for example, says to set it as its app tells you for each plan. Leave Data Roaming off on the home line to avoid charges.

Can I keep my home number while I use a travel eSIM?

Yes. Apple says that you can keep both lines on. The travel eSIM is then used for data, and the home line can still have roaming fees.

What happens when I return home?

With iOS 26 and later, Apple says that iPhone can turn off the travel eSIM and turn the home line back on. This depends on the country or region.

Can I share a travel eSIM with my Mac?

Personal Hotspot uses the line chosen for cellular data. The travel plan must allow hotspot. See Personal Hotspot is greyed out or missing on iPhone.

Sources

Checked on 7 November 2026.