Your eSIM was working fine an hour ago. Now it shows full bars, but nothing loads. Or it connects for a few minutes, drops, then reconnects on its own. This on-and-off pattern is one of the most common eSIM complaints, and it almost always comes down to one of a handful of fixable causes.
Quick answer: most eSIM disconnections happen because your phone is switching between two networks, your data plan has a setting turned off, or you are in an area with genuinely weak coverage. Checking your network settings fixes the problem in most cases within a few minutes.
The most common reason: your phone is trying to use two SIMs at once
If you still have your home SIM active alongside your travel eSIM, your phone has to constantly decide which one to use for data. On some phones, this switching causes short drops, especially when you move between wifi and mobile data.
The fix is to go into your phone's settings, find the mobile or cellular menu, and set your travel eSIM as the one used for data. Keep your home SIM active only for calls and texts if you want to stay reachable on your usual number. This one change solves the problem for a large share of travellers.
You are in an area with genuinely weak coverage
Not every disconnection is a settings problem. Rural areas, mountain regions, and some islands simply have thinner network coverage than city centres. Your phone will keep trying to reconnect as you move in and out of range, which feels like constant dropping.
This is common on train journeys through countryside, in national parks, and on ferries between islands. If you know your trip includes remote stretches, it helps to download maps and messages in advance, on wifi, before you set off.
Your phone has not picked the right network automatically
An eSIM plan usually works by connecting to one or more local networks in the country you are visiting. Sometimes your phone locks onto a weaker network instead of the strongest one available, especially right after landing.
Turning airplane mode on for ten seconds, then off again, forces your phone to search for networks fresh. This is the single most useful troubleshooting step, and it solves the problem more often than people expect.
Quick fixes to try, in order
| Step | What to do | Why it helps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turn on airplane mode, wait ten seconds, turn it off | Forces your phone to search for the strongest network again |
| 2 | Set your eSIM as the line used for data, in your mobile settings | Stops your phone switching between your home SIM and your eSIM |
| 3 | Turn off wifi calling while you are not near wifi | Stops your phone hunting for wifi networks that are not there |
| 4 | Restart your phone fully | Clears any stuck network connection from earlier in the day |
| 5 | Check you have not used up your data allowance | Some plans slow down or stop once you hit the limit |
Could your data allowance have run out?
A dropped connection can also just mean you have used all the data included in your plan. Some plans stop working completely once the allowance runs out, others slow right down instead of cutting off.
Video calls, streaming, and map apps running in the background use data quickly, often without you noticing. Check your remaining balance through your provider's app before assuming it is a technical fault. If you are close to the limit, you can usually top up or buy a new plan from Olysim's plans page without needing to reinstall anything.
Is your phone actually set up correctly?
If the disconnections started right from the first day of your trip, it is worth double-checking the setup itself rather than assuming it is a coverage issue. A step skipped during installation can cause a connection that half-works.
Our eSIM installation guide covers the full setup process for both iPhone and Android, including the settings that are easy to miss. It is also worth confirming your exact phone model is on the eSIM compatible device list, since a small number of phones support eSIM only partially.
When it is worth contacting support
If you have tried the steps above and your eSIM still will not hold a connection, the issue may sit with the plan itself rather than your phone. This is worth raising directly rather than continuing to troubleshoot alone.
Our frequently asked questions page covers other specific situations, and our support team can check your plan status directly if something still looks wrong.
A dropped connection is frustrating mid-trip, but it is rarely permanent. Work through the steps above in order, and most travellers are back online within minutes. Browse eSIM plans for your next destination on Olysim's plans page before you fly, so you land already connected.
