My eSIM is stuck on 'Activating'

Usually waiting two to three minutes then toggling airplane mode, or one restart, clears it. If it persists, confirm the line is turned on, data roaming for that line is enabled, and you are within coverage of a partner network. If you installed before flying, this state is normal until you arrive.

The screen has been sitting on the word 'Activating' for minute after minute, which is unsettling, especially if you are standing in the arrivals hall wanting data to call a ride or open a map. The reassuring part is that this is one of the most common eSIM complaints worldwide, and it rarely means anything is broken — it is usually just a step that takes a short while as the phone negotiates with the network and confirms the profile.

This page walks through what 'Activating' actually means, how it differs from 'installed' and 'ready to use', what tends to make the step take longer than usual, and what to try in order before concluding it is a genuine fault that needs our team. We will not claim a fixed number of seconds or minutes for this step, because it depends on the plan's supplier, the phone model, and the quality of the destination network at that moment.

Three states that get confused with each other

Many users assume 'profile installed' and 'activated' are the same thing, but they are two separate steps. Installing means the phone has downloaded and stored the eSIM profile data — it does not automatically mean the internet works yet. Activating is the step where the phone starts talking to the network to confirm that line's identity and request a connection. Some plans start this the moment installation finishes; others wait until you actually land and touch the destination network for the first time before this step begins.

The third state is 'ready', which on some phones simply shows as the network name alongside a signal icon, meaning that line has successfully connected and can carry data. If the screen is stuck on 'Activating' for an unusually long time, the phone is trying to cross from the second state to the third and has not managed it yet, for one of several reasons covered below.

The common causes behind the stuck screen

Once you are somewhere that should have coverage but the screen is still stuck, the most common cause is rarely a broken profile — it is usually a setting that has not been completed, or the phone simply still searching for a network, which can take longer than usual in some areas. Factors that slow this step down include how dense coverage is in that specific spot, the phone having just come out of airplane mode or a restart, or the eSIM's data line not yet being explicitly switched on in settings.

Another frequent cause is that data roaming for the eSIM line specifically has not been turned on, because many phones keep each line's roaming switch separate. Turning on roaming for your primary line does not automatically turn it on for the eSIM line. In some cases the phone may also still be set to use a different line as the data line, so even an activated eSIM line is not actually the one selected to carry data.

Before you start troubleshooting, check these first

• The eSIM line itself is switched on in the lines menu, not toggled off
• Data roaming is turned on for the eSIM line specifically, not only for the primary line
• The device's default data line is set to the eSIM line, if that is the line you intend to use for data
• You are within an area the plan page describes as having partner network coverage, not somewhere remote and outside it
• The phone model supports eSIM and is not carrier-locked in a way that blocks an eSIM from another provider

The troubleshooting steps in order

1. 1Wait two to three minutes without touching the phoneLet the phone finish searching for and negotiating with the network on its own first. Restarting too soon can sometimes force the whole search process to start over.
2. 2Turn on airplane mode, leave it for about ten seconds, then turn it offToggling airplane mode forces the phone to drop every connection and search fresh from scratch, which often helps when the phone was clinging to a weak signal or an unsuitable network.
3. 3Confirm the eSIM line is on, and that data roaming for that specific line is also onOpen the phone or cellular lines settings menu, select the eSIM line, and check both the on/off switch and the roaming switch separately.
4. 4Check that the default data line is set to the eSIM lineIf the phone is still set to use the old line as the default data line, it will not send data over the eSIM line even though that line is active.
5. 5Restart the phone onceIf everything above has been checked and it is still stuck, a restart clears any hung connection and lets the phone begin the activation process again from scratch.
6. 6If it still fails after all of the above, note the details and contact usNote the phone model, operating system, the country you are in, and when the profile was installed, then send them with your order number by LINE or email.

Check whether your device supports eSIM before your next trip

Differences between iOS and Android menus

Where the line-on switch and the data-roaming switch sit differs between operating systems, and even within the same system, different versions or phone brands can lay the menu out differently. We will not name a fixed menu path here because it changes often with system updates, but the underlying principle is the same: there is a place to select the 'line' or 'mobile plan' tied to the eSIM, with a sub-switch for turning the line on and another for data roaming, usually on the same screen or nearby.

A quick reference for what different signal states mean

When to contact the team instead of continuing to try alone

If you have gone through every step above, waited a reasonable amount of time, and are still within an area the plan page describes as covered, but the status has not moved off 'Activating' at all, that is the point to stop troubleshooting alone and send us the details. Some cases trace back to a supplier-side issue in issuing the profile, which needs to be checked from the system side rather than from device settings.

• Your order number
• The brand and model of the phone you used
• The operating system and its version
• The country and roughly what time you tried to activate
• The exact message or status shown on screen, with a screenshot if you can take one

The difference between plans that start on install versus on first connection

Some plan types start their validity the moment the profile is installed, while others only start once you connect to the destination network for the first time. This distinction affects the 'Activating' behaviour too, because plans that start on install will try to connect right away regardless of where you are, so installing one while still in your home country can show a longer stuck state simply because there is no genuine partner network to reach. Plans that start on first connection instead wait until they find the correct network before beginning activation in earnest.

Which type your plan is will be stated on the plan page you purchased. If unsure, check the order confirmation email or the plan details screen in the app again before deciding whether to keep waiting or start troubleshooting.

Why some countries activate more slowly than others

Activation speed depends on how strong partner network coverage is exactly where you are standing, and how quickly that network operator's systems process a visiting user's connection request. Both vary by country, time of day, and how busy that area is. Because of that, we cannot give a fixed timing figure for which destination activates faster or slower than another.

A short summary before closing this out

Sitting on 'Activating' at first is normal, especially if you installed before travelling. Once you are somewhere that should have coverage, wait a little, toggle airplane mode, check the eSIM line's on/off and data-roaming switches, check the default data line, and restart as the last step. If it still fails after all that, do not delete the profile — send us the details instead.

Talk to the team on LINE if every step above still has not worked