The Saily eSIM is on your phone, the plane is down, and there is still no data. That tends to happen in the arrivals hall, just when you want a map. Most of the time the eSIM is fine and a phone setting is the problem, which you can fix in a few minutes.
Start at the top of this list and work down. The causes near the top are the common ones, so you will probably be online before the last step.
Saily can change its app, plans and settings at any time, so check the details on its own site 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.
Roaming being switched off causes more of these problems than anything else. The Saily eSIM joins a local network wherever you are, and the phone counts that as roaming. If roaming is off for the Saily line, data will not flow.
On iPhone: in Settings, choose Cellular, tap the Saily line and switch on Data Roaming.
On Android: in Settings, choose Network and internet, then SIMs, tap the Saily line and switch on Roaming. On a Samsung you will find it in Settings, then Connections, then Mobile networks, then Data roaming.
Switching it on will not cost you anything extra, since the Saily plan is prepaid and your home carrier is not part of it. Keep roaming off on your home SIM, though. That is the line 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.
It is easy to install an eSIM correctly and still have your phone pull data through the home SIM. Many people only notice when a roaming bill turns up weeks later.
On iPhone: in Settings, choose Cellular, then Cellular Data, and pick the Saily line.
On Android: in Settings, choose Network and internet, then SIMs, and set Saily as the preferred SIM for mobile data.
iPhone users should also turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching on the same screen. Left on, it moves you back to the home SIM when the Saily signal gets weak.
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.
A plan normally starts when the eSIM first connects in the country you are visiting, not when you buy it. If roaming was never switched on after you landed, your Saily plan may not have started at all.
Look in the Saily app or your account to see whether the plan is active and how much data you have left. An expired plan is a separate issue, and changing settings will not fix it.
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.
After landing, a phone does not always find a local network on its own.
- Put the phone in airplane mode for about ten seconds, then take it out. That makes it look for networks again, and it works more often than you would expect.
- If it still will not connect, choose the network manually. On iPhone that is Settings, then Cellular, tap the line, then Network Selection, where you turn off Automatic and pick a network. On Android it sits under Mobile networks, then Network operators.
- Leave two or three minutes after each try before you move on.
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.
Sometimes the APN, the access point name, does not fill in by itself. The right one is in the setup instructions or the confirmation email from when you bought the plan.
On iPhone: in Settings, choose Cellular, tap the line, then Cellular Data Network.
On Android: in Settings, choose Network and internet, then SIMs, then Access Point Names.
Copy it exactly, with no added spaces or capitals. If your iPhone shows no APN field, the carrier settings on the phone hide it. You can't type one in then, so ask Saily to check the profile.
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 need wifi for this step. The eSIM profile comes down over the internet, and it cannot use the connection it is trying to create.
- A QR code shown on the phone you are setting up cannot be scanned by that same phone. Put the email up on a laptop or a second phone, or enter the SM-DP+ address and activation code manually.
- If you see a message that the code has already been used, the profile was installed once before. Most eSIM profiles can only be installed one time, so ask Saily to issue a new one.
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
What makes Saily data slow?
On a Saily unlimited plan you may have used the day's full speed allowance, after which the line runs at 1 Mbps until the 24 hours reset. On a fixed plan, check how much data is left. If plenty remains, you are probably on a weak partner network, so pick a different operator by hand.
First check if you have gone past a daily full speed allowance. Most unlimited travel plans slow down once you pass a daily amount, so a connection that works but crawls often means you have reached it.
If that is not the reason, your phone may be on a weaker local network. Turn airplane mode on and off, or choose a different operator by hand as shown in step four. Weak signal slows things down as well, so try near a window before you blame Saily.
9. When it really is not your phone
How do I know if the problem is Saily and not my phone?
A travel eSIM can't be moved to another phone to test it, so move yourself instead. Try a different area and pick a different local network by hand. If data still fails in two places, send Saily support both locations and the network names you tried.
If you have tried every step and still get no data, the issue is most likely with how the eSIM was provisioned rather than with your settings. Get in touch with Saily support, give them your order number, and tell them which steps you have already done. That gets you past the standard questions faster.
Two questions to put to them: is the plan active on their side, and can they reissue the profile if it did not provision properly.
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.
- Roaming turned on for the Saily line.
- Saily set as the mobile data line.
- Home SIM data roaming OFF.
- Airplane mode turned on and off once.
- Network chosen by hand if automatic fails.
- APN matching the provider's instructions.
- Plan active in the Saily app.
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?
For a short trip 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
Hopefully one of these steps sorted it. None of them means changing provider, so fix it and get on with your trip.
If you ended up here because a plan let you down at the worst time and you are weighing up options for the next trip, we sell travel eSIMs too. Plans start at $1.29 in 198 countries, hotspot use comes out of your normal allowance, and each unlimited plan shows its daily full speed allowance before you pay. You can reach support by email and WhatsApp at any hour.
No pressure. These checks work with any eSIM provider.
- ✓Everything from 1 GB to unlimited
- ✓Hotspot on your normal allowance
- ✓Daily full speed limit shown upfront
- ✓Support answered around the clock
