Phone Says No Service Abroad? 8 Fixes That Actually Work
When a phone shows No Service abroad, the fix is almost always one of eight steps: toggle airplane mode, make sure the travel eSIM line is on and selected for data, enable data roaming on that line, pick the network manually, drop from 5G to 4G, check the plan still has validity and data, restart the phone, and update carrier settings. The one thing not to do is delete the eSIM.
The plane has landed, everyone around you is already texting, and your screen says No Service. It is the most common travel support question in the world, and the good news is that it is almost never a broken phone or a broken plan. It is a setting. Below are the eight fixes in the order that solves the most cases fastest, written for both iPhone and Android, whether you use a travel eSIM or your home SIM.
1. Airplane mode on, count to thirty, off
Phones often cling to the last network they saw at home and fail to search properly after a flight. Turning airplane mode on for thirty seconds and off again forces a fresh search for local networks. Solves about half of all cases on its own.
2. Make sure the right line is on and selected for data
On a dual SIM phone you can have a working travel eSIM and still see no data, because the phone is sending data through the home SIM. Open the mobile data settings, check that the travel eSIM line is turned on, and set it as the line for mobile data. On iPhone this is Settings, Mobile Data, then the Mobile Data selector; on Android it lives under SIMs or Network and internet.
3. Turn data roaming on for the travel line
This one surprises people. A travel eSIM connects to partner networks abroad, which the phone technically treats as roaming, so the data roaming switch must be on for that eSIM line. Keep it off for your home SIM if you want to avoid home-operator charges; the switch is per line.
4. Pick the network manually
Automatic selection sometimes locks onto a network the plan does not use. Go to network selection, turn automatic off, wait for the list, and choose a network; if it refuses, try the next one. Once connected, you can leave it manual for the rest of the trip or switch back to automatic. This is the fix that support teams reach for first when the basics are done.
Check your plan's data and validity
Check balance5. Drop from 5G to 4G
Some local networks do not hand 5G to visiting eSIMs, and a phone insisting on 5G can sit in limbo. Set the voice and data mode to 4G or LTE, wait a moment, and watch the bars appear. You will not notice the difference for maps and messaging.
6. Check that the plan is alive
Validity on travel eSIMs starts at the first connection abroad, not at purchase, and a plan that was used on a previous trip may have quietly run out of days or data. The balance page shows both in seconds. If the plan is finished, a top-up in the app restores service without a new QR code.
7. Restart the phone
Old advice, still true. A full restart clears a stuck radio in a way that airplane mode sometimes does not. Do it after you have checked steps two and three, so the phone restarts with the right line selected.
8. Update carrier settings
iPhones occasionally show a carrier settings update prompt after installing an eSIM or landing in a new country; accept it. On Android, a system update notification can carry the same fix. If nothing above works, connect to Wi-Fi and open the support chat; tell them which network you tried manually, and they will usually have you online in a few minutes.
The one thing never to do
Do not delete the eSIM to reinstall it. A deleted eSIM cannot simply be scanned again from the old QR code, and what looked like a two-minute fix becomes a support case. Every step above is reversible; deletion is not. If you are tempted, message support first.
How Kudo eSIM works, step by step
See how it worksFrequently asked questions
Why does my phone say No Service abroad?
Usually because of a setting rather than a fault: the phone is still clinging to the home network, the travel eSIM line is not selected for data, data roaming is off for that line, or automatic network selection locked onto a network the plan does not use. Airplane mode, the data line selector, the roaming switch and manual network selection fix the large majority of cases.
Do I need data roaming on for an eSIM to work?
Yes, for the eSIM line. A travel eSIM connects through partner networks, which the phone treats as roaming, so the data roaming switch must be on for that line. Keep it off on your home SIM if you want to avoid your home operator's charges.
My eSIM shows signal bars but no internet. What is wrong?
Most often the phone is routing data through the other SIM. Open mobile data settings and make sure the eSIM is selected as the data line. If that is correct, check that the plan still has validity and data on the balance page, then try manual network selection.
Should I delete and reinstall my eSIM if it does not connect?
No. A deleted eSIM cannot simply be scanned again from the old QR code, so deletion turns a settings issue into a support case. Work through airplane mode, line selection, roaming, manual network and a restart first, and contact support before deleting anything.
How do I choose a network manually on iPhone or Android?
On iPhone, open Settings, Mobile Data, tap the eSIM line, then Network Selection and turn Automatic off to pick from the list. On Android, go to Network and internet or SIMs, choose the eSIM, open network operators or Automatically select network, turn it off and pick one.
