Most eSIM problems are born at home, not abroad. Fix these before you pack.

Mistake 1: Installing your eSIM on mobile data, not Wi-Fi. eSIM profiles are large files. Installing one over a shaky mobile connection mid-journey invites timeouts and partial downloads. Always scan the QR code at home on a stable Wi-Fi network. Kolet sends your QR code by email the moment you purchase, so there is no excuse to rush this step at the gate. Need a refresher on the full process? Follow Kolet's step-by-step eSIM installation guide before you leave.

Mistake 2: Not checking device compatibility. According to GSMA research, eSIM adoption is growing fast, but not every device supports it. iPhones before the XS (2018), older Samsung Galaxy models, and some budget Android handsets simply cannot run an eSIM. Check your settings: if you see "Add eSIM" or "Add a data plan," you are good. If you do not, you need a physical SIM. Not sure about your specific model? Check whether your device is compatible before you buy.

Mistake 3: Forgetting to carrier-unlock your phone. This one catches people every time. If you bought your phone on a carrier contract, it may be locked to that network. A locked device will install the eSIM profile but refuse to connect. Call your carrier before your trip, or check under Settings. Unlocking is usually free once your contract term ends. Not sure if your phone is unlocked? Here is how to check.

You land. You switch off airplane mode. Nothing happens. Here is where most people go wrong.

Mistake 4: Not enabling data roaming. This is the number-one mid-trip culprit. Your eSIM is active, your plan is live, but data roaming is switched off by default on most phones. On iPhone: Settings → Mobile Data → your eSIM line → Data Roaming. On Android: Settings → Connections → Mobile Networks → Data Roaming. Turn it on. For screenshots and device-specific steps, see how to enable data roaming on your device.

Mistake 5: Using the wrong line as your primary data line. When you have two lines (your home SIM and your travel eSIM), your phone needs to know which one carries data. If your home SIM is still set as the primary data line, your eSIM plan will sit idle. Go to your mobile data settings and select your Kolet eSIM as the active data line. This guide walks you through setting your eSIM as the default data line on both iPhone and Android.

Mistake 6: Ignoring the APN settings. Most modern eSIMs configure automatically, but some Android devices require a manual APN. If you see "Connected" but have no internet, check whether the APN matches your provider's specification. Kolet's APN settings guide covers this exactly, so you are never left guessing.

Mistake 7: Not toggling airplane mode or restarting your phone. Simple, often forgotten. Switching airplane mode on, waiting five seconds, then switching it off forces your phone to search for a network from scratch. A full restart does the same thing. Do this before assuming anything is broken. It solves a surprisingly large share of "no connection" reports.

Mistake 8: Not waiting for network registration. In remote areas or right after landing, your phone can take two to three minutes to register on a local network. Put the phone down. Wait. Then check again. If it still does not register, follow the eSIM activation steps to confirm your plan is live and correctly assigned.

Here is the jolt: your eSIM is working perfectly. The problem is the plan you bought.

Many providers sell "unlimited" plans and bury a speed cap deep in their terms. You get full speed for a while, then suddenly everything crawls. Streaming stops. Maps lag. You assume your eSIM is broken. It is not. You have been throttled.

Kolet's Unlimited Plans are different. The policy is stated openly: full speed up to 5 GB per 24-hour window, then reduced to 1 Mbps until the window resets. At 1 Mbps, messaging, maps, and email keep working. No blackout, no silence, no surprise. You know exactly what you are getting before you buy.

Mistake 9: Buying unlimited without checking the speed cap policy. Read the fine print of any provider before purchasing. If they do not publish their throttle threshold, that is your answer.

You have checked every setting. You have toggled airplane mode. You have waited. Still nothing.

Mistake 10: Accepting bad support as normal. Some eSIM providers offer only a chatbot or a help centre article. That is not good enough when you are standing outside a hotel in a city you do not know.

Start by rechecking the in-app setup guides and confirming you followed every step. A missed tap is more common than a genuine technical fault. If you have been thorough and it still does not work, contact support directly. Occasionally, a corrupted eSIM profile requires the provider to issue a replacement eSIM, and a good team handles that in minutes.

Kolet's multilingual human support team holds a customer satisfaction score of over 98%. Real people, fast responses, no scripted runaround. Whether you write in English, French, or Spanish, someone answers. Because getting stuck abroad with no data is not a minor inconvenience. It is a genuine problem, and it deserves a genuine fix.