Turn on data roaming for the HelloRoam line, not your home line
Turn data roaming on for the HelloRoam line, not your home line. Set that line as your mobile data line and turn off automatic data switching. Turn data roaming off on your home line, because your home carrier can charge roaming abroad. Test with Wi-Fi and any VPN off, then restart the phone and wait 2 to 5 minutes.
Read the screen, then set the right switch
- Nothing loads, and the data roaming switch inside the HelloRoam line is off.
- Turn it on inside that line. Your home line's data roaming switch does not cover the HelloRoam line.
- The HelloRoam line looks greyed out or switched off.
- Turn the line on first. Data roaming and mobile data do nothing until the line itself is on.
- Two lines look alike, so you cannot tell which one is HelloRoam.
- Match the ICCID on screen with your order details, then rename that line so it stands out.
- The HelloRoam line shows 4G or 5G, but pages time out.
- The icon only means a network was found. Work through the no-internet guide next.
- The line shows SOS or emergency calls only.
- The phone has not registered on a supported network yet. Use the no-service guide for that.
Turn data roaming on, device by device
iPhone
Two screens matter here: the HelloRoam line's own page, and the mobile data choice one level up.
- Open Settings > Cellular and tap the HelloRoam line.
- Turn on Turn On This Line so the line is active.
- On that same page, turn on Data Roaming.
- Go back, tap Cellular Data, and choose the HelloRoam line.
- Turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching.
- Open your home line and turn its Data Roaming off.
- Restart the phone, leave Wi-Fi off, and wait 2 to 5 minutes.
Samsung
Samsung splits this across two menus. Set the line and the data choice first, then data roaming.
- Open Settings > Connections > SIM manager.
- Turn the HelloRoam eSIM on in that list.
- Set Mobile data to the HelloRoam eSIM.
- Turn off the switch that moves mobile data to another SIM by itself.
- Go to Settings > Connections > Mobile networks.
- Confirm the HelloRoam eSIM is shown, then turn data roaming on for it.
- Turn data roaming off for your home line on its own screen.
- Restart the phone, leave Wi-Fi off, and wait 2 to 5 minutes.
Pixel
Pixel keeps every switch you need on the HelloRoam line's own page.
- Open Settings > Network & internet > SIMs and tap the HelloRoam line.
- Turn on Use SIM.
- Turn on Mobile data.
- Turn on Roaming.
- Turn off the switch that moves mobile data to another SIM by itself.
- Open your home line and turn its Roaming switch off.
- Restart the phone, leave Wi-Fi off, and wait 2 to 5 minutes.
Other Android
Menu names change by brand and Android version, so look for the closest wording on your phone.
- Open Settings > Network & internet > Mobile network.
- Tap the HelloRoam line so you are on its own page.
- Turn on Roaming for that line.
- Set the HelloRoam line as the one used for mobile data.
- Turn off automatic data switching if your phone offers it.
- Open your home line's page and turn its roaming off.
- Restart the phone, leave Wi-Fi off, and wait 2 to 5 minutes.
Next steps when the switches look right
- Turn Wi-Fi off and turn any VPN off, then load a page again. With Wi-Fi on you cannot tell whether the HelloRoam line is carrying data.
- Open the line you changed and confirm it is the HelloRoam line. Names like Primary, Secondary or Travel are only labels, and Primary is not always your home line.
- If the names still look alike, compare the ICCID in your phone settings with the ICCID in the HelloRoam app or your order details. Rename the line once you know which is which.
- Check the HelloRoam line is still the chosen mobile data line, and that automatic data switching is still off. That switch hands your data back to the home line.
- Restart the phone, keep Wi-Fi off, and give it 2 to 5 minutes before you test again.
- Don't delete the eSIM while you work through this. It is never the fix, and the settings checks come first.
What to send us if roaming still fails
Email help@helloroam.com with the details below about your eSIM. Crop any QR code out of a screenshot before you send it.
- Your order number.
- Your phone brand and model.
- The country and city you are in right now.
- A screenshot of the HelloRoam line's settings showing the line switch and its data roaming switch.
- A screenshot of the mobile data choice, so we can see which line carries data.
- Whether Wi-Fi and any VPN were off when you tested.
- Which line is HelloRoam. The ICCID helps when you have more than one eSIM installed.
Common roaming questions from travelers
How to activate roaming on iPhone
Turn on the HelloRoam line first, since data roaming does nothing on a line that is off. Then turn on data roaming inside that same line's own settings, not a switch that covers the whole phone. Data roaming has to be on for most travel e SIM plans before they carry mobile data abroad, and yours is no different.
What does the roaming icon mean on iPhone?
It means your e-sim may have found a network, and nothing more than that. A 4G or 5G icon does not show the internet works, so pages can still time out while the icon looks healthy. Check again with Wi-Fi off and any VPN off. If the icon shows and pages still fail, the no-internet guide takes it from there.
Where are the data roaming settings on my iPhone?
Inside the HelloRoam line's own page, not in one phone-wide switch. Tap the line first, and data roaming sits on the page that opens. Your home line keeps its own separate switch, so the setting can read as on for one line and off for the other at the same time.
Why isn't my eSIM getting data abroad even though data roaming is on?
Data roaming can be on for the wrong line, since each line keeps its own switch. Some phones show only one SIM tab at a time, so it's easy to flip the home line's switch by mistake. When the two lines share a similar name, compare the ICCID in your settings with the one in your order details.
Do I turn on data roaming differently on an iPhone 15?
No. Open Settings, tap Cellular, then tap the HelloRoam line, and its own data roaming switch sits on the page that opens. That is the route the steps above use. If a menu name looks slightly different on your phone, look for the same words rather than the same position.