Facing eSIM Issues on iPhone 14? Here’s How You Can Fix Them

Apple has always been bullish with its products, be it removing the 3.5 audio jack from iPhones or ignoring the EU's type-C mandate. Now, the company has removed the SIM card slot from the US variant of the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Pro. This also indicates the company could switch from lighting-port-based iPhones to going completely portless for future iPhones. But the removal of physical SIM slots might not be going down so well.

While eSIM seems like the future and also offers improved ingress protection, an iPhone without a physical SIM slot has its own set of issues. A lot of users are now reporting a variety of eSIM-related issues on the Apple iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Pro.

We have listed some of the prominent eSIM-related issues on the Apple iPhone 14 along with solutions. If you are facing an eSIM-related issue on your brand-new iPhone, here is how to fix them easily.

Apple iPhone 14 "Network Unavailable" Issue

One of the most reported issues on the iPhones including the latest iPhone 14 is the "network unavailable" issue. While there is a single solution that works for all, here are some methods you can carry out to get that signal back from your eSIM.

iPhone eSIM Activation Issues

Unlike installing a physical SIM on your iPhone, which takes a couple of seconds. Installing or even transferring an eSIM from an older iPhone takes its own time. In India, it will take at least two hours to convert a physical SIM to an eSIM and to transfer an eSIM from one phone to another. Here are some guidelines to follow while activating an eSIM on the iPhone 14.

Fix 1: Be Patient

As I have mentioned before, activating an eSIM on an iPhone or even on an Android smartphone like the Google Pixel 7 could take a while. So, it is always advised to wait. In most cases, one should receive the eSIM profile and the QR code in just a couple of minutes. However, in some cases, one might have to wait for a day or two.

Fix 2: Call Tech Support

Although Apple claims it is easy to activate the iPhone 14 with an eSIM, it does involve some amount of playing around, which could be confusing, especially for those who are getting their very first eSIM card. Call your network provider from your secondary number and they will help you with the process of activating an eSIM on the iPhone 14.

Fix 3: Restart The Device

Restarting your device is one piece of advice that you might hear from the carrier support team, and we are suggesting the same here. If you are transferring an eSIM from an old iPhone to the new iPhone 14, restarting both phones after a successful transfer could help you activate the eSIM on the iPhone 14.

To restart an iPhone, press and hold the sleep/wake button along with the volume up and down buttons. Once you spot an Apple logo, release those buttons and your iPhone will automatically restart, which should also complete the eSIM transfer process.

Fix 4: Generate New QR Code

While most users should be able to transfer and activate an eSIM from a single QR code, some users might have to request a new QR code, especially if they have been waiting for over a day for the activation of eSIM. In most cases, a new QR code can be easily generated using an app offered by your network provider.

Again, don't generate a new QR within hours after the generation of the first QR code. This has to be done carefully to ensure a smooth eSIM activation process on the iPhone 14 and even on the older Apple iPhones. Do note that, the iPhone 14 series can support up to two eSIMs while the previous models only support one eSIM and a physical nano SIM.

Fix 5: Correct Proper IMEI and EID

While it might sound like only a rookie would enter the wrong IMEI and EID details while activating an eSIM, this is actually one of the common end-user errors that could lead to various issues, including the non-activation of eSIM. It is advised to copy IMEI and EID details to a notepad and paste them on the app to generate an eSIM QR code on the iPhone 14.

No Network Issue On iPhone 14

Has your iPhone 14 lost network without any warning despite successfully installing the eSIM? Here is how you can get back to the network.

Force Restart Your iPhone

Did you restart your iPhone while activating an iPhone? You might also have to force restart the device to get the network on your newly activated iPhone 14. To force restart, press and release the volume up button, press and release the volume down button, and then long press the sleep or wake button. This will help the iPhone to reconfigure the eSIM to get a network signal on the Apple iPhone.

Reset Network Settings

When you install a new eSIM profile on an iPhone 14, you might have to reset to network settings to make it work. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings > and enter your passcode to reset the network settings. Your phone will reboot to apply the new network settings.

Configure Cellular Settings

Make sure that you have checked the right toggles to get the network on the iPhone 14. You can do this by turning on data roaming from the settings menu. Similarly, you can also select the network manually from the network select tab. In some cases, you might also have to toggle off low data mode from cellular settings to get the network on the iPhone 14.

Disable VPN

VPN could also interfere with cellular reception. Go to Settings > VPN and make sure it says not connected. This will help the eSIM latch onto the cellular network in some cases.

Update Your iPhone Firmware

Depending on the network provider, your iPhone might need the latest version of iOS to activate and use eSIM. Go to Settings > General > Software Update > Check for update. Make sure to install the latest version of iOS to use eSIM on the iPhone 14.

When updating the iOS, Apple will also patch the latest features issued by carriers. Post this procedure, you should be able to access the internet and make voice calls on all the iPhones that support eSIM.

Reset Your iPhone

If these solutions didn't yield any fruit, then you might have to reset your iPhone. Do note that, resetting your iPhone will delete all the data stored on the device. While resetting the device, you have to authenticate using your Apple ID, hence, keep the Apple ID and the password handy.

Call Customer Care

One last solution to fix network issues on your iPhone 14 is by calling the customer care of your telecom network provider. In this case, they might suggest you visit your nearest store to get your eSIM-related issues resolved.