Apple released the newest iPhones with embedded eSIM technology. Initially, this was a great addition as it allowed customers to buy wireless service from a carrier without having to open up their phones and change their SIM cards. However, many customers have been having issues with this feature, such as “eSIM Activation Required” or “eSIM Network Not Available”. Find out what you can do to fix this problem at the earliest, in this article!
Methods to Fix eSIM Network Not Available, Activating, or Working On iPhone 14 Issue
Depending on the circumstances, you may try one of the next-mentioned solutions to fix your eSIM network not available on iPhone 14 issue. Use the first set of solutions if you’re having trouble activating your eSIM; otherwise consider the other described techniques if you’re encountering hassles using your eSIM after activation.
I’m here to help you with the eSIM problems you’re having with your brand-new iPhone 14. So, without any further delay, let’s dig deep into each of these solutions one by one in detail.
Scenario#1: Having Trouble With Activation
Follow the instructions below to try and fix your iPhone 14, if you are unable to activate your eSIM. You should begin with the top solution, and work your way down the list until you find the one that works best in your case.
Solution#1: Hold On for Sometime
It’s safe to assume that most activation issues can be fixed by just waiting. It will take some time for your eSIM to be processed and activated by carriers throughout the entire globe. Timing for this can be anywhere from a couple of hours to over a day.
Your carrier may still be activating your eSIM, even though you have been given a QR code and registration details. Unactivated eSIMs will be rejected by iPhones during setup and will not be allowed to be registered or installed.
As a result, please give the eSIM activation process some more time to complete before trying again. After a few hours have elapsed, activating your eSIM will be successful, for sure.
Solution#2: Get in Touch With Your Service Provider
When an activation process fails, it’s usually due to a mistake or delay on the part of your carrier. So, please give your service provider’s support team a call, and see if they can help you out. However, if you are still having issues with your eSIM, a trip to the closest appropriate service center for your carrier may be in order.
The user’s feedback and my own experience both corroborate the fact that most carriers will simply offer you a new eSIM to assist in resolving any major difficulties faced. In most circumstances, this will require producing a new QR code for you. After that, the new eSIM may be installed on your iPhone 14, by scanning its freshly assigned QR code.
Solution#3: Rebooting Both the Old and New Smartphones
Another issue that is more likely to be an iOS 16 error, occurs when transferring an eSIM from an older device to a novel one. This problem arises if there is a pause at either beginning or end of the transfer.
Both of your devices need to be restarted for this fault to be resolved immediately. If you’re having trouble with the transfer this time around, a hard reboot of your iPhone can assist relaunch the backend processes and erasing the cache data and files.

Holding down the volume up button while simultaneously pushing the volume down button will force restart your iPhone 14. Then you need to press and hold the power button. The sleep button must be held until the Apple logo appears.
It’s possible that the eSIM transfer to your iPhone 14 will work when you restart your iPhones. Moreover, you should now be able to finish the transfer without any further problems.
Solution#4: Obtain a Brand-New QR Code
For subscribers of service providers whose QR codes are generated automatically, this is a fix. In most cases, the specialized carrier app is used for this. I advise you to generate a new QR code if your carrier follows a similar procedure.
However, when a day has passed, you should definitely create a fresh QR code. After a whole day, if your QR code still doesn’t work, you can try making a new one. There is no need to worry about installing or activating your eSIM on your iPhone 14, as a fresh QR code will do the job for you.

Waiting a day is advised because the QR code generation procedure is automated and it can take some time for the generated code to be registered on the network. Such information is typically updated once each day at a particular instant, by the majority of carriers.
Give your carrier a day to process your QR code registration and activation before attempting to use it to install your new eSIM. A fresh QR code should be generated if the old one stops working.
Solution#5: Double Check the IMEI You Entered in the Carrier’s App
Those who have upgraded to iOS 14 on an iPhone from a region other than the United States are the primary target audience for this patch. In addition to automatically entering your iPhone’s IMEI number, several carriers across the globe also let you explicitly input the number, so that the eSIM can be loaded on your iPhone.
What the carriers however don’t tell you is that the iPhone 14 family includes two eSIM variations. Two versions are available: one for the United States market that supports only eSIM and lacks a physical SIM slot, and another version that supports both eSIM and a nano-SIM slot.
Thus, the IMEI2 number must be entered into the carrier app by users of iPhone 14 with a real SIM slot. This is due to the fact that while your IMEI number is assigned to your device’s SIM slot, your eSIM is given a different number known as an IMEI2.
So, if you want to create an eSIM mobile plan, you need to input the IMEI2 number into the relevant carrier app. The necessary information can be entered with this and shortly after, a message will appear from your carrier asking you to activate your new cell plan.
See Also: How to Activate iMessage With Phone Number?
Scenario#2: If Problems Arise After eSIM Activation
If your iPhone is acting up after you’ve activated your eSIM, try the following solutions. To get everything back up and running, you should begin with the first fix and work your way down the list. Proceed at once.
Solution#1: Force Restart the iPhone
By clearing cache data, restarting background processes, refreshing app cookies, and clearing temporary settings, a “Force Restart” of your iPhone can often resolve any problems you may be experiencing at hand.
Therefore, if your eSIM is having issues as a consequence of incorrectly specified settings or a damaged cache, a forced restart may be the best possible answer. You should now be able to use your eSIM to access the cellular network provided by your service provider, easily.
Attention: The procedure to force restart your iPhone, is already discussed in the above section i.e., Solution#3: Rebooting Both the Old and New Smartphones.
Solution#2: Change Your iPhone’s Network Settings Back to Factory Defaults
It is now suggested that you attempt resetting your network preferences. Issues with your eSIM may stem from erroneous carrier setup updates or incorrectly configured network settings. If you’re having problems with your eSIM, try resetting your network settings and using the factory defaults. To help you reset your iPhone’s network settings, we’ve provided some instructions below. Follow the steps in chronological order:
- First, launch the “Settings” app on your iPhone.
- Next, tap on the option labeled “General”.
- After that, keep scrolling until you find the option named “Transfer or Reset iPhone”. Once found, tap on it.
- Now, proceed with tapping on the option i.e., “Reset”.
- Next, from the prompted options or the context menu displayed on your screen, tap on the option labeled “Reset Network Settings”.
- Finally, type in your passcode to successfully reset network settings on your iPhone.
This will force your iPhone to restart and clear all network information. Your iPhone’s eSIM functionality should be fully functional after it has restarted.
Solution#3: Inactivate Your Virtual Private Network (VPN) Immediately
Hiding your IP address is one way in which virtual private networks (VPNs) and private DNS services aid in protecting your privacy and the security of your device. However, in some areas, carriers prohibit access to such services.
You might be in a nation or region where using a virtual private network (VPN) or a private domain name server (DNS) prevents your eSIM from functioning normally. Services like these can normally be disabled using the respective applications or the iPhone’s Settings menu.

So, if you want to disable VPN on your iPhone, you can do it using the Settings app by following the steps provided next.
- First, launch the “Settings” app on your iPhone.
- Next, tap on the option labeled “VPN”.
- After that, proceed with tapping on the toggle button present right next to the option named “Status”, to turn it off.
If the eSIM problems were due to the VPN, they should now be resolved hopefully.
Solution#4: Perform a Check for Updates That Are Still Pending
You should now check your iPhone 14 for any pending updates and install them if available. Due to the novelty of these gadgets, it is possible that they will experience flaws that have not yet been uncovered by researchers.
As we witnessed with the release of iOS 16.0.1, Apple regularly provides promising materials to address urgent problems with smartphones. As a result, I advise you to check for iOS and carrier upgrades on your iPhone 14 right now. Follow these guidelines to ensure you’re always up-to-date.
- First, launch the “Settings” app.
- Next, tap on the option i.e., “General”.
- After that, tap on the “Software Update” option.
- Now, your iPhone will start checking for and displaying any available updates. If an update appears for your iPhone 14, tap on “Download and Install”.
- Next, navigate to Settings -> General -> About.
After opening the “About” section, iOS immediately scans for and downloads any available carrier updates. For optimal results, please keep your phone hooked to the power and open the “About” page for several minutes. By doing this, your iPhone 14 will be checked for and updated with any available carrier upgrades, automatically.
Existing issues will then be eradicated with the latest software releases, and you ought to be able to use your eSIM normally, including making and receiving calls and accessing mobile data.
Solution#5: Delete All Content and Reset Your iPhone 14
Massive flaws may be to blame if utilizing your eSIM still causes you trouble. It is now time to wipe your iPhone 14 and start over. You can use this to check that your eSIM is functioning properly on iOS. Follow these instructions to factory reset your iPhone 14.

Keep in mind that resetting your iPhone will erase everything on it, including any apps and data. You should have a backup of your iPhone before continuing with the steps below.
- First, launch the “Settings” app.
- Next, tap on the option labeled “General”.
- After that, proceed with tapping on the option i.e., “Transfer or Reset iPhone”.
- Now, tap on the option named “Erase All Content and Settings”.
- Next, on the lower end of your iPhone screen, tap on the button i.e., “Continue”.
- After that, type in your iPhone 6-digit password.
- Now, to disable “Find My” on your iPhone 14, enter your Apple ID passcode.
- Next, once you have provided your password, tap on “Turn Off”. It will be available in the upper right-hand corner.
- Finally, once you’ve double-checked everything, tap on the “Erase” button.
The current configurations on your iPhone will now be deleted, and the device will reset to factory defaults. Set up your iPhone as if it were brand new, then restore your backup. If your iPhone 14’s eSIM works after a factory reset, the problem was probably caused by a combination of settings and programs. Please consider carefully restoring your backup, to assist you to avoid this eSIM problem in the future.
See Also: How to Automatically Bypass CAPTCHAs on Iphone’s iOS 16 🔥
Conclusion
If you’re experiencing the “eSIM Network Not Available” error on your iPhone 14, there are a few potential fixes that you can try. First, make sure that your carrier supports eSIM and that you have an active plan. If so, then try restarting your iPhone or resetting your network settings. If neither of those work, then you may need to contact your carrier for further assistance.
With these tips, you should be able to get your eSIM network up and running in no time. Whatever the case may be, I hope that one of these methods was able to fix the issue for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I activate eSIM on iOS 14?
Using eSIM Carrier Activation or a QR code, you can contact your carrier to get your phone number transferred from your physical SIM to your eSIM on iOS 14. Then select the Cellular Plan Conversion option. Next, choose to convert to eSIM from the menu. You must now wait for your eSIM to become active.
Why is my eSIM showing no service?
Be certain that there are no service interruptions and that your providers offer coverage in your location. Verify that your mobile plans are activated, active, and free of any billing-related restrictions. If you don’t, your eSIM won’t display that you have any active service.
How long does eSIM take to activate?
Please scan the QR Code for activation of the eSIM as soon as you receive it since activation will take place in about 2 hours. The physical SIM will remain functional throughout this time frame. There will be no network disruptions on your end, so you can relax.
Does utilizing an eSIM result in the deactivation of a physical SIM?
No, in the same way, that a traditional physical SIM card works with all the major networks, including 4G and 5G, the eSIM can do the same. Unlike traditional SIM cards, an eSIM is permanently installed in the mobile device and cannot be removed for replacement. However, the functionality of the integrated SIM depends on the carrier’s or network’s support for it.