Guide
eSIM not receiving SMS: why it happens and what to check
Why texts stop reaching an eSIM after a switch from a physical SIM or on a trip, what to check on iPhone and Android, and where codes go with a travel eSIM.
When an eSIM isn’t receiving SMS, it usually comes down to one of three things: your carrier may hold back some texts for the first day after you switch from a physical SIM, the line with your number is off, or messages from iPhone users are stuck in iMessage. On a trip, add roaming that’s turned off, airplane mode, and a phone that can only keep one eSIM active. And a MoreSim travel eSIM doesn’t receive texts at all: it’s data only, with no phone number.
Why isn’t my eSIM receiving SMS?
Why texts aren’t reaching your eSIM depends on what kind of eSIM it is and where you are. At home, right after a switch from a physical SIM, the culprit is usually a carrier hold, a line that’s off or your Messages settings; on a trip, it’s the state of your home line.
| What’s happening | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Switched to eSIM less than a day ago, no bank codes | Carrier hold after a SIM change | Wait 24 hours |
| Nothing arrives from anyone | Line is off, profile isn’t active, old SIM still in the tray | Turn the line on, remove the old SIM, restart |
| Messages from iPhone users go missing | Number still registered with iMessage after a move to Android, or iMessage not activated | Deregister the number or turn iMessage off and on |
| The message is there, but no notification | Unknown senders filter, spam or a blocked sender | Check filters and blocked contacts |
| No texts to your home number abroad | Line off, airplane mode, no roaming, or the second eSIM switched off the first | Turn the line on, check roaming with your carrier |
| Waiting for a code on a travel eSIM | The plan has no number | Get codes on your home number |
Not receiving texts after switching to eSIM: the first 24 hours
If you moved from a physical SIM to your carrier’s eSIM less than a day ago, some missing texts are a safety feature, not a fault. Some carriers restrict messages after a SIM change so that a scammer who gets your number onto a new SIM can’t receive your bank codes.
As of October 2026, Russia’s MTS, MegaFon and Beeline spell this out on their support pages: texts are restricted for 24 hours after a SIM change. MTS adds payments and transfers from the phone balance to the list, while Beeline specifies that passwords from banks and commercial online services don’t arrive and other texts work right away.
The hold lifts on its own, with nothing for you to tap. Other carriers have their own rules, so check your carrier’s app or help pages. If a full day has passed and only one bank’s codes are missing, take it up with the bank through its in-app chat or support line.
What should I check on my phone after switching from a physical SIM?
If a day has passed and no texts are arriving from anyone, the problem is in the phone or the profile. Work through the list in order and give the phone a minute after each step.
- Open your cellular settings and make sure the eSIM line is on: on an iPhone, Cellular and then your number; on Android, Connections or Network & internet and then SIMs.
- Take the old physical SIM out of the tray. Your carrier deactivates it after the switch, and while it’s still in the phone, two lines with similar names are easy to mix up.
- Set the eSIM as your default line for calls and messages.
- Restart the phone or turn airplane mode on for a minute so the line registers on the network again.
- Check that the sender isn’t blocked and the message hasn’t landed in spam or a Messages filter.
- Ask someone to send you a regular text. If it arrives, the line works, and the issue is the sender or the hold after the switch.
- Still nothing? Contact your carrier, which can see whether the profile is active on its side.
Incoming texts go to the line your number belongs to, as long as that line is on and registered on a network. The default line affects what you send and reply from, so it’s worth fixing, but it rarely explains total silence.
Why isn’t my iPhone getting texts on the eSIM?
On an iPhone, iMessage joins the usual suspects: messages between iPhones normally go through it rather than as SMS. Apple specifically notes that in iOS 26, iMessage doesn’t activate automatically if you set up the eSIM later in Settings rather than during the phone’s initial setup. Until iMessage is active for your number, iMessages sent to that number won’t reach the phone. Go to Settings > Apps > Messages, turn iMessage off and back on, and under Send & Receive make sure your number is checked. Activation uses SMS, which Apple notes your carrier may charge for.
The other place texts get lost on an iPhone is the Messages filters. In iOS 26, messages from numbers that aren’t in your contacts can go to a separate Unknown Senders filter: tap Filters above the conversation list. According to Apple, notifications for time-sensitive messages such as verification codes are on by default, but the message itself sits in the filter, not in your main list.
If you moved from an iPhone to Android along with the eSIM switch, messages from iPhone users may keep going to iMessage and never reach you. Apple recommends turning off iMessage on the old iPhone or, if you no longer have it, deregistering your number on Apple’s Deregister iMessage page. RCS chats in Google Messages work in a similar way: if your number moved to a phone without RCS and messages stopped arriving, Google recommends turning RCS off on the old phone or through its web page.
Will reissuing the eSIM or deleting an old profile help?
Reissuing an eSIM helps when the profile was activated incorrectly on the carrier’s side, but it’s the last step, not the first. A reissue disables the old eSIM, the new one is installed from a new QR code, and the post-change text hold usually starts over.
Don’t delete “extra” profiles blindly. Your list of lines may include an old inactive profile from the same carrier, a travel eSIM from your last trip and the working line with your number. Give the lines clear labels first and work out which one is real: a deleted eSIM profile usually can’t be reinstalled from the same QR code.
Carriers reissue eSIMs in their app or online account, or in a store with ID, and remote replacement may require extra identity verification. If your home carrier is Russian, our guide to Russian carriers’ eSIMs covers MTS, Beeline, MegaFon, T2 and Yota.
Why aren’t texts reaching my home number abroad?
On a trip, texts reach your home number only if the home line is on, the phone isn’t in airplane mode and your number is registered on a local carrier’s network, which means roaming is available for it. Having mobile data turned off doesn’t get in the way: texts and mobile data travel on different channels.
If you switched your number to an eSIM at home, there’s one more trap: not every phone can keep two eSIMs turned on at the same time. If your model supports only one active eSIM, turning on a travel eSIM switches your home eSIM off, and texts stop arriving. Check your model before you switch to eSIM, not at the airport.
| Phone | Two eSIMs at once | What it means on a trip |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 13 and later | Yes, according to Apple | Home and travel eSIMs work side by side |
| Google Pixel 7 and later | Yes, according to Google | Home and travel eSIMs work side by side |
| Google Pixel 3a through Pixel 6 | No: one physical SIM plus one eSIM | Better to keep your home number on a physical SIM |
| Other models | Depends on the model | Check with the manufacturer before switching to eSIM |
From there, it works just like a physical SIM. Turn off mobile data on your home SIM so your internet doesn’t run through your home carrier. Keep the line itself on if you’re expecting bank texts: for that, roaming has to be available from your carrier. Backup ways to confirm payments are covered in our guide to bank texts abroad, and the switches to flip before you fly are in our pre-flight roaming checklist.
Can I receive texts on a travel eSIM?
You can’t receive texts on a MoreSim travel eSIM. MoreSim plans are mobile data only, with no phone number. You can call through messaging apps if they aren’t restricted in the country, and bank texts arrive on your home SIM.
An eSIM can receive texts only if the line has a phone number. An eSIM from your home carrier takes texts just like a physical SIM, while a travel eSIM with no number gives you data only, and codes from banks, messaging apps and other services keep going to your home number. How to split the jobs between the two lines is covered in our guide to two lines in one phone.
You can buy a MoreSim travel eSIM on the website or in the @moresim_bot Telegram bot: the QR code arrives in the chat in about 30 seconds, and the plan starts counting from your first connection in the destination country. Our installation guide shows how to set up the profile. MoreSim support helps with eSIM data via /support in the bot, a ticket in your account or email; texts to your home number are a question for your carrier.
FAQ
Why am I not getting texts on my eSIM?
The usual suspects are a carrier’s security hold on texts right after a SIM change, the line with your number being switched off, or your Messages settings. On an iPhone, messages from other iPhone users can also go missing if iMessage isn’t set up on the new line. If you mean a travel eSIM, texts won’t arrive on it at all: MoreSim plans don’t come with a phone number.
I switched to eSIM and stopped getting texts. What should I do?
If it’s been less than a day since the switch, wait: some carriers restrict certain texts for 24 hours after a SIM change, and bank and service codes are usually the first to go missing. After that, check that the eSIM line is on, take the old physical SIM out of the tray and restart the phone. Still nothing? Contact your carrier, which can see whether the profile is active on its side.
Why isn’t my iPhone eSIM receiving SMS?
Make sure the line with your number is turned on under Cellular and that iMessage is active: according to Apple, in iOS 26 iMessage doesn’t turn on by itself if you set up the eSIM later in Settings. Turn iMessage off and back on in Settings > Apps > Messages. While you’re there, tap Filters in Messages, since texts from numbers that aren’t in your contacts may be sitting in the Unknown Senders filter.
How do I receive SMS on an eSIM?
An eSIM receives texts if it has a phone number, which is how an eSIM from your home carrier works when it replaces a physical SIM. The line has to be turned on and registered on a network. A MoreSim travel eSIM has no number, so texts, including bank codes, keep going to your home SIM.
Why aren’t texts reaching my home number abroad?
Your home line may be switched off, the phone may still be in airplane mode, or roaming may not be available for your number. If your home number is on an eSIM, also check whether the phone can keep two eSIMs active at once; if not, turning on a travel eSIM switches the home one off. Mobile data on the home line can stay off, since texts don’t travel over data.
Will reissuing the eSIM fix missing texts?
Sometimes, if the profile wasn’t activated properly on the carrier’s side, but it shouldn’t be your first move. Wait out the first 24 hours after the switch and check the line, iMessage and your filters first. A reissue disables the old eSIM, and some carriers, such as MTS in Russia, may restrict texts for another 24 hours after it.