The plane reaches the gate, you turn off airplane mode, and either there is no network at all or the bars are full but nothing loads. That first half hour is exactly when you need to book a taxi, type a hotel address, or message whoever is picking you up.
The sequence below is enough to make that half hour go smoothly.
Install before departure
Installing an eSIM and starting to use it are two different things. Installing means scanning the QR code and downloading the profile to your phone, and that needs an internet connection — your phone's existing one, not the plan you bought. The easiest way is to install over reliable Wi-Fi before you leave home.
Installing does not start the plan. Validity begins not when the profile is loaded, but when the eSIM first connects to a network in Türkiye. Installing a day early therefore costs you nothing from your plan.
If you install at the airport
If you could not install before departure, that is fine: major airports in Türkiye have free Wi-Fi, and it is more than enough to download the profile. Waiting at baggage claim is the most practical moment for most travellers.
The one thing to watch is staying on Wi-Fi until the installation finishes. If the connection drops mid-download, the install can end up incomplete.
It says "connected" but there is no data
This is the situation travellers write to us about most: the network name shows, the bars are full, but no app gets any data.
Almost every time, the cause is data roaming being switched off. This is a completely separate switch from installing the eSIM, and while it is off no data flows even if the profile installed perfectly.
On iPhone: Settings › Cellular › Cellular Data Options › Data Roaming.
On Android the menu names vary by brand, but the path is usually Settings › Network & internet › Mobile network › Roaming.
Turning this on does not cost you anything extra: your plan already runs over local networks, and "roaming" here is only a technical label.
Still nothing? Select the network manually
If data roaming is on and you still have no connection, the phone's automatic selection may be stuck. Choosing manually usually fixes it immediately:
- iPhone: Settings › Cellular › the eSIM line › Network Selection. Turn off Automatic and wait for the scan to finish — it can take up to a minute.
- Android: Settings › Network & internet › Mobile network › Network operators.
Pick Turkcell, Türk Telekom or Vodafone from the list. Try whichever is strongest where you are standing; if it does not work, switch to another.
Which network will you be on?
Your eSIM is not locked to a single operator. It selects whichever of Turkcell, Türk Telekom and Vodafone gives the strongest signal at your location.
In practice: in cities such as Istanbul, Antalya and Izmir, and across tourist areas, coverage is dense and you will not notice a difference. In rural and mountainous areas the operators genuinely differ — that is where the manual selection step above earns its place.
How many GB should you buy?
It depends entirely on what you do. Maps, messaging and the occasional email use very little; streaming video, going live, or leaving cloud backup switched on burns through data quickly.
Rather than guessing, use the data calculator: it asks how many days you are staying and how often you open each kind of app, then adds a safety margin and shows the plans that cover it.
One more thing worth knowing: some of our Türkiye plans are data only, while others also include local calls and SMS. If you expect to phone a hotel, an office or a taxi while you are here, picking a plan with calls makes life easier.
Do not delete the profile after installing
The same QR code cannot be used twice. If you delete the eSIM profile from your phone, the plan goes with it and cannot be restored. If you need to reset your phone, or you have to remove the eSIM for any reason, contact us before you do it.
Equally, installing the eSIM does not affect your existing line: your own number stays on your physical SIM and keeps receiving calls. The eSIM is added as a second line.
In short
- Install the eSIM before departure, over reliable Wi-Fi.
- Installing does not start the plan; validity begins at first connection in Türkiye.
- If there is no data after landing, turn on data roaming first.
- If that does not fix it, select the network manually.
- Do not delete the profile.
If you want to see the installation screens step by step, the how it works page covers iPhone and Android separately.