topic Re: e-sim won't activate. in SIM cards & Porting

e-sim won't activate.

gillyBB — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 17:00:10 GMT

My e-sim won't activate on my new phone. Text verification messages aren't getting through, and I don't have another phone to make calls. I just get an error message online. This is urgent as I am elderly and disabled, and my phone is my lifeline

Re: e-sim won't activate.

Chris_B — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 17:15:55 GMT

@gillyBB Are you a new customer of EE ? When you ordered this device did you have the option to select eSIM ? If not there should be a SIM card with the device in the package. You can’t just activate the eSIM unless you scan a QR code that should come with the device.

Re: e-sim won't activate.

bristolian — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 17:18:46 GMT

What is the error message you get online?

What is the reason for having a new eSIM?

Re: e-sim won't activate.

gillyBB — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 18:01:50 GMT

Long time customer. I transferred the data from one phone to the other. The sim didn't come across, so I downloaded a replacement using the QR code. It was going well until the activation codes texted to my phone never arrived.

Re: e-sim won't activate.

gillyBB — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 18:04:47 GMT

After requesting that codes be resent, I eventually got the message"We are having trouble performing verification. Please try again". I've been trying all day.
(New sim because it didn't transfer with the rest of the data)

Re: e-sim won't activate.

gillyBB — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 18:07:46 GMT

I forgot to add that I can't phone EE because the sim won't activate, and I don't have a landline

Re: e-sim won't activate.

bristolian — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 18:48:57 GMT

Ah, a change of phone with an eSIM. Definitely one where a pSIM is straightforward!

You may need to make contact with EE-CS via another means - perhaps borrow a friend or relative's phone to make the call? It need not be an EE phone, or a mobile. There's no account access on this internet forum.

Otherwise you can get a pSIM replacement in an EE retail store with photo-ID, and then subsequently revert to eSIM if you so desire.

Re: e-sim won't activate.

gillyBB — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 20:44:13 GMT

A friend can come over tomorrow evening. I just hope I don't have an emergency in the meantime. Living in rural Cornwall, getting to an EE store is difficult.

Re: e-sim won't activate.

bristolian — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 21:06:14 GMT

@gillyBB wrote:
I just hope I don't have an emergency in the meantime.

I would always recommend having a backup means of making or receiving calls in this scenario.

CS may be able to remotely activate your existing eSIM, or they may need to arrange a postal replacement pSIM.