Can my EE PAYG number be reactivated after several months of inactivity?

[RongFAN]

Hello,

I am currently living in the United States and cannot return to the UK. My EE Pay As You Go SIM worked previously, but after several months of inactivity, it suddenly lost all network service around June 2026.

My phone can still recognize the EE SIM and phone number, but it shows “No Service – EE.”

I believe the SIM may have entered hibernation because of inactivity, and I really need to keep this UK phone number.

Could someone from EE please advise:

1. Is it possible to reactivate my number while I am in the United States?

2. Can this be handled online without making a phone call? I cannot receive calls or SMS messages on this SIM.

Please contact me through the Gmail email address registered with my EE account.

I can provide my full phone number and any necessary account information privately for verification.

Thank you.

[Northerner]

Hi @RongFAN 

If you know it is hibernation then you'll know the process to follow.

Read here: 

https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/Pay-as-you-go/Understanding-Pay-As-You-Go-Hibernation-and-how-to-keep-...

Thanks 

[Schockwave]

@RongFAN , nobody will contact you from this public forum, this is not customer service and you will have to use another phone to ring customer service to get it reactivated, but customer service will not call or be able to do so without you ringing them up.

As @Northerner  has given you the link, you can see how hibernation works and how to reactivate it.

[XRaySpeX]

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@RongFAN wrote:

after several months of inactivity, it suddenly lost all network service around June 2026.

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Looks like your PAYG SIM may have gone into hibernation in June '26 due to non-use. Topping-up now would be too late.

 EE PAYG SIMs are deactivated after 6 months of non-chargeable use. You then have a further 3 months period of grace to call EE to reactivate it before it is lost completely. It would seem that you have until sometime into Sept to call CS to reactivate it.

You needed to make a chargeable action like making a chargeable call or text, topping up or buying a Pack or Add-on, not just using your mins, texts or data from your pack.

In answer to your Qs:

1. Reactivate Yes, Use probably not.
2. No.
3. No one will contact you from this user discussion group other than thro' the medium of these forums by posts such as this. Anyway we haven't the faintest idea who you are. You need to phone CS.