How much data is left on my travel eSIM?
In short
How to check eSIM data usage: start with the Balance card on your order page. It shows the data and the days left on your travel eSIM. Your phone’s own counter is an estimate. Apple’s UK page says: “To get the most accurate mobile data usage from a current period, contact your network provider.”
On this page
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Menu paths below are from the phone makers’ UK pages, checked on 26 October 2026. Menus can differ by model and software version.
Where is my balance on the order page?
Open the link in your order e-mail. Once your eSIM is issued, the Balance card sits under the QR code and loads by itself, with one request to the network each time you open the page. It shows the GB left against the plan total, the GB you have used, the days left and a status.
The status reads Active, Not activated yet, Expired, Data used up or Status unknown. On a plan without a GB total, the card shows the plan’s daily high-speed limit instead.
Refresh asks the network again. If the network does not answer, the card says “Balance not available yet” and the button changes to Try again.
On most of our plans the days start on first connection to a network at the destination, so “Not activated yet” before you land is normal; your plan shows its activation rule. Lost the link? Find my order sends it to the e-mail you bought with.
Turkey: buy and install your eSIM before you travel. eSIM shops, including ours, may not open on Turkish networks, and the order page is on our site. Save the order link and plan details before you fly, and check usage on the phone there. More in our Turkey guide.
How to check eSIM data usage on an iPhone
Apple’s path is Settings → Mobile (on some iPhones: Mobile Data), then look under the Mobile Data heading (checked on 26 October 2026, Apple). Scroll down for the apps that used data.
With Dual SIM, Apple’s data usage page says “you can see how much mobile data you’ve used with your selected mobile data number”. So the figure follows the line chosen for mobile data. Select the travel eSIM as the data line, as in the data roaming settings, or you will read the UK line’s use.
Reset Statistics is on the same screen: Settings → Mobile Data → Reset Statistics (Apple). It clears the counters, so tap it once after you install and before you first connect. Apple shows statistics “from a current period”, and that period need not match your plan’s.
How to check eSIM data usage on Android
On a Samsung Galaxy, Samsung’s UK page puts the mobile data switch at Settings → Connections → Data usage → Mobile data, and Data saver one step on, at Data usage → Data saver (checked on 26 October 2026, Samsung UK). That page describes no per-SIM usage screen and no reset. Look under Data usage for the figure your phone shows.
On a Google Pixel, Google’s path is Settings → Network and Internet → Internet, then Settings next to your operator. The total sits at the top; tap App data usage for graphs and per-app figures. Data warning and limit is on the same screen (Google).
Why the phone’s counter can differ
Google puts it plainly: “Your phone measures the data usage shown in your phone’s Settings app. Some operators measure usage differently.” The phone counts from its last reset, the plan (on most of ours) from first connection. The plan balance comes from the network, not the phone.
| You want to know | Look at | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Data left on the plan | Order page, Balance card | The network reports it against the plan total |
| Days left | Order page, Balance card | Counted from first connection on most plans; your plan shows its rule |
| Which app is using data | Phone’s data usage screen | The order page has no per-app view |
| A quick check mid-trip | Phone counter, then order page | The phone figure is an estimate |
If the order page says “Data used up” but you believe you used less, check the data line first. A hotspot, cloud backups and app updates run on whichever line carries mobile data. See no signal with an eSIM for line checks.
What uses data without you noticing?
Background use is the usual surprise. On an iPhone, Apple says Connectivity Assist uses mobile data “along with Wi-Fi” when Wi-Fi is weak or busy; you can turn it off in Settings. Apple also lists System Services in the same data usage screen.
Turn off automatic app updates and cloud photo backup on mobile data before you fly, and do both on hotel Wi-Fi. On a Pixel, a data warning tells you when you reach a figure you set. Our data calculator turns your daily habits into a plan size for your trip.
What happens when the data runs out?
Mobile data on the travel line stops when the plan reaches “Data used up” or “Expired”. Your UK number keeps receiving calls and texts if the UK line is on; running out on the travel line does not touch it.
You cannot top up a plan on the site: top-ups are not available. Buy another eSIM for the same destination instead, install it, and select it as the data line. Do this while you still have Wi-Fi. In Turkey you may not reach our site, so buy a plan with more data than you expect to need before you go.
If your plan ran out sooner than the phone’s counter suggested, write to us with your order number on WhatsApp.
Sources checked: Apple: use mobile data on your iPhone or iPad, checked on 26 October 2026 · Apple: mobile data roaming options for your iPhone, checked on 26 October 2026 · Samsung UK: what is mobile data and how do I turn it on or off, checked on 26 October 2026 · Google Pixel Help: manage mobile data usage, checked on 26 October 2026.
Unfamiliar term? See the eSIM glossary.