Unable to activate eSIM of Airtel on IPhone 13 running on iOS 16.0.2

Is your phone from US too? I got my iPhone 14 pro max from there and I’m struggling to add eSim. I’m using a XS which is also from US and at the moment and I want to set eSim on this first and then transfer via quick start. But it’s just not working out.

Setting the eSIM first would have been possible if your previous phone had eSIM too. But I'll suggest you set your phone up and then go through the eSIM process. After going through the eSIM set up process it'll say eSIM cannot be activate just press by ignoring okay and wait for 2 hours. It'll activate by itself.

PS: yes my 14 pro is from US

Mine is US purchase Iphone 14 pro max and it works fine in India and able to get activated with esim. after scanning the qr code have to wait for 2 hours and you will get a error in between unable to activate esim contact airtel, Ignore that and wait for 2 hours . If you still face issue visit your nearest airtel store.

Per airtel, QR code scanning should be done within 24 hrs. I did scanning within 24 hrs but have to wait for more than 10 days for activation. Also, request airtel to carry out deactivation of SMS Barring. Once done eSIM will get activated.

Best

False. QR Code is supposed to be scanned immediately, which is even mentioned on their website. No carrier gives you 24 hrs to scan the QR code eSIM process has to be done immediately. Who said eSIM activation process takes 10days? It barely takes 2hrs after scanning the QR code. And again false, you don't have to "request" your carrier to block the SMS's after completion of eSIM activation on your phone. It gives you a heads up before you even begin the setup saying SMS's will be blocked for 24 hrs after successful activation of eSIM on your new phone. I don't know where you got this information from but whatever you mentioned is false.

I faced the same issue. I waited till the physical SIM go de-activated, waited for around half hour more and then re-started my iPhone. (Waited for 2.5 hrs from receiving QR code).

The eSIM signal bars did not turn up before I turned-off my phone. It immediately appeared on restarting the device.

No one at the Airtel store new about this. I got this idea only by visiting this forum page.

I’ve done this with two Airtel sims. On an iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. It worked on one phone but not another. The difference eventually was the wifi. It only worked if I connected to a hotspot to another phone and did the activation. Activation failed when I was connected to the wifi.

This discussion did help me to resolve the problem. Airtel way of QR code scanning do come with an error “unable to active sim, contact your carrier for assistance” but I ignored it and waited for 2 and half hours and then restarted the phone to turn off the line and turn on the line in settings then it started functioning.

it looks like issue with country origin for devices buyed from US and activating sim in India.

I activated after changing country origin of apple id to india. able to activate sim after two hours.

try with changing apple id country origin to India

Was this issue fixed for you? I got my iPhone 14 Pro from the US. While converting my airtel physical sim to eSIM, I got the error message on my new phone. I am not sure what to do now. Any help will be appreciated.

Guys, I faced the same issue on iPhone 14 pro bought from the US. Airtel esim was not getting added. It always says esim unsupported with the "cancel" and "try again" options.

As all suggest try after 2 hours it will start working automatically. But it was not even getting installed by scanning QR.

So I used a trick given in a few replies. I disconnected by 14 pro from wifi and connected with the hotspot of an old phone. The esim got installed without any error. After 2 hours it starts working.

Hopefully, this comment helps any of you guys. (I will suggest when you scan QR while connected to a hotspot please make sure you request for new QR code, sometimes already scanned QR code doesn't work even on a hotspot connection)

This worked for me :

go to settings and click on your eSIM. You would then get an option to Turn OFF and then Turn ON the eSIM.

it immediately activated my Airtel eSIM on iPhone 13 - iOS 16.0.2.

All the above assumes the iPhone is either carrier-free/unlocked and should take any SIM, e or otherwise, or the phone is locked to Airtel and should take any SIM from them.

I had same issue. But then i ignored the error message of unsuccessful eSim activation and waited for 2 hrs from receiving Qr code. Then I turned off and on eSIM and it will work.

worked for me, exactly after 2 hours 👍🏼