If you're an Android user and your Firsty eSIM isn't working, don't worry—most eSIM issues, including connectivity problems, can be resolved quickly with a few simple troubleshooting steps. This comprehensive guide will help you get back online, whether you're experiencing connection issues, activation failures, or network problems.
Initial Checks: Essential Device & Plan Status
Step 1: Verify Your Firsty Plan is Active
If your Firsty eSIM was working previously but has stopped, or if you're not getting a connection, first ensure your plan is active and you're in a supported region for your plan type.
Open the Firsty App on your home screen.
Check your plan status. Look for any days that still need to be activated.
Confirm your current location:
For Firsty Free, ensure you are in a country that supports Firsty Free and that your home country is also supported. Remember, there's a daily limit of 300MB, after which data pauses until the 24-hour reset or you upgrade.
For Comfort+ or First Class, confirm you are in one of the supported countries for your plan. If you've used a lot of data, your speed might be adjusted temporarily as per your plan's fair usage policy (Comfort+ | First Class).
For monthly subscriptions, make sure that you are in a country that is supported.
Step 2: Confirm Your Firsty eSIM Is Installed and Enabled
Ensure your device recognizes the Firsty eSIM and that it's turned on and set as your preferred option for mobile data.
Open Settings on your Android device.
Tap Network & Internet (or Connections / Mobile networks, depending on your device).
Select SIMs (or SIM cards / Dual SIM & eSIM / SIM Manager).
Under "eSIMs" or "Mobile plans," look for your Firsty eSIM. It might be labeled as "Firsty," "Proximus," or "Singtel."
If it's listed but shows "Disabled," tap it and toggle Enable SIM (or Turn on).
If it's not listed, you may need to reinstall it. If you suspect your phone is carrier-locked or not eSIM compatible, refer to our guides: Is my phone carrier-locked? and Is Your Device eSIM Compatible? If these issues are ruled out, and you've previously deleted your eSIM, you can often reinstall it via the Firsty app's support section.
Ensure your Firsty eSIM is selected as the Preferred SIM for mobile data. You can check this in the "Mobile Data" section of your Network & Internet settings (How to check if your current internet session is using Firsty?).
Step 3: Enable Mobile Data and Data Roaming for Firsty
Data roaming is essential for Firsty to connect to local networks in different countries.
Open Settings.
Tap Network & Internet (or Mobile Network / Connections).
Select SIMs (or SIM cards / Mobile networks).
Tap on your Firsty eSIM profile.
Ensure Mobile data is toggled On for that eSIM.
Toggle Roaming (or Data roaming / International roaming) On. For some devices, this might need to be set to 'always active'.
Video: How to Enable Data Roaming on Android https://www.youtube.com/embed/jWcIZXbGeYM?rel=0
Network Configuration: Access Point Names (APN)
Step 4: Update Your Access Point Names (APN)
Firsty uses different network profiles. You may need to manually configure your APN settings.
Before asking the customer to modify APN settings, support (AI or human) must:
– Confirm the SIM type internally (BICS / Proximus or Singtel).
– Cross-check the ICCID to ensure the correct Firsty eSIM is being configured.
– Validate only against the APN that corresponds to the confirmed SIM type.
Do not ask customers to “try both” APNs.
Use the correct configuration based on the confirmed profile:
If sim_type = BICS (Proximus profile):
– APN: bicsapn
– Name: BICS
– Password: (leave blank)
If sim_type = Singtel:
– APN: e-ideas
– Username: 65ideas
– Password: 65ideas
If the APN does not match the confirmed sim_type:
– Guide the customer to manually correct the APN fields exactly as shown above.
– Ensure the APN is selected as the active APN after saving.
Add this restriction:
APN correction should only be requested after confirming that:
– The correct network profile (via SIM Toolkit / SIM Applications) is selected.
– The correct network operator is selected.
– Data roaming is ON.
– The correct Firsty eSIM (ICCID match) is enabled and selected for mobile data.
APN modification remains a last-resort troubleshooting step and should not be used as an initial action.
Open Settings.
Tap Network & Internet (or Connections).
Select Mobile Networks > Access Point Names.
Find and tap on your Firsty eSIM profile. If there's an existing APN entry, you may need to edit it or create a new one.
Set the APN according to your active Firsty network profile:
For Firsty (Proximus/BICS Profile):
APN:
bicsapnName: BICS
Leave Password blank.
For Firsty (Singtel Profile):
APN:
e-ideasUsername:
65ideasPassword:
65ideas
Save your changes (usually by tapping the three dots menu in the top right and selecting "Save").
Restart your phone and/or toggle Airplane Mode on and off for 30 seconds to refresh the network connection.
Advanced Troubleshooting: Network Profile & Operator Control
Step 5: Manually Adjust Your Firsty Network Profile
Firsty uses a smart system with multiple network profiles to find the best and most efficient connection. If automatic selection isn't working, you might need to manually switch between these underlying network profiles.
Locate SIM Toolkit or SIM Applications: This can usually be found in your App Drawer or within your phone's Settings (often under Network & Internet > SIMs > SIM Applications or SIM Toolkit).
Inside the SIM Applications menu, look for an option like "Mode" or "Selection."
Change the mode from "Automatic" to "Manual."
You should then see options for different network profiles. Tap the profile that is not currently active or the one you haven't tried yet.
Allow your phone a moment to re-register on the network.
Once you've tested, it's CRUCIAL to return to the SIM Applications Menu and switch the "Mode" back to "Automatic" to ensure optimal network selection in the future.
Step 6: Select the Network Operator Manually
In rare cases, your phone might struggle to pick the best local network automatically. You can manually choose one from the available list.
Open Settings.
Tap Network & Internet.
Select SIMs (or SIM cards / Mobile networks).
Tap your Firsty eSIM.
Tap Select Carrier (or Network operator).
Toggle the Automatic selection off.
Your phone will search for available networks. Select one from the list of network providers that appears. For the supported networks in your visiting country, you can contact support.
Important: After manually selecting a network, your device won't automatically connect to a new network when you travel to another country. You will need to manually select a supported network in your new location to regain service.
Restart your phone and/or toggle Airplane Mode on and off for 30 seconds.
Additional Considerations
Firsty Free Specific Issues (Advertisements Not Loading)
If you're using Firsty Free and ads aren't loading, preventing you from getting data, it might be due to IP address masking (like VPNs or Private Relay features) or exceeding your daily limit.
Turn off VPNs: Go to Settings, search for "VPN," and toggle it off.
Check Daily Limit: Remember, Firsty Free has a 300MB daily limit. If you've reached this, you won't be able to watch more ads until the 24-hour reset. You can check your data usage in your phone's settings (How to Track Your Data Usage).
eSIM Status Discrepancy (App vs. Device)
Occasionally, your Firsty app might show your eSIM as "Disabled" even if your phone's settings show it as "Enabled." This can happen if the eSIM was disabled while your phone was offline, preventing our system from receiving the update.
If you encounter this, please connect to a stable network and switch your eSIM to disabled and then enabled again.
Still Stuck? Contact Firsty Support
If you've followed these steps and are still unable to connect or experience persistent issues, please don't hesitate to reach out to Firsty Support. Provide us with as much detail as possible about the steps you've tried, your device model, and your current location, and we'll be happy to assist you further.