GrapheneOS eSIM: Setup & Troubleshooting on Pixel
Quick Summary
PikaSim eSIMs work on modern GrapheneOS running on supported Pixel devices. The one thing that trips most people up is the APN: GrapheneOS does not auto-populate it for travel eSIMs, so you have to enter it manually. The exact APN for your plan is printed on your invoice page in a copyable field.
- Install the eSIM from your PikaSim invoice (QR code or activation code)
- Turn on Data Roaming for the eSIM line
- Set Mobile data to the eSIM line
- Add the APN manually using the value from your invoice page
- Restart the phone
Still not connecting? Jump to the full troubleshooting checklist.
Before You Start
This guide assumes:
- You are on a supported Google Pixel running a recent GrapheneOS build
- The phone is carrier-unlocked
- You have your PikaSim invoice or /youresimdata page open — that's where your ICCID and APN come from
- You have a Wi-Fi connection for the initial install
If you haven't bought a plan yet, you can browse data packages on the PikaSim home page. No account is required.
Does PikaSim Work on GrapheneOS?
Yes. PikaSim travel eSIMs work on GrapheneOS on every supported Pixel model. Recent GrapheneOS releases enable eSIM support by default, so there is no hidden developer toggle to flip and no need for Sandboxed Google Play just to install an eSIM. The GrapheneOS SIM manager and modem firmware are what actually handle the profile, and both pieces are present in the stock GrapheneOS build.
What is different from stock Pixel Android is how much work GrapheneOS makes you do by hand. Carrier-side auto-configuration (which sets the APN, voicemail, and network-selection defaults) often doesn't fire on GrapheneOS for travel eSIMs. Everything still works — you just have to enter the APN yourself. That's what the rest of this guide covers.
Installing Your PikaSim eSIM on GrapheneOS
After paying, PikaSim shows you an invoice page with your eSIM details. On GrapheneOS there are two ways to install, both through the built-in SIM manager:
QR Code Scan (easiest)
If the invoice is on a different device (laptop, tablet), display the QR code on that screen and scan it from the Pixel:
- Open Settings > Network and Internet > SIMs
- Tap Download a SIM instead (or + if you already have SIMs)
- Tap Next, then scan the QR code shown on your PikaSim invoice
- Confirm the prompt to download the profile
Manual Activation Code
If the QR code can't be scanned, enter the activation code by hand:
- Open Settings > Network and Internet > SIMs > Download a SIM instead
- Tap Need help? > Enter it manually
- Paste the full activation code from your invoice (it starts with
LPA:1$...) - Confirm and let the profile download
Once the profile finishes downloading, GrapheneOS will ask you to name the eSIM and choose whether to use it. Name it something you'll recognise ("PikaSim" works), enable the line, and continue.
Profile Won't Download? Start Here
Everything from the APN section onwards assumes the profile downloaded successfully. If the download itself keeps failing (you see an error and no new SIM entry ever appears in Settings), the connectivity checklist further down will not help you. Work through these checks instead, retrying the install after each one:
- Check the phone can still read its eSIM chip. Open the dialler and dial
*#*#4636#*#*(the Android testing menu opens on its own), tap Phone information, and find the line eUICC info, which showsAvailable memory in bytes. A normal positive value (a Pixel 9 class device reports about 1,280,000 bytes) means the chip is readable and the rest of this list applies. A value of -1 is widely reported by Pixel owners to mean the OS has lost access to the eSIM chip, in which case no eSIM from any provider will install until that is resolved. Because that is a device-side condition, a replacement profile would fail the same way. As long as your profile has never downloaded, it stays unspent and installs normally on another eSIM-capable phone or tablet, so contact support with the reading instead of retrying the steps below. - Confirm you are in the Owner profile. eSIM management on GrapheneOS is handled from the Owner profile, not a secondary user profile. Secondary user profiles are a popular GrapheneOS feature, so it is easy to be in one without realising. Switch to the Owner profile and run the install again from there.
- Turn off any VPN, including an always-on VPN, and set Private DNS to Off (Settings > Network and Internet > Internet > VPN, and Settings > Network and Internet > Private DNS) for the duration of the install. Either one can block the download. You can turn both back on afterwards.
- Check automatic date and time is on. Settings > System > Date and time > Set time automatically. The download fails if the phone's clock is wrong.
- Update GrapheneOS. Settings > System > Software update. Install any available update, reboot, then retry the install.
- Free up space on the eSIM chip. The chip that stores eSIM profiles (the eUICC) can fill up. If you have old or expired profiles from other providers you no longer use, erase those (Settings > Network and Internet > SIMs > tap the old eSIM > Erase SIM) and retry.
If none of the above works, contact support with a screenshot of the exact error, your GrapheneOS version, the install method you used (QR code or manual activation code), the eUICC available memory reading from the first check above, and whether any other eSIM from any provider has ever downloaded on this phone. That last answer matters most: it tells us whether the problem is your profile or the phone's download path. As long as the profile has never downloaded, your one-time download is unspent and the plan is fully intact.
The APN: The One Thing Almost Everyone Misses
What is an APN and where do I find mine?
APN stands for Access Point Name. It tells your phone which gateway to use to reach the cellular data network. Every PikaSim plan has its own APN assigned by the underlying network. Plans that look identical on the surface (same country, same data amount) can have different APNs depending on which partner network is serving your SIM.
Your specific APN is printed on the PikaSim invoice page (and on /youresimdata after a card purchase) in a copyable field labelled "APN". Copy that exact value. Do not guess, do not reuse an APN from another eSIM or another guide, and do not trust a "common APNs" list — each plan has its own.
How to enter the APN on GrapheneOS
- Open Settings
- Tap Network and Internet > SIMs
- Tap your PikaSim eSIM line
- Tap Access Point Names (scroll down if needed)
- Tap the + button (top right) or open the three-dot menu and choose New APN
- In the new APN form, fill in these fields:
- Name: anything you'll recognise, e.g.
PikaSim - APN: the exact value from your invoice page (lowercase, no extra spaces)
- APN type:
default,supl,ia - APN protocol: IPv4/IPv6
- APN roaming protocol: IPv4/IPv6
- MVNO type: None
- Name: anything you'll recognise, e.g.
- Leave username, password, server, proxy, port, MMSC, MCC and MNC empty. Do not invent values for them.
- Open the three-dot menu again and tap Save
- Back on the APN list, tap the radio button next to the entry you just created so it is the selected APN
- Restart the phone
The APN type and protocol fields matter more than they look. A 4G or 5G attach requires a complete APN entry at the moment the phone connects, while a 3G attach can fill in the gaps afterwards. GrapheneOS does not ship the carrier settings that would normally complete the entry for you, so an entry with only Name and APN filled in can look like it works but stays stuck on H+ / 3G speeds.
Full Troubleshooting Checklist
If the eSIM is installed and the APN is set correctly but you still see no signal, work through this list in order. Each step fixes a different failure mode, so don't skip around — run them in sequence and recheck between each one. (If the profile never finished downloading in the first place, this list is not for you: go back to Profile Won't Download? Start Here instead.)
Confirm Data Roaming is ON for the eSIM line
Travel eSIMs connect via local partner networks, which GrapheneOS sees as roaming. If Data Roaming is off for the eSIM line, the phone refuses to register entirely.
Settings > Network and Internet > SIMs > tap the PikaSim eSIM > Roaming: ON.
Turning this on only affects the line you turn it on for. Your primary SIM is not impacted.
Make sure mobile data is set to the eSIM line
If your physical SIM is still the mobile-data line, none of your data will flow through the PikaSim eSIM.
Settings > Network and Internet > SIMs > tap PikaSim eSIM > Mobile data: ON. When GrapheneOS prompts you to choose which SIM carries data, pick the PikaSim line.
Prefer LTE / 4G over 5G
Some travel eSIMs return Forbidden on 5G networks in certain countries. The fix is to force the line to LTE-only until you are sure 5G works.
Settings > Network and Internet > SIMs > tap PikaSim eSIM > Preferred network type > LTE. You can switch it back to 5G later once you have a stable connection.
Try manual network selection
If automatic selection can't find a partner, pick a carrier manually:
- Settings > Network and Internet > SIMs > tap the eSIM
- Tap Automatically select network to turn it OFF
- Wait for the list of available networks to appear (can take 30-60 seconds)
- Tap a carrier to connect. Wait 30-60 seconds before judging it
- If that carrier doesn't work, try the next one in the list
Remove stale eSIM profiles
Old travel eSIM profiles you no longer use can interfere with the radio registration. If you have several expired PikaSim or competitor profiles on the device, remove them:
Settings > Network and Internet > SIMs > tap old eSIM > Erase SIM.
Only remove expired profiles, not your active PikaSim line.
Full power cycle
Not airplane mode — a full shutdown. GrapheneOS reloads the cellular modem from scratch on boot, which is the cleanest way to force it to re-read the new APN and re-authenticate with a local network.
Hold the power button, tap Power off, wait 30 seconds, power back on, and give it 1-2 minutes to find the network.
Still not working? Contact support before touching the profile
If nothing above has worked, the profile itself may be corrupted. Do not erase it. The download for a PikaSim travel profile is one time only: once the profile has been installed, erasing it cannot be undone and the profile cannot be re-downloaded from your invoice page or QR code.
- Contact PikaSim support with your ICCID and the steps you have already tried
- If the profile is confirmed faulty, wait for a replacement to be issued and installed before removing anything
- Only erase the old profile once the replacement is working, and only if support tells you to
- Re-apply all the settings above on the replacement: Data Roaming, mobile data line, APN, preferred network type
Why GrapheneOS + PikaSim Is the Strongest Mobile Privacy Stack
GrapheneOS users are here for a reason: minimising the data that leaves your device and the metadata that can be tied back to you. A travel eSIM can either support that goal or quietly undo it.
Most "travel eSIM" brands require an account with email verification, phone number, and sometimes ID. Some require a proprietary app to install or manage the profile. That metadata ends up in a provider database that can be subpoenaed, leaked, or sold, regardless of how hardened your OS is.
PikaSim is built the opposite way:
- No account, ever. No email, no phone number, no ID verification.
- No app required, but a fully de-Googled one exists. You can install straight from your invoice page using the built-in GrapheneOS SIM manager. If you prefer an app, ours runs with zero Google Play Services and installs from a verified direct APK or our own F-Droid repository.
- Crypto payment option. Bitcoin, Lightning, or Monero via self-hosted BTCPay Server. Zero identifying data is collected in the crypto flow.
- Open, copy-able details. The APN, ICCID, activation code, and QR code are shown once on-screen — you save what you need and close the page.
Paired with GrapheneOS's hardened app sandbox, network permission toggle, and per-profile network isolation, this gives you an eSIM that carries no metadata back to a provider account. For a deeper comparison against other providers, see Best eSIM for Privacy and Awesome No-KYC Services.
The PikaSim Android app needs no Google account and no Play Services. Install it the way that suits your setup:
- Direct APK — a signed build you can verify. Download and check the fingerprint.
- F-Droid — add our self-hosted repository for native update notifications inside F-Droid.
- Obtainium — track the direct APK link and get every release automatically, no store in the middle.
If You Still Cannot Connect
If you've worked through the full checklist and still have no signal, contact support. The fastest route is our live help chat, which has a dedicated GrapheneOS Help button that prompts the AI to look up the correct APN for your specific ICCID.
- Your ICCID (shown on the invoice page — 19-22 digit number)
- Pixel model (e.g. Pixel 9 Pro)
- GrapheneOS version (Settings > About phone)
- Your current location (city and country)
- Screenshots of the APN list and the SIM settings page
- What you've already tried from this guide
Ready to Try PikaSim?
Data plans in 190+ countries. No account, no KYC, instant activation. Works on GrapheneOS out of the box.
GrapheneOS eSIM FAQ
Does PikaSim work on GrapheneOS?
Yes, on every supported Google Pixel running a current GrapheneOS build. eSIM support is enabled by default and no Sandboxed Google Play is required.
Do I need Sandboxed Google Play to install or run the eSIM?
No. The eSIM profile installs through the stock GrapheneOS SIM manager using the standard LPA: activation URI.
Why does it work on stock Android but not on GrapheneOS?
Almost always the APN. Stock Android often auto-populates it from a carrier profile; GrapheneOS frequently does not. Enter the APN manually from your invoice page and the profile starts working.
Can I install the eSIM in a secondary user profile?
eSIM management on GrapheneOS is handled from the Owner profile. Install and configure the eSIM there. Secondary user profiles share the same cellular radio and use the same active connection.
Will a GrapheneOS update delete my eSIM?
No. eSIM profiles are stored on the device's eUICC and survive OS updates. A profile that has been erased or lost generally cannot be re-downloaded, because the profile download is one time only, so contact PikaSim support before removing a working profile.