Have you ever wondered how your mobile provider knows to connect you to a specific network? Hint: It's your APN. In this guide, we'll cover the ins and outs of APNs and why you may need to update your settings for a new SIM or eSIM.
āđāļāļāļāļāļ§āļēāļĄāļāļĩāđ' āļāļļāļāļāļ°āđāļāđāđāļĢāļĩāļĒāļāļĢāļđāđāđāļāļĩāđāļĒāļ§āļāļąāļ:
- APN āļāļ·āļāļāļ°āđāļĢ?
- APN āļāļģāļāļēāļāļāļĒāđāļēāļāđāļĢ?
- āļāļģāđāļĄāļāļķāļāļāđāļāļāđāļāļĨāļĩāđāļĒāļāļāļēāļĢāļāļąāđāļāļāđāļē APN?
- āļāļ°āļāđāļāļŦāļēāļāļēāļĢāļāļąāđāļāļāđāļē APN āļāļāļāļāļļāļāđāļāđāļāļĩāđāđāļŦāļ?
- āļāļēāļĢāļāļąāđāļāļāđāļē APN āļāļĩāđāļāļ§āļĢāļĢāļđāđ
- āļ§āļīāļāļĩāļāļąāļāđāļāļāļāļēāļĢāļāļąāđāļāļāđāļē APN āļŠāļģāļŦāļĢāļąāļ eSIM āļāļāļ Airalo
- āļ§āļīāļāļĩāļāļąāļāđāļāļāļāļēāļĢāļāļąāđāļāļāđāļē APN āļŠāļģāļŦāļĢāļąāļ iPhone
- āļ§āļīāļāļĩāļāļąāļāđāļāļāļāļēāļĢāļāļąāđāļāļāđāļē APN āļŠāļģāļŦāļĢāļąāļ Android
APN āļāļ·āļāļāļ°āđāļĢ?
APN āļĒāđāļāļĄāļēāļāļēāļ Access Point Name āđāļĄāļ·āđāļāļāļļāļāļāđāļāļāļāļēāļĢāđāļāđāļāļīāļāđāļāļāļĢāđāđāļāđāļ APN āļāļāļāļāļļāļāļāļ°āđāļāđāļāļāļąāļ§āļŠāđāļāļĢāļēāļĒāļĨāļ°āđāļāļĩāļĒāļāđāļŦāđāļāļąāļāļāļļāļāļāļĢāļāđāļāļāļāļāļļāļāđāļāļ·āđāļāļāļĩāđāļāļ°āđāļāđāđāļāļ·āđāļāļĄāļāđāļāļāļąāļāđāļāļĢāļ·āļāļāđāļēāļĒ You can think of it as a gateway of sorts between your carrier's network and the internet.
APN āļāļģāļāļēāļāļāļĒāđāļēāļāđāļĢ?
APN āļāļĢāļ°āļāļāļāļāđāļ§āļĒāļŠāđāļ§āļāļāļĢāļ°āļāļāļāļŦāļĨāļąāļāļŠāļāļāļŠāđāļ§āļ: āļāļąāļ§āļĢāļ°āļāļļāđāļāļĢāļ·āļāļāđāļēāļĒāđāļĨāļ°āļāļąāļ§āļĢāļ°āļāļļāļāļđāđāđāļŦāđāļāļĢāļīāļāļēāļĢ āļāļąāļ§āļĢāļ°āļāļļāđāļāļĢāļ·āļāļāđāļēāļĒāļāļ°āļĢāļ°āļāļļāļāļ·āđāļāđāļāļĢāļ·āļāļāđāļēāļĒāļ āļēāļĒāļāļāļāļāļĩāđāļāļļāļāļāđāļāļāļāļēāļĢāđāļāļ·āđāļāļĄāļāđāļ āđāļĨāļ°āļāļąāļ§āļĢāļ°āļāļļāļāļđāđāđāļŦāđāļāļĢāļīāļāļēāļĢāļāļ°āļĢāļ°āļāļļāļāļ·āđāļ āļāļđāđāđāļŦāđāļāļĢāļīāļāļēāļĢāđāļāļĢāļ·āļāļāđāļēāļĒāļĄāļ·āļāļāļ·āļ (MNO) āļŦāļĢāļ·āļ āļāļđāđāđāļŦāđāļāļĢāļīāļāļēāļĢāđāļāļĢāļ·āļāļāđāļēāļĒāđāļŠāļĄāļ·āļāļāļĄāļ·āļāļāļ·āļ (MVNO) āļāļĩāđāđāļāļ·āđāļāļĄāđāļĒāļāļāļąāļāđāļāļĢāļ·āļāļāđāļēāļĒāļāļąāđāļ
āđāļĄāļ·āđāļāļāļļāļāđāļāđāļāđāļāļĄāļđāļĨāļĄāļ·āļāļāļ·āļ MNO āļŦāļĢāļ·āļ MVNO āļāļāļāļāļļāļāļāļ°āļāđāļēāļ APN āļāļāļāļāļļāļāđāļāļ·āđāļāļĢāļ°āļāļļāļŠāļīāđāļāļāđāļāđāļāļāļĩāđ:
- Which IP address to assign to your device.
- Which network to connect your device to.
- Which security measures to use.
This opens the connection between your carrier's network and the internet, allowing you to get online and use your mobile data.
āļāļģāđāļĄāļāļķāļāļāđāļāļāđāļāļĨāļĩāđāļĒāļāļāļēāļĢāļāļąāđāļāļāđāļē APN?
Your APN settings are usually configured automatically by your carrier. So, you normally don't need to touch them. However, if you've got a new SIM or eSIM, you may need to dive into your device settings to update your APN.
āļāļ°āļāđāļāļŦāļēāļāļēāļĢāļāļąāđāļāļāđāļē APN āļāļāļāļāļļāļāđāļāđāļāļĩāđāđāļŦāļ?
So, how do you even get to your APN settings? Here's how to get there on iPhone and Android devices.
āļŠāļģāļŦāļĢāļąāļāđāļāđāļāļ:
- āđāļāļāļĩāđ āļāļēāļĢāļāļąāđāļāļāđāļē (Settings).
- āđāļāļ° Cellular āļŦāļĢāļ·āļ Mobile Data.
- āđāļĨāļ·āļāļ eSIM Airalo āļāļāļāļāļļāļ
- āđāļāļ° Cellular Network āļŦāļĢāļ·āļ Mobile Data Network
āļŠāļģāļŦāļĢāļąāļ Android:
- āđāļāļāļĩāđ āļāļēāļĢāļāļąāđāļāļāđāļē (Settings).
- āđāļāļ° āļāđāļāļĄāļđāļĨāļĄāļ·āļāļāļ·āļ (Cellular/Mobile Data)
- āđāļāļ° āļāļļāļāđāļāļ·āđāļāļĄāļāđāļ (Access Point Names).
- āđāļĨāļ·āļāļ APN āļāļĩāđāļāļļāļāļāđāļāļāļāļēāļĢāļāļąāđāļāļāđāļē
āļāļēāļĢāļāļąāđāļāļāđāļē APN āļāļĩāđāļāļ§āļĢāļĢāļđāđ
At first glance, your APN settings can be a bit intimidating. But don't worry – you usually only have to update a few items to get your new SIM or eSIM up and running. You can leave the rest as-is.
In case you're curious (we would be!), here's what some of the configuration settings mean:
- APN: We've covered this – it's your access point name.
- APN type: There are four APN types – Generic, SUPL (Secure User Plane Location), MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service), and WAP (Wireless Application Protocol). Generic is the default setting used by most carriers.
- MMSC: This stands for "Multimedia Messaging Service Center" and is a requirement for most MNVOs.
- Proxy: Some mobile carriers use this to set up a proxy between the internet and your network.
āļ§āļīāļāļĩāļāļąāļāđāļāļāļāļēāļĢāļāļąāđāļāļāđāļē APN āļŠāļģāļŦāļĢāļąāļ eSIM āļāļāļ Airalo
You may need to customize your APN settings for certain Airalo eSIMs. If APN settings are required, you can find the details on your eSIM installation page. Here's how to get started:
- āđāļāđāļēāļŠāļđāđāļĢāļ°āļāļāļāļąāļāļāļĩ Airalo āļāļāļāļāļļāļ
- āđāļāļ° eSIM āļāļāļāļāļąāļ (My eSIMs).
- āđāļāļ° āļĢāļēāļĒāļĨāļ°āđāļāļĩāļĒāļ (Details)
- āđāļāļ° āļāļīāļāļāļąāđāļ eSIM/āđāļāđāļēāļāļķāļāļāđāļāļĄāļđāļĨ.
- Scroll down to Step 2/2 Access Data.
If you see "the APN is set automatically," there's no need to change your APN settings. They'll automatically update when you install your eSIM.
If an APN is listed (e.g., globaldata), you'll need to update your settings. Copy the APN name and follow the steps below to update your settings.
āļ§āļīāļāļĩāļāļąāļāđāļāļāļāļēāļĢāļāļąāđāļāļāđāļē APN āļŠāļģāļŦāļĢāļąāļ iPhone
- Go to Settings.
- Tap Cellular or Mobile Data.
- Select your Airalo eSIM.
- Tap Cellular Network or Mobile Data Network.
- Type or paste the new APN into the Cellular or Mobile Data field.
- Leave the other fields blank.
āļ§āļīāļāļĩāļāļąāļāđāļāļāļāļēāļĢāļāļąāđāļāļāđāļē APN āļŠāļģāļŦāļĢāļąāļ Android
- āđāļāļāļĩāđ āļāļēāļĢāļāļąāđāļāļāđāļē (Settings).
- Tap Mobile Networks.
- Tap Access Point Names.
- Select your Airalo eSIM.
- Type or paste the new APN.
- Leave the other fields blank.
Now, you'll be able to connect to your eSIM network when you arrive at your destination! If you run into trouble, reach out to our support team 24/7 at [email protected] or chat with them live on the Airalo website or app.
