Mobal SIM or eSIM not working: activation and setup fixes

Why is my Mobal SIM not working? The checks, in order

1. Are you in Japan? Mobal's data works only in Japan. Only the 5G SIM Card and 5G eSIM can roam, for calls and texts, and only if you switched roaming on (roaming article).
2. Does MyAccount say Active? "Pending" means Mobal is still processing the request (activation).
3. Is the phone unlocked? A phone locked to another carrier is refused (Invalid SIM).
4. Are the data settings in? Android needs an APN by hand and iPhone needs Mobal's profile (data settings).
5. Is the Mobal line the phone's data SIM? On two SIMs, set Mobal as primary for data, and put a SIM Card in slot 1.
6. Is the network mode right? Prioritize 5G or 4G LTE, then reboot (no signal).
7. Still nothing? Reset and reinstall the settings, then email Mobal with screenshots.

How do I activate a Mobal SIM or eSIM?

Log in at www.mobal.com/myaccount, open Services and press Activate next to the product. Mobal emails the login details shortly after your order (activation guide). Activate within 30 days of the purchase date for delivery, or of pickup (when to activate). Mobal's SIM page says "end of the second month", which does not match its help center; use 30 days (where Mobal's pages disagree).

A physical Voice+Data SIM Card asks only for the serial number on the card (serial number). A Voice+Data eSIM asks for the eSIM access code and the phone's EID, a 32-digit number you see by dialing *#06# (EID). The Voice+Data 5G eSIM only works on a phone whose EID starts with 89033023, 89033024, 89043051, 89049052 or 89049032 (EID issues).

How long does activation take?

For a Voice+Data eSIM, or a SIM Card bought after 21 July 2026, Mobal processes requests from 10:00 to 18:30 Japan time. A request sent after 18:30 starts at 10:00 the next morning. For SIM Cards bought before 21 July 2026 the cut-off is 19:30 (processing times). Inside those hours an immediate request should finish within 90 minutes (processing times). The activation guide warns it can take up to 24 hours (activation guide).

If you pick a later date, Mobal starts one or two days before it (activation guide). Until then MyAccount shows "Pending" (pending status). Mobal assigns your phone number only when the line activates, so it cannot tell you the number earlier (activation guide).

Mobal SIM shows no signal in Japan

Check the data settings first: the APN and the Network Mode setting must be right for your product, and Mobal's data settings guide covers each one. Then turn on mobile data for a moment and load a website, which can make the phone connect (no signal article).

If that fails, choose the network by hand (on iPhone, turn off Automatic under Network Selection). Then switch back to Automatic and reboot. Persistent no signal can also mean weak coverage where you are (manual network).

For calls, the phone must support VoLTE (calling over the 4G network). Mobal's 5G SIM Card runs on docomo and needs a phone unlocked for it with the right bands (compatibility page). Mobal publishes a list of VoLTE phones it found incompatible with SoftBank, which applies to the older SIM Cards (VoLTE page). We found no such list for the 5G SIM Card.

Mobal's activation guide says the 5G SIM Card and 5G eSIM offer International Roaming as an option you switch on at activation, for a one-off fee (activation guide). Its roaming article says these two are the only Mobal products that roam, and that roaming covers calls and texts but not data outside Japan.

Mobal has signal but no internet: APN settings

An APN (access point name) is the setting that tells the phone how to reach the mobile network. These are for the Voice+Data 5G SIM Card and 5G eSIM only. Older products use other values, in Mobal's data setup guides.

Android

Add an APN by hand. Name: Mobal. APN: ppsim.jp. User name: pp@sim. Password: jpn. Authentication type: PAP or CHAP. Save it and select it (Mobal's guide).

iPhone

Install Mobal's APN profile. Download it in Safari, not another browser, while on Wi-Fi, then go to Settings and install it (Mobal's guide).

Then check the Mobal line is the one the phone uses for cellular data when a second SIM or eSIM is installed (cellular data article). With two SIM slots, Mobal recommends putting its SIM Card in slot 1 (installation guide). Test with Wi-Fi off.

If it still fails

On iPhone, Mobal says to reset network settings (this erases saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords, and VPN and APN settings), delete any APN profile under Settings, General, VPN & Device Management, install Mobal's profile again and test with Wi-Fi off (iPhone steps). On Android, delete every APN profile including Mobal's, use Reset to Default in the APN menu, create the Mobal profile again and test (Android steps).

"Invalid SIM" or "SIM Not Supported" on an iPhone

It usually means the phone is not fully unlocked from its previous carrier (Mobal's article). Mobal cannot remove the lock: the previous carrier has to, and if it cannot, you need another phone (same article). If the phone is unlocked and the message stays, Mobal says to reset network settings.

Mobal eSIM will not install or says "Activating"

Install the eSIM on stable Wi-Fi with Airplane mode off. A phone that allows only one active eSIM may need the other one switched off first (installation issues).

• "Activating" or "Unable to activate" on an iPhone. It usually means the eSIM was installed outside Japan or the network in Japan is busy (Mobal's article). Do not delete it (same article).
• "The code is no longer valid". The eSIM may have installed itself by push notification. Look in the phone's SIM settings before you try again (Mobal's article).
• EID rejected. Check the number for typing errors. One EID can be attached to only one Mobal Voice+Data eSIM (EID issues).
• Phone with an eSIM adapter. Mobal's eSIMs do not work with adapters. The phone needs a built-in eSIM (compatibility page).
• Deleted the eSIM. A 5G Voice+Data eSIM can be reissued from MyAccount with the same number. A Voice Lite eSIM gets a new number. A reissue is free only with the All-Risk Protection Plan (deleted eSIM article).

Mobal still does not work: what to send support

Write to support@mobal.com. Mobal's help center also has a Submit a Ticket button (no signal article). Send the phone make and model, where you are, screenshots of your APN and network mode settings and of the phone's SIM management screen, and a screenshot of any error message. Say whether calls, texts and data all fail or only data. Mobal asks for these so it can check for errors.

Order a Mobal SIM card for pickup or delivery

Mobal Japan SIM Cards

What Mobal's pages do not say

Open on the pages we read. Ask support@mobal.com, and keep the reply.

• How long email support takes to reply. Several reviewers on our review page call it slow.
• What to do if activation is still Pending after 24 hours. The pages stop at 24 hours.
• Which phones fail on the 5G SIM Card. The list of incompatible phones is for the older SoftBank products.
• What to do if your phone's EID does not start with one of the five listed prefixes, except to use another phone.
• What a roaming setup involves beyond the one-off fee, and which product it applies to.

How we checked

Every rule here comes from Mobal's help center (helpdesk.mobal.com) pages read in a browser on October 2, 2026. Each is linked where it is used and quoted in our data file with the page it came from. We read Google results for "mobal sim not working", "mobal esim not working" and "mobal activation" in Japan that day: Mobal's own pages held the top spots, followed by forum threads, some from 2019 and some from this year. We have not used a Mobal SIM or tested a phone, so the steps are Mobal's, not our experience.

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