Lebara SIM Not Working? A Step-by-Step Fix

The short version

Try these fixes in this order

1. Switch the phone off.Remove the SIM, check that the tray and chip are clean and dry, then fit it flat with the cut corner aligned.
2. Switch on and wait.Lebara says a smartphone SIM activates when it is inserted and the phone is switched on.¹
3. Toggle flight mode once.Leave it on briefly, turn it off, and give the phone a moment to register again.
4. Check the selected SIM.On a dual-SIM phone, make sure Lebara is enabled and selected for the service you are testing.
5. Check the account.Open MyLebara or dial *#1345# to check the balance. Lebara also offers balance information through 5588.¹

If the phone now has signal, make a call and test mobile data with Wi-Fi switched off. If everything works, stop. A factory reset would be less a solution and more a small act of vandalism.

If you are deciding whether to replace an expired SIM with a new plan, check the current referral price before ordering and confirm the discount at checkout.

One phrase, several faults

Say exactly what is not working

Write down the exact status message. "It says No SIM" is useful. "The whole thing is broken" gives support a philosophical problem rather than a technical one.

No SIM or no service

Check the card, handset and account

1. Fit the physical SIM again

Power down before opening the tray. Check that you are using the correct nano, micro or standard section of the card and that it is not sitting on an adapter at an angle. Lebara's own troubleshooting page starts by asking whether the SIM was inserted correctly.¹

2. Check whether the phone is network-locked

A handset locked to another mobile network may reject a Lebara SIM. Lebara tells customers in that position to contact the network that supplied the phone and ask for it to be unlocked.¹

3. Check dual-SIM settings

Make sure the Lebara line is switched on. Select it temporarily for calls, texts and mobile data so the test has one moving part rather than three.

4. Give a new physical SIM a proper start

Insert it, switch the phone on and wait for network registration. Feature-phone users can dial 5588 and follow the automated activation prompt.¹ The detailed order is in our Lebara SIM activation guide.

Signal, calls and texts work

When only mobile data is broken

1. Turn Wi-Fi off for the test.Otherwise a working broadband connection can disguise dead mobile data.
2. Check mobile data is on.On a dual-SIM phone, also select Lebara as the data SIM.
3. Check the allowance.Use MyLebara, *#1345# or 5588. An empty data allowance is not an APN fault in a clever hat.¹
4. Check the APN.If settings did not update automatically, Lebara lists uk.lebara.mobi as the APN and WAP as both username and password.²
5. Restart and test a simple page.Save the APN, select it if the phone requires that, then restart before testing again.

Do not change every APN field because a forum post contains a magnificent wall of settings. Start with Lebara's published values. Our Lebara APN guide has the Android and iPhone paths.

A narrower fault

When calls or texts fail

If every outgoing call fails, check the plan or credit first. Lebara lists MyLebara, *#1345# and 5588 as balance-checking routes.¹

If only an international call fails, check that your plan has minutes for that destination or enough credit. Dial the international prefix and country code, then remove the leading zero from the local number where required. That is the format Lebara gives in its SIM troubleshooting advice.¹

If incoming calls fail after a recent number transfer but your old SIM has stopped working, contact Lebara rather than repeatedly changing handset settings. Take note of which services work, which number appears on outgoing calls, and when the failure began.

A useful fork in the road

Run the two-phone test

Use another unlocked phone if one is available. Put the Lebara SIM in it and restart. Then put a known-working SIM in the original phone. Keep both tests brief and return the cards to their owners before anybody loses patience.

Do not force a damaged or badly cut card into another device. A diagnostic test is meant to reduce the repair bill.

The SIM has been in a drawer

Check inactivity before blaming the phone

Lebara says a SIM unused for calls, texts or internet for 90 days needs credit or a plan before services resume. After a further 365 days without usage or a top-up or plan purchase, Lebara says the SIM expires and must be replaced.¹

If the SIM is inactive rather than expired, buying a suitable plan may restore service. If it has expired, order a new SIM instead of feeding credit to an old number and hoping for theatre. Compare the current Lebara offer if a new plan is needed.

Still stuck

Give Lebara a useful fault report

Lebara lists online support from 7am to 11pm UK time every day. It gives 5588 for calls from a Lebara SIM and +44 207 0310791 from another network or outside the UK, with charges depending on the operator.³

Before contacting support, note the phone model, exact on-screen message, whether calls, texts and data each work, the result of the two-phone test, and whether the SIM is new or has been unused. Do not post the full SIM serial, account password or one-time security codes in a public forum.

Quick answers

Lebara SIM fault questions