The short answer
Almost every "my eSIM isn't working" case in Bali comes down to one of two settings: data roaming switched off, or your phone still routing data through your home SIM instead of the Goodbars line. Work through the causes below in order, most likely first, and you will almost certainly be back online within a couple of minutes. None of this means your eSIM is broken.
Data roaming is off
This is the single most common cause, by far. A travel eSIM has to have data roaming switched on to reach Telkomsel's network in Indonesia, and phones do not turn this on by default. Go into your cellular settings, find the Goodbars line specifically (not your home SIM), and enable data roaming for it. This does not trigger any home-network roaming charges: it is simply how a travel eSIM connects at all.
The wrong line is set for data
On a dual-SIM phone, only one line handles data at a time, and it often defaults back to your home SIM after a restart or a software update. Open Cellular or Mobile Data settings and confirm the Goodbars line is selected as your data line, not just installed and roaming-enabled alongside an unchanged default. This is the second most common cause we see, and it is easy to miss because the eSIM can look perfectly active while your phone quietly keeps using the other line.
Not activated yet, or stuck reconnecting
Your validity and connection only start once the eSIM reaches the network in Indonesia for the first time, so if you installed it days ago at home, it shows nothing until you land and it makes that first handshake. If you have landed and switched everything on but still see no bars, toggle airplane mode off and back on, or restart the phone, to force it to search for a tower again. Give it a minute: the arrivals hall is not always the strongest patch of coverage on the island.
APN glitches and locked phones
Rare, but worth ruling out. iOS sets the correct APN automatically in almost every case, so this mostly affects some Android phones: if data still fails after the steps above, check whether an APN profile was created for the Goodbars line and, if in doubt, remove and reinstall the eSIM. Separately, if the eSIM never installed in the first place, the likely cause is a carrier-locked phone or a mainland-China iPhone sold without eSIM hardware: see which phones support eSIM before you travel next time.
Genuine dead spots, and getting help
Telkomsel's 4G/LTE covers the Bali mainland well and 5G reaches Kuta, Denpasar and Canggu, but signal still thins out on remote beaches, in dense jungle interiors, and at elevation on the volcanoes: that is physics, not a fault with your eSIM. If you have worked through everything above and are still offline, email support@goodbars.co with your order details and we will help you get connected.
