Roaming in Germany not working

I’m in Spain and coverage resumed yesterday afternoon. Very very frustrating when you are so dependent on internet while travelling!

Hi ​@EmmaG1959  and ​@rich005 ,

I’m really sorry to hear you’ve both had issues with roaming while travelling. I completely understand how frustrating and inconvenient this must be, especially when you’re relying on your connection abroad.
 

Let’s try a few steps to refresh the network connection:

Restart your phone fully
Turn Airplane Mode ON for 30 seconds, then OFF again
Go to Settings > Mobile Networks and make sure Data Roaming is ON
Manually select a network instead of automatic selection
If available, try selecting a different local network operator
Remove and reinsert the SIM (if using physical SIM) or recheck eSIM is active
Ensure mobile data is switched ON

Lamiya

I've tried all that several times. I have no cell connection either, it's like the SIM is not recognised. My phone can see there is a SIM inserted, but it has no service. As soon as I get home I'll be requesting a PAC code as the service from ID has been next to useless.

I just asked Gemini what the issue could be. I do not have a £0 bill cap and roaming is enabled on my account. I get 'No Service' when I restart my phone and when I go I to the SIM settings the phone indicates that it can detect a SIM. I'm therefore sure this is an ID mobile issue, and not a problem with my phone.

This is what Gemini suggested for anyone else who has a similar issue, maybe it will work for you.

It sounds incredibly frustrating to be stuck abroad without service, especially when the provider claims the issue is resolved on their end.
If your manual network selection list is completely blank and won't populate *any* German networks (like Telekom or O₂), your phone’s modem isn't successfully communicating with the local masts through that SIM card. Before assuming the plastic chip itself has physically died, there is a very common technical quirk specific to iD Mobile roaming that matches your exact situation.
Here is how you can test if the SIM is blocked on the network side, along with a few hidden settings to check.
### Step 1: The "Bill Cap" Check (The Most Likely Culprit)
iD Mobile has a known, systemic glitch where if a user has a **Bill Cap set to £0**, the network automatically blocks the SIM from registering on international partner networks to "prevent extra charges"—even if you are in a free roaming zone.
 1. Connect to local Wi-Fi (e.g., your hotel or a café).
 2. Open the **iD Mobile app** or log into your account online.
 3. Navigate to **Bill Settings** > **Bill Cap**.
 4. If it is set to £0, temporarily raise it to **£5 or £10**.
 5. Turn your phone off, wait 60 seconds, and turn it back on. Check if networks now appear in manual selection.
### Step 2: The Account-Level Roaming Toggle
Sometimes a network outage can cause the provider's backend to default your account settings back to safety mode.
 1. While on Wi-Fi, open the **iD Mobile app**.
 2. Go to **Services** / **Plan Settings**.
 3. Double-check that **Roaming** is explicitly toggled **ON** at the account level. If it is off, the SIM will be denied permission to even scan for local German towers.
### Step 3: How to Prove if the SIM is Physically Dead
To isolate whether the issue is a dead SIM or an account/software lock, you need to see how the phone responds without the network backend involved:
 * **The Cross-Check Test:** If you are traveling with someone else, put your iD SIM into their phone. If their phone suddenly drops to "No Service" and cannot scan for networks either, the SIM card is provisioned incorrectly on iD's end or has suffered an electrical failure.
 * **The "Emergency Calls Only" Indicator:** Reboot your phone. Watch the top bar carefully. If it says **"No SIM"** or **"Invalid SIM"**, the physical chip is dead. If it says **"No Service"** or **"Emergency Calls Only"**, the phone *can* see the chip, but the iD Mobile network is actively refusing to let the SIM register abroad.
### If nothing populates the network list...
If you've raised the bill cap, verified the app toggle, and the manual network list is still completely empty, your SIM has been incorrectly provisioned on iD Mobile's database following their "fix."
Since getting a replacement physical SIM posted from the UK to Germany isn't practical, you may want to jump onto iD Mobile's official Live Chat via Wi-Fi. Type **"connect me to a human"** to bypass their chatbot, and tell the agent: *"My manual network selection list is completely blank. Please verify if my SIM is active for international roaming on the backend database or reset my roaming profile."*
 

Tried the above and posted the whole suggested steps from Gemini. After being asked AGAIN to select a network manually, a ticket is finally be opened with 'the technical team'. It's a shame the other 3 people I've spoken to over the past 2 days didn't try this. I fly back in a few hours so probably won't know if the technical team actually manage to fix it, but this may prove useful to others in the future.

Hi ​@rich005,

Thank you for your response. 

We are very sorry for the stress and trouble caused while roaming in Germany. I understand how frustrating it is when you are not able to use your services while away from home, and I do apologise for the time this has taken to get to this stage.

I am glad that this has now been escalated to our technical team and can confirm that they will investigate and assist you further. We appreciate your patience while this is being looked into and we remain committed to getting this resolved as quickly as possible.

Thanks.