The network gateway settings a phone uses to connect to mobile data — usually automatic, but sometimes needs manual entry.
APN settings tell your phone how to reach a carrier's data network. Kenya eSIMs configure this automatically during installation in almost all cases. If data stops working after installation, manually entering the correct APN for your eSIM's underlying network, Safaricom or Airtel, is the standard fix.
Also known as: access point name, apn
4G / LTE
The mobile data standard that provides most of Kenya's everyday browsing, streaming, and navigation speeds.
5G
The newest mobile data standard, currently limited mostly to Nairobi and other major Kenyan cities.
Airtel Kenya
Kenya's second-largest mobile network, strong in cities but with materially less rural and national-park coverage than Safaricom.
Carrier Lock (SIM Lock)
A restriction that ties a phone to a single carrier, which can prevent installing a different eSIM.
Coverage Map
A visual representation of where a carrier's network signal reaches, often shown by strength or generation (4G/5G/3G).
Data Roaming
The setting that allows a SIM or eSIM to connect to mobile data while outside its home network's coverage area.