Lyca Mobile APN Settings (UK): Fix Your Mobile Data in 2 Minutes

Q: What is the Lyca Mobile APN for the UK?

It’s data.lycamobile.co.uk, written all in lower case with no spaces, and it’s the same for pay-as-you-go, pay monthly, physical SIM and eSIM. Username and password stay blank. The value is published in Lyca Mobile’s own APN setup guides for Android and iPhone (checked 12 July 2026), so you don’t need to rely on third-party APN lists — several still show outdated extra fields. One APN entry covers 4G and 5G data alike.

By the Lyca Referral (UK) team · Updated 12 Jul 2026 · Independent guide — not affiliated with Lyca Mobile.

A Lyca Mobile SIM that shows full signal but won’t load anything almost always has an APN problem. The APN (Access Point Name) is a one-line setting that tells your phone which gateway to use for mobile data — if it’s missing or misspelt, calls and texts carry on working while the internet silently fails.

Quick answer: set the APN to data.lycamobile.co.uk, leave the username and password blank, save, then restart your phone. The same value works for pay-as-you-go, pay monthly, physical SIM and eSIM in the UK.

Every value on this page is taken from Lyca Mobile’s own APN guides for Android and Apple iOS (checked 12 July 2026), not from third-party settings dumps — plenty of those still circulate with outdated extra fields. Below you’ll find a copy-paste table, step-by-step walkthroughs for Android and iPhone, and a fault-finding list for the stubborn cases where the APN is right and data still won’t flow.

Lyca Mobile UK APN settings: copy-paste values

Only two things matter here: getting the APN itself exactly right, and leaving the username and password empty. Everything else can stay at its default.

Field	What to enter
Name	Lycamobile (any label works)
APN	data.lycamobile.co.uk
Username	Leave blank
Password	Leave blank
MMS APN	data.lycamobile.co.uk
MMSC	http://lyca.mmsmvno.com/mms/wapenc
All other fields	Leave at their defaults

These values are confirmed from Lyca’s official Android APN guide and iPhone APN guide (both checked 12 July 2026). Lyca does not publish an MMS proxy or port for the UK, so leave those blank rather than copying numbers from unofficial APN sites — many still list values left over from older network deals. If the My Lyca Mobile app or a configuration text from Lyca ever shows something different, go with what Lyca sends you.

💡 Tip: type the APN exactly — all lower case, no spaces. A stray space after .co.uk, easy to add when pasting, is the single most common reason a seemingly correct APN still fails.

Android setup (stock Android and Samsung)

Android keeps APN settings a few menus deep, and manufacturers name those menus differently. Both routes below end at the same Access Point Names screen.

Stock Android (Pixel, Motorola, Nothing)

Open Settings and go to Network & internet.
Tap SIMs (or Mobile network) and pick your Lyca SIM if the phone holds more than one.
Tap Access Point Names, then the + button to add a new entry.

Samsung Galaxy

Open Settings and go to Connections.
Tap Mobile networks, then Access point names.
Tap Add in the top corner.

On the form, set Name to Lycamobile and APN to data.lycamobile.co.uk. Leave username and password empty and don’t change any other field. Save from the three-dot menu, then — the step most people miss — go back to the APN list and make sure the radio button next to your new entry is selected. Adding an APN doesn’t activate it. Finally, restart the phone or flick flight mode on and off.

If a Lycamobile entry already exists in the list, open it and check the values instead of adding a duplicate — a typo in an existing entry is quicker to fix than a second profile is to manage.

iPhone setup (usually automatic)

iPhones normally need none of this. In most cases iOS configures Lyca automatically from its built-in carrier settings the moment you insert the SIM or install the eSIM, so most iPhone owners never see an APN field. If a Carrier Settings Update pop-up appears, tap Update — you can also check for a pending one under Settings > General > About.

When manual entry is available, the path is:

Go to Settings > Mobile Data > Mobile Data Network (on some models it appears as Cellular > Cellular Data Network).
Under Mobile Data, enter data.lycamobile.co.uk as the APN and leave username and password blank.
If you use picture messaging, enter the same APN under MMS, plus the MMSC from the table above.
Go back one screen — iOS saves automatically — then restart the iPhone.

Can’t see a Mobile Data Network menu at all? That’s normal, not a fault: it means the carrier profile is managing the APN for you and there’s nothing to type. If data still isn’t working on an iPhone, the cause is almost always further down this page — start with the checklist below.

After you save: the 60-second checklist

Saving the APN doesn’t always take effect on its own. Run through these before assuming something deeper is wrong:

Restart the phone, or toggle flight mode on for ten seconds and off again — this forces the SIM to re-register on the network.
Mobile data is on: check the quick-settings tile as well as the Settings menu; they occasionally disagree after a software update.
The new APN is selected, not just saved — Android shows a radio button next to the active entry.
Dual-SIM phones: confirm Lyca is set as the SIM for mobile data, not only for calls and texts.
Look at the status bar: you want a 4G or 5G icon next to the signal bars, not bars alone.

That last point matters more than it used to. Lyca runs on EE’s network via a BT Wholesale deal, and 3G was switched off in early 2024 — Lyca data now travels over 4G and 5G only. A phone whose network mode is locked to 3G, or an older handset without 4G, will show signal for calls yet no internet at all. Set the network mode to automatic (4G/5G preferred) and check again.

Still offline? Likely causes, most common first

If the APN is right, the phone has restarted and there’s still no data, work down this list — it’s ordered by how often each cause turns out to be the culprit.

1. The bundle is out of data — or has expired

Check your remaining allowance in the My Lyca Mobile app. Pay-as-you-go bundles run on 30-day cycles, so a plan that quietly lapsed looks identical to a settings fault. Renewing the bundle fixes it instantly.

2. The SIM isn’t activated yet

A brand-new SIM has no service until activation completes and the first plan is live — no APN tweaking will connect a SIM that hasn’t been switched on. If you’re at that stage, our free SIM guide covers ordering and activation.

3. You’ve just moved your number to Lyca

A short service interruption on the transfer day is normal when porting a number, and data is usually the last thing to settle — restart the phone once the transfer completes. Our keep-your-number guide explains the PAC timeline.

4. The eSIM line is off — or isn’t the data line

On dual-SIM phones it’s easy to end up with the Lyca line switched on for calls but another line selected for mobile data, in which case a perfect APN does nothing. Check both settings — our Lyca eSIM guide shows where they live on iPhone and Android.

5. You’re abroad and Data Roaming is off

In the EU you need the Data Roaming toggle switched on — the APN itself stays exactly the same. EU roaming is included on Lyca’s current UK plans within its 30-country EU zone (fair-use caps apply), so enabling it there doesn’t trigger a daily fee. Outside the EU, roaming generally isn’t included — check your plan first.

6. None of the above

Call Lyca on 322 free from your Lyca SIM, or 020 7132 0322 from any other phone (7:00–23:00, Monday to Saturday). And if your problem is a referral discount not tracking rather than mobile data, that’s a different fix — see referral link not working.

One aside if you’re reading this before you’ve actually bought a SIM: the setup above is identical however you join Lyca, but new customers who sign up through a referral link get 50% off a SIM-only plan for the first 3 months. To be fair about it: on some 24-month contracts Lyca’s own public intro deal runs half price for 6 months, which beats the referral — compare at checkout. The plan price is the same as buying direct — the referrer (including this site) may earn a reward from Lyca.

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The discount auto-applies through the referral link — no code to type. Same price for you, and this site may earn a referral reward.

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MMS (picture message) settings

Picture messages use the same APN plus one extra address, the MMSC. Both values come from Lyca’s official APN guides:

MMS APN: data.lycamobile.co.uk
MMSC: http://lyca.mmsmvno.com/mms/wapenc

Lyca doesn’t publish an MMS proxy or port for the UK, so leave both blank rather than importing numbers from unofficial settings sites. Two quirks worth knowing: MMS travels over mobile data, so picture messages can fail while you’re on Wi-Fi if mobile data is switched off; and Android often sends group texts as MMS, which is why a group message can fail while ordinary texts go through fine.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Lyca Mobile APN for the UK?

It’s data.lycamobile.co.uk, written all in lower case with no spaces, and it’s the same for pay-as-you-go, pay monthly, physical SIM and eSIM. Username and password stay blank. The value is published in Lyca Mobile’s own APN setup guides for Android and iPhone (checked 12 July 2026), so you don’t need to rely on third-party APN lists — several still show outdated extra fields. One APN entry covers 4G and 5G data alike.

Why can’t I find the APN settings menu on my iPhone?

Because iOS is already managing them. When the APN comes from iOS’s built-in carrier settings — as it usually does for Lyca — Apple hides the Mobile Data Network menu, since there’s nothing you need to type. That’s the normal state for most Lyca iPhone users, not a fault. If data isn’t working, install any pending carrier update under Settings > General > About, restart, and then look beyond the APN: your allowance, the SIM’s activation status, the data-line selection on dual-SIM phones, or the roaming toggle if you’re abroad.

Do I need a username or password for the Lyca APN?

No. Lyca’s official setup guides say to leave both fields blank on Android and iPhone. If your phone insists on an authentication type, leave it unset or choose “None”. Entering made-up credentials is worse than leaving the fields empty, because some handsets will then fail authentication against a network that isn’t expecting any. The same goes for the MMS username and password fields — blank throughout.

Why do I have full signal bars but no internet on Lyca?

Signal bars only prove a connection for calls and texts, which can still ride on 2G; data needs 4G or 5G. Since the 3G switch-off in early 2024, a phone locked to 3G — or an old handset without 4G — shows healthy bars and zero internet on Lyca. Check the status bar for a 4G or 5G icon, set the network mode to automatic, then verify the APN spelling, your remaining data allowance and the mobile-data toggle.

Are the APN settings different for a Lyca eSIM?

No — an eSIM uses exactly the same APN, data.lycamobile.co.uk, with a blank username and password. What differs is the extra layer of line settings: on a dual-SIM phone the Lyca line has to be turned on and selected as the line for mobile data, otherwise a perfect APN does nothing. iPhones usually apply carrier settings to an eSIM automatically at install, so start with the line toggles before editing anything manually.

Do I need to change the APN when travelling in Europe?

No. The APN stays data.lycamobile.co.uk wherever you are — the setting you change abroad is Data Roaming, which must be switched on. EU roaming is included on Lyca’s current UK plans within its 30-country EU zone, subject to fair-use data caps that vary by plan, so enabling roaming there doesn’t add a daily fee. Outside the EU, roaming generally isn’t included on standard plans, so check yours before switching data on.