What is an eSIM and how do I install one?
An eSIM is a digital SIM built into your phone. There's no card to insert: you download the line over the internet. Most phones can store several eSIMs, so you can add a travel eSIM without removing your own line.
Does your phone support it?
- Open Settings and look for an EID in the About section (on many phones you can also dial *#06#). If you see one, your phone has an eSIM.
- Your phone must be unlocked from its carrier.
- Check your model in a few seconds.
Install it before you travel
Install it on Wi-Fi, before you leave. If your plan is labeled "Starts at installation", install it when you arrive instead. To install:
- iPhone: tap the install button in your order email or on your order page (iOS 17.4 or later), or scan the QR code.
- Android: copy the full code from your order page and paste it in your eSIM settings, or scan the QR code from another screen.
After installing you may see a message like "couldn't be activated". That's normal: the eSIM connects when you arrive.
When you arrive
- Turn on the eSIM line and choose it for mobile data.
- Turn on data roaming for the eSIM line. A travel eSIM needs it to work abroad, and it costs nothing extra.
- Turn off data roaming on your own line.
On most plans, days start when the eSIM first connects to a network its plan covers. If your plan also covers the country you're in when you install it, days may start right away, so install it shortly before you leave. Plans that start at installation are labeled.
Tips
- Don't delete the eSIM. A deleted eSIM usually can't be installed again.
- Running low? On plans that support it, you can add data to the same eSIM.