How to install and activate a travel eSIM on iPhone and Android

Updated on November 5, 2026 · Mustapha Hamadi

To install a travel eSIM, first check that your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked (dial *#06#: an EID number should appear). At home, on Wi-Fi, add the profile by scanning the QR code from another screen, tapping the install link or typing the code manually. When you land, turn on the eSIM line, set it as your cellular data line and switch on data roaming for that line only.

First: does your phone support eSIM?

Open the Phone app and dial *#06#. If an “EID” line shows up, your phone supports eSIM. It also has to be unlocked: a phone locked to a carrier won’t accept eSIMs from other providers.

iPhone: Settings > General > About. Scroll down to find the EID. On the same screen, the carrier lock line should read “No SIM Restrictions”.
Samsung Galaxy: the EID is also in Settings > About phone > Status, and on the phone’s box.
Full list of compatible models: our /compatibility page.

Before you fly: three ways to install the eSIM

Install the profile at home, on Wi-Fi, before you leave. You don’t need to be at your destination: you turn the line on later.

Method	When to use it	What you need
QR code	You have a second screen (laptop, tablet, printout)	Scan the code with the phone you’re setting up
Install link	You only have your phone	iPhone on iOS 17.4 or later; on Android, recent Google Play services (feature added in 2025)
Manual entry	The QR code won’t scan	The SM-DP+ address and activation code you received

iPhone, QR code: show the QR code on another screen, open the Camera and tap the “Cellular Plan Detected” notification.
Tap Continue, then Add Cellular Plan. Enter a confirmation code only if you’re asked for one.
Phone only (iOS 17.4 or later): touch and hold the QR code in the email and tap Add eSIM, or tap the install link, then Allow and Continue.
Manual entry: Settings > Cellular > Add Cellular Plan > Enter Details Manually.

Samsung Galaxy: Settings > Connections > SIM manager > Add eSIM > Scan QR code. On older One UI versions the labels differ (SIM card manager > Add mobile plan > Add using QR code or Add using activation code). Samsung says to restart the phone once the profile is added. Google Pixel: Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Add SIM > Set up an eSIM, then follow the on-screen steps.

The full code looks like LPA:1$address$code. The part between the two “$” signs is the SM-DP+ address; the rest is the activation code. Copy both exactly, keeping upper and lower case as they are.

On arrival with an iPhone: line, data and roaming

On iOS 26 and later, a “Turn On Travel eSIM” notification may appear: choose Travel eSIM and Current eSIM to keep getting texts on your number, or Travel eSIM Only, then tap Continue. Otherwise, or on an older version, set it up by hand:

Settings > Cellular (Mobile Service on some versions) > tap the eSIM line and turn on Turn On This Line.
Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data: select the eSIM line.
On the eSIM line, open Cellular Data Options and turn on Data Roaming.
On your usual line, turn Data Roaming off to avoid your home carrier’s charges.

On arrival with Android: Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel

Samsung: Settings > Connections > SIM manager, switch the eSIM on, then under Primary SIM pick the eSIM for mobile data.
Samsung: Settings > Connections > Mobile networks, turn on data roaming for the eSIM and turn it off for your usual SIM.
Pixel: Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > tap the eSIM, turn on Use SIM and Roaming.
Pixel: back in SIMs, tap Mobile data and choose the eSIM. On your usual SIM, turn Roaming off.

Troubleshooting: no signal or no internet

Re-check the three settings: eSIM line on, cellular data on the eSIM, data roaming on for the eSIM.
Turn on Airplane Mode for 15 to 30 seconds, then off again, so the phone searches for a network.
Restart. On Pixel, Google recommends powering off, waiting 30 seconds, then turning it back on.
iPhone: make sure date and time are set automatically (Settings > General > Date & Time).
Manual network selection on Samsung: Mobile networks > Network operators, turn off Select automatically and pick another network from the list.
APN: only if the plan page or your email gives one. iPhone: Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Network. Samsung: Mobile networks > Access Point Names. Pixel: type “APN” in the Settings search bar. A wrong APN cuts your data.

Never delete the eSIM

When something isn’t working, it’s tempting to delete the eSIM and start over. Don’t. Apple advises against erasing an eSIM as a troubleshooting step, and a deleted profile can’t be reinstalled: you’d need a new one. Message us instead. When you’re home, just turn the line off (Turn On This Line on iPhone, the switch on Samsung, Use SIM on Pixel).

Our plans are data only: no local number, no regular calls or texts. Calling apps that run over the internet work fine. Your usual SIM can stay on to receive texts, but your carrier may charge for calls and texts abroad.

Frequently asked questions

When should I install the eSIM?

Before you leave, at home, on Wi-Fi. Installing and activating are two separate steps: you install the profile in advance, then turn on the line and data roaming once you land.

Can I scan the QR code with the phone that’s displaying it?

Not with the camera. On an iPhone with iOS 17.4 or later, touch and hold the QR code in the email and tap Add eSIM. Otherwise, use the install link or enter the SM-DP+ address and activation code manually.

Do I need to remove my usual SIM?

No. It can stay on to receive texts, such as your bank’s security codes. Just turn off its data roaming to avoid your carrier’s charges.

Why turn on roaming for an eSIM bought for that country?

Because a travel eSIM isn’t a local carrier’s line, your phone usually counts the connection as roaming. Turn roaming on for the eSIM line only, never for your usual line.

I deleted the eSIM by mistake. Can I reinstall it?

No. A deleted profile can’t be reinstalled, even with the same QR code. That’s why turning the line off is better than deleting it.

What if I can’t install the eSIM?

Contact us before trying anything else. As long as the profile hasn’t been installed, a full refund is possible; once it’s installed, it isn’t.

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