How to Install an eSIM on iPhone and Android

Short answer: install your travel eSIM before you fly, while you still have reliable Wi-Fi, then switch your data line over to it after you land. Installing takes about two minutes. Activating is a separate step, and on most plans the clock does not start until the eSIM first connects to a network at your destination.

What you need before you start

• An eSIM-capable phone. iPhone XS or later, Samsung Galaxy S20 or later, Google Pixel 3 or later. Dial *#06# — if an EID row appears, the hardware supports eSIM. Full list: eSIM compatible phones.
• A carrier-unlocked phone. Contract and carrier-financed phones are often locked and will refuse a third-party eSIM.
• Wi-Fi. The profile downloads over the internet. You cannot install an eSIM using the eSIM you are about to install.
• Your installation email. It contains the QR code plus the manual details (SM-DP+ address and activation code).

When should you install — before or after the flight?

Install before departure. This is the single most useful piece of timing advice, and it trips up a lot of first-time travellers.

Downloading the eSIM profile needs an internet connection. Once you land, you have no data until the eSIM works — which is circular if the eSIM is not installed yet. Airport Wi-Fi often requires an SMS code you cannot receive while roaming is off. Installing at home removes that whole failure mode.

Installing is not the same as activating. Adding the profile to your phone does not consume data or start the validity period on most plans. The plan begins when the eSIM first registers on a network in the coverage area. That is why you can safely install a week early and still get your full validity window. If you want the precise rule for your plan, check the product page — activation policy is listed in the plan detail matrix.

How to install an eSIM on iPhone

Method 1: scan the QR code (recommended)

1. Open the installation email on a second screen — a laptop, tablet, or printout. You cannot scan a QR code with the same phone displaying it.
2. On the iPhone, open the Camera app and point it at the QR code.
3. Tap the yellow Cellular Plan Detected banner that appears.
4. Tap Continue → Add eSIM. The download takes roughly one minute.
5. When prompted to label the lines, name the new one Travel and keep your home line as Primary.
6. On the next screens, set Default Voice Line and iMessage to your primary number. For Cellular Data, keep your primary line for now and switch after you land.

Method 2: enter the details manually

Use this when you only have one device and cannot scan your own screen.

1. Go to Settings → Cellular (or Mobile Service) → Add eSIM.
2. Choose Use QR Code, then tap Enter Details Manually at the bottom.
3. Copy the SM-DP+ Address from your email into the first field and the Activation Code into the second. Paste rather than retype, and make sure no trailing space is included — a stray space is the most common cause of “unable to add cellular plan”.
4. Tap Next and wait for the install to finish, then label the lines as above.

How to install an eSIM on Android

The menu path differs by manufacturer. The three most common:

• Samsung Galaxy: Settings → Connections → SIM manager → Add eSIM → Scan QR code from service provider.
• Google Pixel: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Download a SIM instead? → Next.
• Most other Android phones: Settings → Network & internet (or Connections) → SIM card manager → Add eSIM / Download SIM.

1. Open the correct screen above and choose to scan a QR code.
2. Point the camera at the QR code from the email and confirm the download.
3. Name the eSIM something recognisable, such as Travel.
4. Leave your home SIM as the default for calls and SMS.

Manual entry on Android: choose “Need help?” or “Enter code manually” on the Add eSIM screen. Android usually wants one combined activation string rather than two separate fields, in this format:

LPA:1$<SM-DP+ address>$<activation code>

Your installation email already contains the assembled string — copy the whole line, including the LPA:1$ prefix.

After you land: two switches to flip

The eSIM is installed but will not carry traffic until you point the phone at it. Both steps are required.

1. Select the eSIM as your data line.
   iPhone: Settings → Cellular → Cellular Data → select the travel eSIM.
   Android: Settings → SIM manager (or SIMs) → Mobile data → select the travel eSIM.
2. Turn on Data Roaming for that line.
   iPhone: Settings → Cellular → tap the travel eSIM → Data Roaming on.
   Android: Settings → SIMs → tap the travel eSIM → Roaming on.

Data roaming sounds alarming, but a travel eSIM is always roaming from the network’s point of view — it is a foreign profile using a local partner network. Leaving roaming off is the number one reason an eSIM shows signal bars and still passes no data. It does not trigger charges from your home carrier, because the traffic never touches your home line.

Give the phone 1–2 minutes to register. If nothing happens, toggle Airplane Mode on and off once.

If something goes wrong

Most failed installs come down to a handful of causes: roaming left off, the data line still pointing at the home SIM, a carrier-locked handset, a QR code already used once, or a manual entry with a trailing space. Work through the ordered checklist on the eSIM troubleshooting page — it covers each cause in the order most likely to fix your case, and can read your plan’s actual APN and activation state from your order number.

Rules worth knowing before you install

• Most QR codes are single-use. Once the profile downloads to a device, the same code will not install again. Do not “test” it on a spare phone.
• Do not delete the profile. Deleting an installed eSIM usually destroys it permanently; there is no undo, and reinstallation is not guaranteed.
• Keep the email. Archive it, or save the QR code image offline, until the trip is over.
• Factory reset wipes eSIMs. Remove and reinstall deliberately only if support instructs you to.
• iPhones sold in mainland China have separate rules — only specific 2026 models support eSIM at all. See the mainland China iPhone eSIM guide.

FAQ

Should I install the eSIM before I travel?

Yes. Install before departure while you have reliable Wi-Fi. Installing does not start your plan on most products — the validity period begins when the eSIM first connects to a network at your destination.

Can I scan the same QR code twice?

Usually no. Most eSIM QR codes are single-use and are consumed by the first successful download. Install it on the phone you are actually travelling with.

Will installing an eSIM remove my normal SIM or phone number?

No. An eSIM is an additional line. Your physical SIM stays active for calls and SMS on your usual number while the eSIM carries data. See how to keep your number while using a travel eSIM.

Why is there no internet after installation?

Almost always one of two switches: cellular data is still pointed at your home SIM, or Data Roaming is off for the eSIM line. Both must be set. The troubleshooting guide walks through the rest.

Do I need to remove my physical SIM?

No. Leave it in. To avoid accidental home-carrier roaming charges, turn off cellular data for the physical line rather than removing it.

What is an SM-DP+ address?

It is the server address your phone contacts to download the eSIM profile. Together with the activation code it is the text-based equivalent of the QR code, used for manual installation.

Can I install the same plan on a second phone?

No. One eSIM profile belongs to one device. If you need data on two phones, buy two plans — or use the hotspot on the phone that has the eSIM, where the plan permits it.

Ready to install?

Pick a destination and the QR code arrives by email within minutes of payment: Japan eSIM, United States eSIM, Europe eSIM, China eSIM, Korea eSIM, or browse all destinations.