Is your phone eSIM-compatible?

This works without a SIM inserted, without Wi-Fi, and without calling anyone — it reads information stored on the device itself, nothing more.

1. 01
   Open the dialer

   The regular phone keypad — nothing to install.

2. 02
   Dial *#06#

   The IMEI screen appears instantly. It touches no network.

3. 03
   Look for “EID”

   A 32-digit EID line means your phone has eSIM hardware. No EID, no eSIM.

The dialer code isn't the only way to confirm eSIM hardware. The settings app usually shows the same answer, which is worth knowing in case you'd rather not dial anything.

• iPhone: Settings → General → About. An eSIM or “Add eSIM” entry under the SIM section confirms the hardware, independent of the *#06# result.
• Android: Settings → About phone → SIM status (naming varies by manufacturer) shows an EID field directly when eSIM hardware is present.
• Either method missing what you expect? Trust the *#06# result — it reads the hardware more directly than a settings screen built on top of it.

If your phone shipped after 2018 and isn't a budget model, the odds already favor you. eSIM has been standard on flagship and mid-range phones for several years now; the list below covers the models people ask about most.

Hardware support is only half the question. A financed or contract phone can still refuse a foreign eSIM profile outright, independent of whether it has an EID. Verify once, before you rely on it:

• iPhone: Settings → General → About → Carrier Lock, should read “No SIM restrictions.”
• Android: Settings → search “network unlock,” or simply try adding any eSIM; locked phones refuse immediately.
• Financed device? Ask the carrier for an unlock — usually automatic once the plan is paid off.
• Bought secondhand? Lock status travels with the phone, not the seller's word — check it yourself rather than taking their claim of “unlocked” at face value.

Both platforms run through the same two checks and the same eventual QR scan; only the menu names differ along the way. Android wording also varies by manufacturer and OS version, so treat this table as a starting point rather than a word-for-word script.

Passing the compatibility check gets you to the more interesting decision: once two plans live on one phone at the same time, which one does what. Getting this part right is what makes the eSIM invisible in daily use instead of a second phone to manage.

1. 01
   Set the eSIM as your data line

   In cellular settings, choose the travel eSIM for mobile data and turn data roaming on for that line only.

2. 02
   Leave your physical SIM for calls and texts

   Nothing to change here — it keeps working exactly as it did at home, including WhatsApp.

3. 03
   Turn off roaming on your home SIM

   This is what actually stops a surprise roaming charge; the eSIM is carrying your data instead.

Most eSIM-capable phones store several profiles but actively use only one or two for data at a time. The limit is set by the device and its software version, not by us, and it rarely shows up until you already have a profile or two installed.

• iPhones from the XS generation on generally store multiple eSIMs, and newer models can run two active data lines at once; older ones run one eSIM plus the physical SIM.
• Android limits vary more by manufacturer — check the phone's cellular or SIM settings for exactly how many plans it currently holds rather than assuming a number.
• A phone with a physical SIM tray plus eSIM support can often hold both an active physical SIM and an active eSIM simultaneously, on top of any stored-but-inactive eSIM profiles.
• Running low on slots? Deleting an old, unused profile frees one instantly, and doesn't touch a different active plan.

The *#06# test is reliable, but the model name alone can still mislead you. These three slip past a quick assumption for different reasons — two are hardware the specific unit was never built with, one is hardware that works everywhere except on that particular firmware:

• iPhones sold in mainland China (and some HK/Macau models) ship without eSIM.
• Some carrier-branded Samsungs disable eSIM in firmware even when the hardware exists.
• Very cheap Android models often skip eSIM entirely — the *#06# test settles it instantly.

A hardware miss and a software lock get different fixes, so it's worth being clear about which one you actually have before assuming the phone is a lost cause.

Four checks, done once on the actual phone you're traveling with, avoid nearly every compatibility support ticket we see — worth five minutes before you check out a pack for Japan or anywhere else.