Setup
Install & activate your eSIM
You’ve got the QR. Installing takes about two minutes — do it at home on Wi-Fi, and landing abroad becomes a non-event.
What you get after you buy
The one-scan install path. It appears on your dashboard the moment payment confirms, with no email to wait on because there is no email at all.
An SM-DP+ address and an activation code, for typing in by hand on phones that would rather not scan.
The home for this eSIM: install status, remaining data, top-ups and support tickets, all tied to your access token instead of a name.
Installing and activating are two different moments. Installing loads the profile onto your phone; do that today, on Wi-Fi. Activating happens by itself the first time the profile talks to a network in your destination, and that is also when the 30-day validity clock starts. Nothing is lost by installing early.
There's no confirmation email because there's no email address on file to send one to. The order page in your dashboard is the only record of this purchase, and it's tied to your access token rather than to you.
Before you install: is your phone ready?
Two things have to be true before a QR code turns into a working connection: the phone has to support eSIM, and it has to be carrier-unlocked. Most phones sold since around 2018–2019 clear the first bar: iPhone XS or newer, Pixel 3 or newer, Galaxy S20 or newer, and well over 200 other models. The second depends on your carrier, not your phone, so it is worth checking before you rely on this for a trip. These steps cover phones specifically; a tablet, laptop or hotspot router takes the same QR code through a different settings menu. See is your phone eSIM-compatible? for the full device list.
- 01Dial *#06#
Your phone shows a list of identifiers. If one of them is labeled EID, the phone itself is eSIM-ready.
- 02Check the lock status
Settings usually has a line for it, or your carrier can confirm in one message. A locked phone will accept the profile and then refuse to use it.
- 03Confirm a free eSIM slot
Most phones hold several installed profiles but only one or two active for data at a time. Remove an old, unused travel profile first if you're close to the limit.
iPhone: install in five steps
- 01Settings → Cellular
Tap “Add eSIM”, then “Use QR Code.”
- 02Scan the QR
Displayed on another screen — or from a saved image via “Open Photos.”
- 03Label the line
Call it “Travel data” so the toggle is obvious later.
- 04Set roles
Keep your number as default for calls & iMessage; set the eSIM as “Cellular Data” when you land.
- 05Enable Data Roaming
On the eSIM line only — travel eSIMs need it on. It bills nothing extra.
If “Add eSIM” isn't where you expect, use the search bar at the top of Settings and type it. Apple has shuffled this menu slightly across iOS versions, but the search always finds it, on any iPhone from the XS onward.
Android: install in five steps
- 01Settings → Network & internet
Tap “SIMs” → “Add eSIM” (wording varies slightly by brand).
- 02Scan the QR
Or choose “Enter it manually” and paste the SM-DP+ address and activation code.
- 03Name the profile
“Travel data” — future you says thanks.
- 04Route mobile data
Set mobile data to the eSIM on arrival; leave calls and SMS on your main SIM.
- 05Enable roaming on the eSIM
Required for travel profiles; it does not add cost.
Menu names drift by brand — Samsung, Pixel and OnePlus each phrase this slightly differently. If “Add eSIM” is nowhere to be found, search Settings directly for “eSIM”; the destination screen is the same underneath, whatever it's called on your model.
iPhone vs Android, at a glance
| Step | iPhone | Android |
|---|---|---|
| Menu path | Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM | Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Add eSIM |
| Manual entry option | “Enter Details” instead of scanning | “Enter it manually” instead of scanning |
| Naming the line | Optional label, e.g. “Travel data” | Optional label, e.g. “Travel data” |
| Setting the data line | Cellular Plans → choose the eSIM for Cellular Data | SIMs → tap the eSIM → set as default for mobile data |
| Roaming toggle | On the eSIM line, in its own settings | On the eSIM line, in its own settings |
The mechanics are identical; only the labels move. If a screenshot online doesn't quite match your screen, the feature is still there under a slightly different name for your brand. Treat this table as a lookup, not something to memorize; you'll only need it once, on the day you install.
Getting the dual-SIM settings right
- Keep your home line as default for calls, SMS and iMessage/RCS — nothing about a data-only travel eSIM should touch those.
- Set the eSIM as your data line when you land, or leave it set in advance if you'd rather test the connection at home first.
- Turn on Data Roaming for the eSIM line specifically. It looks alarming on a home SIM; on a travel eSIM it's required and adds no charge.
- Hotspot and tethering both work from the eSIM line, the same as any data plan, which is useful for a laptop or a second device.
- Wi-Fi Calling and iMessage keep working over Wi-Fi no matter which line is set for cellular data. The dual-SIM setting only decides what happens once you're off Wi-Fi.
If both lines show as active but the phone keeps using the wrong one for data, the setting to check is usually called Cellular Data (iPhone) or Default for mobile data (Android) — not the roaming toggle itself.
Before you fly
- Install at home on Wi-Fi — never gamble on airport connectivity.
- Validity starts at first connection in the destination, not at install. Installing early costs nothing.
- Screenshot the manual codes as a fallback, in case the QR gets buried in your photo library.
- Know the toggle in advance: data on the eSIM, calls and texts on your home SIM.
- Heading somewhere specific? Check the destination page first: Japan and Thailand both have notes on local networks worth a glance before you leave.
Two minutes at home beats twenty minutes in an arrivals hall with no working data, and no data means no easy way to look up what went wrong, either.
Mistakes that cause most of the support tickets
- Waiting until landing to install. Airport Wi-Fi is exactly the environment most likely to fail on a QR download.
- Enabling roaming on the wrong line. The toggle has to be on the eSIM specifically; the home SIM's roaming setting does nothing for it.
- Leaving mobile data pointed at the home SIM. The eSIM installs fine and still never carries a byte.
- Trying to reinstall on a second phone. Profiles are single-install by design; switching phones needs a reissue, not a rescan.
- Deleting the profile mid-trip to “fix” a glitch. That erases it for good. Try Airplane Mode or reselecting the network first.
- Assuming one weak-signal moment means the install failed. A single bad spot in a building usually isn't the profile's fault. Check the trouble table before opening a ticket.
Switching phones mid-trip or before your next one is common enough to have its own guide: moving an eSIM to a new phone covers the reissue process end to end.
If something misbehaves
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| QR won't scan | Switch to manual entry — the SM-DP+ address and code are both on your order page. |
| “Cannot add eSIM” | Almost always a locked phone, or a profile that was already installed once. Confirm the unlock, then open a ticket for a reissue. |
| Installed but no signal | Enable Data Roaming on the eSIM line, select the network manually in settings, or toggle Airplane Mode off and back on. |
| Signal but no internet | Confirm mobile data is actually routed to the eSIM line, not the home SIM — the single most common cause. |
| Worked yesterday, not today | Local partner networks can change mid-trip. Toggle Airplane Mode, or manually reselect a network. |
| Battery draining faster than usual | Two active radios, home SIM plus eSIM data, draw more power than one. Expected behavior, not a fault; turn off the line you're not using if it matters. |
Still stuck? The ticket desk opens the moment your account has an active eSIM. No email, just your order. Replies usually land within a day, and if a plan genuinely can't activate on a compatible, unlocked device, it's reissued or refunded in the coin you paid, within 72 hours.
After the trip
A used-up profile doesn't need any cleanup. It sits in your phone's eSIM list doing nothing until you either delete it or top it up for the next trip, from the same order page, no new purchase required. There's no cleanup fee, no expiry penalty and no account to close: just data that either got used or didn't.
Do
- Delete the profile once you're sure the trip is over and the data's spent
- Top up before a plan expires if you want to keep the same profile for a future trip
- Leave it installed but inactive if you're short on time — it costs nothing to sit unused
Don’t
- Delete it mid-trip while data or validity still remains
- Assume a new country means a new eSIM: one profile covers everywhere the network reaches; see one eSIM for multiple countries
- Let one low-signal moment convince you the install failed — check the trouble table first
Questions, answered
Can I install the eSIM on two phones?
No. eSIM profiles are single-install by design, a security rule set at the carrier level, not by us. If you switch phones after installing, open a ticket from your order page and we reissue the profile for the new device. The old install stops working once the new one activates.
When exactly does the 30-day clock start?
At the first connection to a network in the destination country, not at purchase and not at install. You can buy and install the profile weeks ahead of a trip and the countdown still won't begin until you land and the phone actually connects.
Can I delete the profile after the trip?
Yes. Once the data or the 30 days are used up, deleting it just frees the eSIM slot on your phone. If you might use the same destination again soon, top up instead of deleting — the profile stays exactly as it was.
Do I need to turn on data roaming, and will it cost extra?
Yes, and no. Data Roaming has to be switched on for the eSIM line specifically, because that's technically how a phone treats a foreign network. It doesn't add any charge on a travel eSIM built for exactly this. Leave your home SIM's roaming setting alone.
What if my phone is carrier-locked?
A locked phone will let you install the profile and then refuse to connect through it. The lock blocks any SIM or eSIM that isn't the carrier's own. Ask your carrier for an unlock before you travel; there is no workaround on the eSIM side.
Will installing a travel eSIM affect my number, calls or WhatsApp?
No. It's a second, data-only line that sits alongside your physical SIM, not a replacement for it. Calls, texts and WhatsApp keep working on your regular number exactly as before, over Wi-Fi or your home SIM's own signal; the eSIM only ever carries data.
Can I install the eSIM before I've topped up further data?
Yes. Installing just loads the profile onto your phone; it doesn't touch your balance or require a specific pack yet. Buy whichever size you want whenever you're ready, and top up that same profile again later from the same order page if you need more data mid-trip.