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How to install your eSIM

Installing takes about a minute. Do it at home on Wi-Fi before you fly, then switch the line on when you land. The instructions below cover the phones people ask about most.

The one step people miss

After installing, you must switch Data Roaming on for the eSIM line. A travel eSIM works by roaming onto local networks, so with roaming off it will show no internet even though it installed correctly. It costs nothing extra.

iPhone

  1. 1 Connect to Wi-Fi and open Settings.
  2. 2 Tap Mobile Service, then Add eSIM.
  3. 3 Tap Use QR Code and point the camera at the QR code in your email.
  4. 4 Label the line something you will recognise, such as Travel, and finish the setup.
  5. 5 On arrival, open Settings, Mobile Service, tap the travel line and turn it on.
  6. 6 In that same line, switch Data Roaming on. Without it the eSIM cannot connect.
  7. 7 Under Mobile Data, choose the travel line so your phone uses it for data.

Samsung Galaxy

  1. 1 Connect to Wi-Fi and open Settings.
  2. 2 Tap Connections, then SIM manager.
  3. 3 Tap Add eSIM, then Scan QR code from service provider.
  4. 4 Scan the QR code in your email and confirm the download.
  5. 5 On arrival, go back to SIM manager and turn the travel eSIM on.
  6. 6 Open Connections, Mobile networks and switch Data roaming on for that line.
  7. 7 In SIM manager, set the travel eSIM as your Mobile data line.

Google Pixel

  1. 1 Connect to Wi-Fi and open Settings.
  2. 2 Tap Network & internet, then the + next to SIMs.
  3. 3 Choose Download a SIM instead, then Next.
  4. 4 Scan the QR code in your email and wait for the profile to download.
  5. 5 On arrival, open Network & internet, SIMs, pick the travel eSIM and turn it on.
  6. 6 Switch Roaming on for that eSIM.
  7. 7 Set Mobile data to the travel eSIM.

Other Android phones

  1. 1 Connect to Wi-Fi and open Settings.
  2. 2 Search the settings for eSIM or SIM manager. The wording differs by manufacturer.
  3. 3 Choose to add a SIM by scanning a QR code, and scan the code in your email.
  4. 4 On arrival, turn the travel eSIM line on.
  5. 5 Switch Data roaming on for that line.
  6. 6 Select the travel eSIM as your mobile data line.

Before you buy

Your phone needs to support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked. Check your phone in under a minute, then pick a destination.

Installation questions

When should I install the eSIM?

Install it at home on Wi-Fi, before you travel. Installing is not the same as activating: on most plans the validity only starts when the eSIM first uses data at your destination. Each plan page states which applies.

My eSIM is installed but there is no internet. What is wrong?

In almost every case Data Roaming is switched off for the eSIM line. The eSIM connects by roaming onto a local network, so it cannot get online without it. Check that the eSIM line is turned on, that Data Roaming is on for that line, and that mobile data is set to use it.

Can I install the same QR code on a second phone?

No. A QR code installs once. If you delete the eSIM from your phone it cannot be installed again, so do not remove it until your trip is over.

Will my normal number still work?

Yes. The eSIM carries data only, and it sits alongside your existing SIM. Calls and texts keep working on your own number as long as that line stays switched on.

How do I avoid charges from my home operator?

Turn Data Roaming off for your home SIM and on for the eSIM line. Your home line can stay on for calls and texts without using its data abroad.

Stuck? Tell us your phone model and order id and we will walk you through it.