How to Install an eSIM: Step-by-Step for iPhone and Android
By Sophie Hartley · Aug 8, 2026 · 4 min read
I've installed enough eSIMs at this point — in airport lounges, on trains, once memorably in the back of a tuk-tuk with terrible wifi — that I can do it without thinking. The actual steps take under two minutes once you know where to look. Here's exactly where, for both iPhone and Android.
Before you start: make sure you're connected to wifi (you need internet to download the eSIM profile, though not to use it afterward), and have your QR code or activation details open on a second device if possible — some phones can scan a code shown on your own screen, but it's easier with a second screen or a printout.
Installing an eSIM on iPhone
- Open Settings and tap Cellular (or Mobile Service in some regions).
- Tap Add eSIM (on newer iOS versions) or Set Up Cellular / Set Up Mobile Service.
- Choose Use QR Code, then scan the code your provider sent you. If you're viewing the code on the same phone, look for an option to enter the details manually instead — most providers include this as a fallback.
- iOS will confirm the plan details. Tap Continue.
- You'll be asked to label the new line — this is just for your own reference, so name it something you'll recognize, like the country you're visiting.
- Choose which line is your primary for calls/texts/iMessage (almost always your home SIM) and which handles cellular data while traveling — you'll usually want to set the new eSIM as the data line, either permanently or just while you're abroad.
- Under Cellular Data, make sure the new eSIM has Data Roaming turned on. Without this, it won't connect once you're outside your home country's networks — for a travel eSIM, roaming is the whole point, so this step matters.
Most iPhones since the XS and XR (2018 onward) support eSIM. If you don't see an "Add eSIM" option at all in step 2, your specific model or region may not support it — see our eSIM compatibility guide to check.
Installing an eSIM on Android
The exact wording varies a little by manufacturer, but the flow is consistent:
- Open Settings and go to Network & Internet (sometimes called Connections).
- Tap SIMs or Mobile Network, then look for Add eSIM, Add Mobile Plan, or a small + icon.
- Choose to scan a QR code, and scan the one from your provider. If scanning isn't available or your phone can't read the code, look for a manual entry option using the activation code your provider gave you.
- Confirm the plan details when prompted and let the phone download the profile — this can take a minute.
- Once installed, tap into the new eSIM's settings and make sure Data Roaming is switched on for that line.
- If you want the eSIM to handle data specifically (rather than your physical SIM), go to your SIM manager and set the eSIM as the active data connection.
Most Google Pixel phones from the Pixel 3 onward, and most Samsung Galaxy flagships from the S20 series onward, support eSIM — though some carrier-specific or regional variants don't, particularly older US carrier models. If the option isn't showing up in your settings at all, check our compatibility guide before assuming something's broken.
A few things that trip people up
Scan the QR code only once. Most eSIM QR codes are single-use — if you scan it, cancel partway through, and try again, it may show as already redeemed. If that happens, go back to your provider's app or email for a fresh activation link rather than rescanning the same code.
Turn on data roaming for the new line specifically. This is the single most common reason an eSIM installs successfully but still shows "No Service" once you land — the profile is there, but roaming is switched off for it.
Set your activation timing correctly, if your provider offers it. Most providers let you install the eSIM well before your trip and only start the countdown on your data validity once you actually connect to a network at your destination. Don't activate manually the night before unless you're sure that's what you want — check your specific provider's activation policy.
Keep your home SIM's cellular data off (or set to secondary) while abroad, unless you specifically want to use it. Otherwise your phone may default to expensive home-carrier roaming for data instead of your new eSIM, especially for background app refresh and updates.
Airplane mode, then wifi, if something seems stuck. If the eSIM shows as installed but isn't connecting, toggling airplane mode on and off (with wifi connected) often forces the phone to re-register with the local network.
If you've done all of this and you're still not getting signal once you land, our troubleshooting guide walks through the most common fixes in more detail. Otherwise — that's it. You're connected, and you never had to find a SIM card kiosk. And if you're still fuzzy on what an eSIM actually is or why it's worth using, our beginner's guide to how eSIMs work covers that from the very start.
Sophie has been living out of a suitcase since 2014, filing travel-tech dispatches from over 60 countries. She buys and tests eSIMs the way other people collect passport stamps — obsessively, and usually the day before a flight.
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