Is Your Phone eSIM Compatible? Here's How to Check
By Sophie Hartley · Aug 8, 2026 · 4 min read
A friend once messaged me from an airport gate, thirty minutes before boarding, asking if her three-year-old Android phone would take an eSIM. The honest answer is that guessing by phone age or brand alone isn't reliable enough for something you're about to pay for — carrier restrictions, regional variants, and specific model years all matter. So here's how to actually check, in under a minute, rather than guess.
The fastest way to check: your phone's own settings
This works on both iPhone and Android and takes the guesswork out entirely.
On iPhone: Go to Settings > General > About, then scroll down and look for an entry called EID. If you see an EID number listed, your phone supports eSIM. If there's no EID field at all, it doesn't.
On Android: Go to Settings > About Phone > Status (the exact path varies slightly by manufacturer — on Samsung it's often under Settings > Connections > SIM Manager), and look for an EID number the same way. Alternatively, dial *#06# on your phone's keypad — this brings up a screen showing your device's IMEI numbers, and if your phone supports eSIM, an EID number will be listed alongside them.
If you see an EID either way, your specific device supports eSIM. If you don't, it doesn't — no eSIM provider will work on that phone, regardless of what you buy.
General guidance by brand (check your specific model to be sure)
These are the broad strokes — always verify with the settings check above before buying, since regional and carrier-specific variants of the same model sometimes differ. For a verified, official per-model list for iPhone, Samsung, and Google Pixel — sourced directly from each manufacturer's own compatibility page — see our eSIM Compatibility Checker.
iPhone: Every iPhone since the iPhone XS, XR, and XS Max (released 2018) supports eSIM, including all subsequent models. Some carrier-locked models sold in mainland China historically shipped without eSIM support due to local regulations — this is the main notable exception.
Google Pixel: Most Pixel phones from the Pixel 3 onward support eSIM, though the very first Pixel 3 units required a software update to enable it. Pixel 4 and later generally support it out of the box.
Samsung Galaxy: Most flagship Galaxy S and Note models from around the Galaxy S20 generation onward support eSIM, but — and this is the one to watch — many US carrier-locked variants (particularly older models bought through certain carriers) shipped with eSIM disabled or unavailable, even when the same model sold unlocked or in other regions supported it fully. If you bought your Samsung phone through a US carrier, check the settings method above rather than assuming.
Other Android brands (OnePlus, Xiaomi, Oppo, and others): support varies significantly by model, region, and even by which specific carrier variant you have. The settings/dial check above is the only reliable way to know for sure.
Your phone must also be carrier-unlocked
Even if your phone hardware supports eSIM, a carrier lock — common on phones bought under a contract or installment plan — can prevent you from adding a second network via eSIM. This is separate from eSIM hardware support, and it's worth checking both.
To check if your phone is unlocked, the most reliable method is contacting your carrier directly, or checking your account settings if your carrier provides that online. Some phones will also show a clear "SIM Locked" message if you try to insert a SIM from a different carrier.
What happens if your phone doesn't support eSIM
If the check above comes back negative, a travel eSIM simply won't work on your device — there's no workaround, since it's a hardware and firmware limitation, not a software setting you can enable. Your options at that point are a local physical SIM at your destination, a portable wifi hotspot device, or your home carrier's roaming plan for that specific trip. It's worth checking this well before you travel, not at the departure gate.
Once you've confirmed compatibility
If your phone checks out, the next step is picking a plan for wherever you're headed — we track live pricing across dozens of destinations from six major eSIM providers, so you can compare before you buy. Then our step-by-step install guide walks through the exact settings screens for both iPhone and Android. And if you want the full picture of what an eSIM is and why travelers use one before you get that far, our beginner's guide to how eSIMs work is the place to 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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