Installing a travel eSIM takes about five minutes. Buy a plan, scan the QR code your provider emails you, add it as a second line, and leave it switched off until you arrive. When you land, turn the line on and set it as your data line. Do the install at home on WiFi so everything is ready before you fly. New to eSIMs? Start with what is an eSIM.
What This Guide Covers
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Before you start
Three things make the install painless. Install on WiFi before you travel, not at the airport on arrival, because you need an internet connection to download the profile. Confirm your phone is eSIM-capable and unlocked, covered in which phones support eSIM. And keep the QR code handy, the provider emails it right after purchase, and most apps can also install it for you without scanning.
Do not delete your home line
Adding a travel eSIM does not remove your existing SIM. You are adding a second line, so your home number stays active for calls and texts while the eSIM carries data.
How to install an eSIM on iPhone
The flow is the same for any provider. From the email or the provider's app, have your QR code ready, then on the iPhone go to Settings › Cellular (or Mobile Service), tap Add eSIM or Add Cellular Plan, choose Use QR Code, and point the camera at the code. If you are installing from the provider's app, tap Install directly and skip the camera step.
When prompted, label the plan something like Travel, keep your home line as the default for calls, and choose your travel eSIM for data once you arrive. Leave the line turned off until you land so it does not try to connect and burn data early.
How to install an eSIM on Android
Menus vary slightly by brand, but the path is consistent. Go to Settings › Network & internet (or Connections on Samsung), tap SIMs or Mobile network, then Add eSIM or the plus icon next to SIMs, and scan the QR code. On Samsung the path is Settings › Connections › SIM manager › Add eSIM.
After it downloads, you can name the line and choose whether it handles data. As with iPhone, leave it switched off until you reach your destination.
How to activate it when you land
On arrival, turn the eSIM line on, set it as your data line, and enable data roaming for that line only (this lets it use the local partner network, it does not mean your home carrier's roaming charges). Within a minute or two it connects and you have data.
Two optional settings save money and battery: turn off data on your home line so it cannot pull roaming data, and leave your home line on for calls and texts only.
If it does not connect
No signal after a few minutes? Toggle Airplane Mode on and off to force a fresh network search. Connected but no data? Confirm the travel eSIM is selected as the data line and that data roaming is enabled for it. Still nothing? Restart the phone, then check the provider app to confirm the plan is active and not yet expired.
Set up the APN if needed
A few networks need an Access Point Name (APN) entered manually. The provider lists it in your confirmation email or app. Add it under the eSIM line's settings, and the connection should come up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I install my eSIM before or after I arrive?
Install it before you travel, while you have WiFi, because you need an internet connection to download the profile. Just leave the line switched off until you land, then turn it on to connect.
Do I have to delete my home SIM to add an eSIM?
No. A travel eSIM is added as a second line, so your existing SIM and phone number stay active. You simply choose the eSIM as your data line while travelling.
What does 'data roaming' mean for an eSIM?
For a travel eSIM, enabling data roaming lets it use the local partner network. It does not trigger your home carrier's roaming fees, because the data runs on the eSIM plan you already paid for, not your home account.
Can I install the same QR code on two phones?
No. Each eSIM QR code installs to one device only and usually cannot be reused once installed. If you switch phones, you typically need to contact the provider to reissue the profile.
My eSIM installed but has no data. What now?
Confirm the eSIM is selected as your data line and that data roaming is on for it. If it still fails, toggle Airplane Mode, restart the phone, and check that the plan is active in the provider app. Some networks also need an APN entered manually.