How to Install a Travel eSIM — iPhone and Android, Step by Step
How to Install a Travel eSIM — iPhone and Android, Step by Step
Updated August 2026 · Works with any travel eSIM provider, not only ours
Installing an eSIM takes about ninety seconds, and almost everything that goes wrong goes wrong for one of five reasons. This guide covers the exact taps on iPhone and Android, the two settings that decide whether your home carrier charges you anyway, and what to do when the profile installs but nothing connects.
The one rule that saves most people
Install the eSIM at home, on Wi-Fi, before you fly — and leave the line switched off until you land. Installing needs an internet connection; activating does not. Your plan does not start counting until the eSIM first connects to a network in the destination country, so there is no reason to wait and every reason not to be doing this in an arrivals hall.
Before you start: two checks
1. Does your phone have eSIM hardware? Dial *#06#. If an EID appears alongside your IMEI, yes. Our full compatibility list covers every iPhone, Galaxy and Pixel model plus the regional traps — a Galaxy sold in Hong Kong or an iPhone bought in mainland China often has no eSIM despite an identical model name.
2. Is your phone carrier-unlocked? A handset still tied to a US or Canadian carrier contract can install an eSIM perfectly and then refuse to attach to a foreign network. Ask your carrier to unlock it — they must once the contract terms are met, and it is usually a same-day request. Do this before you travel, not from the airport.
iPhone — the exact taps
1. Connect to Wi-Fi.
2. Open Settings → Cellular (called Mobile Service or Mobile Data in some regions).
3. Tap Add eSIM → Use QR Code.
4. Scan the QR code from your confirmation email. If you are reading that email on the same phone, tap Enter Details Manually and paste the activation code instead.
5. When asked to label the line, name it after the destination — “Japan”, “Portugal”. Do not accept “Secondary”; in three weeks you will not remember which is which.
6. Set your home line as Default Voice Line, and leave Cellular Data on your home line for now.
7. Turn the travel line off: tap it, then Turn Off This Line. Fly.
When you land
1. Settings → Cellular → tap the travel line → Turn On This Line.
2. On that same screen, switch Data Roaming ON. This is not optional — a travel eSIM is a roaming product and will not pass data without it. It costs nothing; roaming is what you bought.
3. Go back and set Cellular Data to the travel line.
4. Leave Allow Cellular Data Switching OFF. This is the setting that quietly bills people: with it on, your iPhone falls back to your home line — at your home carrier’s roaming rate — whenever the travel line is weak.
5. On your home line, turn Data Roaming OFF. Calls and SMS keep working; data cannot leak.
The two-switch summary for iPhone
Travel line: on, Data Roaming ON, set as Cellular Data. Home line: on, Data Roaming OFF. Allow Cellular Data Switching: OFF. Get those right and a surprise bill is essentially impossible.
Android — the exact taps
Wording differs a little by manufacturer; the sequence does not.
Samsung Galaxy: Settings → Connections → SIM manager → Add eSIM → Scan QR code from service provider.
Google Pixel: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → + → Download a SIM instead? → Next → scan.
Most other Android phones: Settings → Network & internet (or Connections) → SIM / Mobile network → Add → Download a SIM.
When you land
1. Enable the travel SIM in SIM manager / SIMs.
2. Open the travel SIM’s settings and turn Roaming ON.
3. Set Mobile data to the travel SIM.
4. Open your home SIM’s settings and turn its Roaming OFF.
5. If nothing connects after a minute, toggle Airplane mode on and off — Android is noticeably more reluctant than iOS to re-scan for networks on its own.
When it does not work: five causes, in order of likelihood
1. Data Roaming is off on the travel line
The overwhelming favourite. A travel eSIM is roaming by definition — without that switch you will see full signal bars and no internet. Check it first, every time.
2. The plan has not started because you are not there yet
Most travel plans activate on first connection to a network in the destination country. Testing at home will show “no service”, and that is correct behaviour, not a fault. Do not delete the profile in a panic.
3. Mobile data is still pointed at the home line
The eSIM is installed, enabled and roaming — but the phone is still trying to use the other line for data. One tap on the data-line selector fixes it.
4. The phone is carrier-locked
Signature symptom: the profile installs cleanly, the line appears, and it never registers on any network. Reinstalling does not help. Only your carrier can fix this.
5. The APN needs setting manually
Rare, and almost exclusively Android. If everything above is right and there is still no data, your provider’s confirmation email will list an APN — enter it under the travel SIM’s Access Point Names. On iPhone this is handled automatically in nearly every case.
Still nothing? Do this before deleting anything
Toggle Airplane mode. Restart the phone. Try selecting the network manually (Settings → Cellular → Network Selection → turn off Automatic, pick a listed carrier). Then contact your provider — ours answers around the clock and can see whether the profile has been installed and whether it has attached to a network, which usually identifies the problem in one message.
About deleting an eSIM
Deleting a profile to make room is normally safe with us — the same QR code can be used to reinstall it. That QR cannot be moved to a second device, though: one code, one phone. Other providers issue single-use codes where deletion is permanent, so check before you tidy up someone else’s eSIM.
Most phones store around eight profiles and keep one or two active at a time. If an install fails on a well-travelled phone, that limit is the likely reason — remove the eSIMs from trips you have already taken.
Frequently asked
How long does installing an eSIM take?
Under two minutes. Scanning the QR code takes seconds; the rest is labelling the line and setting two switches correctly.
Can I install it before I travel?
Yes, and you should. Install at home on Wi-Fi and leave the line switched off. The plan does not start until the eSIM first connects to a network at your destination.
Do I need to remove my normal SIM?
No — that is the point of an eSIM. Your physical SIM stays in the phone and keeps your number for calls and SMS while the eSIM carries data.
Why is there no internet even though I have signal?
Almost always Data Roaming switched off on the travel line, or mobile data still pointed at your home line. Check both before anything else.
Will my home carrier charge me while I use a travel eSIM?
Not if you switch Data Roaming off on the home line and, on iPhone, turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching. Calls and SMS on the home line are billed at your usual roaming rates only if you actually use them.
Can I install the same eSIM on two phones?
No. A QR code provisions one profile onto one device. Use one phone’s hotspot for a second device instead — tethering is included on our plans.
What if I delete the eSIM by accident?
With our plans you can reinstall from the same QR code. Not every provider allows that, so treat deletion as final unless you know otherwise.
Does an eSIM work on a tablet or smartwatch?
Cellular iPads from the 7th generation onwards, yes. Smartwatches use eSIM technology but only accept a profile from your home carrier’s watch plan — a travel eSIM cannot be installed on one.
Installed? Then you are done
Two switches, one label, ninety seconds. Pick your destination, scan tonight, and land with the connection already sorted.
Over 200 destinations · Fixed data from $3.90 · QR by emailFind the eSIM for your destination →Menu paths described for iOS 17–26 and Android 13–16 as of August 2026; manufacturers occasionally rename these settings. The activation and reinstallation behaviour described applies to AeroSims plans — other providers’ terms differ, particularly on reusing a QR code after deletion.
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