How to install a travel eSIM on iPhone and Android

How to install a travel eSIM on iPhone and Android

Installing a travel eSIM takes about two minutes. The golden rule: install it at home, on Wi-Fi, before you fly, and switch it on when you land. Your usual SIM card stays in your phone the whole time.

Before you start

  • Your phone must support eSIM and be unlocked (not tied to one carrier). Quick check: dial *#06#. If you see an EID number, your phone supports eSIM.
  • Connect to Wi-Fi.
  • Keep the email with your QR code open on another screen, or use the install button on your eSIM page.

iPhone

  1. Open Settings → Mobile Data (called Cellular in some countries).
  2. Tap Add eSIM, then Use QR Code, and scan the QR code from your email. On recent iOS versions you can also tap the install link on your iPhone directly.
  3. When asked, give the eSIM a name such as "Travel".
  4. For now, keep your usual line as the default for calls and mobile data.

Samsung Galaxy

  1. Open Settings → Connections → SIM manager.
  2. Tap Add eSIM, then Scan QR code.
  3. Confirm, and leave the new eSIM switched off until you travel if you prefer.

Google Pixel and other Android phones

  1. Open Settings → Network & internet → SIMs.
  2. Tap Add SIM (or the + button), choose to download an eSIM, and scan the QR code.

Menu names can differ slightly between brands and Android versions; look for "SIM", "eSIM" or "mobile plan".

When you land

  1. Go back to the mobile data / SIM settings and select the travel eSIM for mobile data.
  2. Turn on data roaming for the travel eSIM. This is normal: the eSIM is a foreign line, so it always "roams". You pay nothing extra.
  3. Turn off data roaming on your usual SIM to avoid charges from your home carrier.

WhatsApp keeps working with your usual number, because it only uses the data.

Not working? Quick fixes

  • No internet: check that data roaming is on for the eSIM and that the eSIM is selected for mobile data. Then restart the phone.
  • Still nothing: turn airplane mode on and off, or choose the network manually in the eSIM's network settings.
  • QR code already used: don't delete an installed eSIM. A QR code can usually be installed only once.

Still stuck? Message us on WhatsApp in English, French or Arabic and we'll walk you through it.

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