Before you start
Three things, and all of them are easier to sort out at home:
- An eSIM-capable phone.Broadly, an iPhone XS or newer, a Galaxy S20 or newer, or a Pixel 3 or newer — the compatibility guide has the full list and the ten-second check.
- A carrier-unlocked handset.A locked phone refuses a travel eSIM exactly as it refuses a rival’s plastic SIM. Unlocking is usually free but can take a day or two.
- Wi-fi. Installing an eSIM downloads the profile from the network, so it needs a working connection. This is the whole reason to install before you fly.
Install early, switch on late. Validity starts on first data use— not at purchase, and not at install. Putting the profile on your phone days ahead costs you nothing and removes the one job you can’t do without internet.
What you receive after paying
As soon as the network issues your line, the eSIM appears on screen and by email in three interchangeable forms:
- A QR code— scan it with the phone you’re installing to, or from a second screen.
- A one-tap install link — on iPhone this opens the eSIM setup screen directly, with no camera involved. It is an iOS feature; Android uses the QR code or manual entry instead.
- An SM-DP+ address and activation code— the same install typed by hand, for when a camera isn’t practical.
All three install the same profile, so use whichever suits the phone in your hand. They stay in your account, so a closed email is not a problem.
Install on iPhone
- Connect to wi-fi.
- Open Settings › Cellular (or Mobile Service) › Add eSIM.
- Choose Use QR Codeand point the camera at it — or simply tap the install link from your confirmation, which skips straight to this screen.
- Confirm when iOS asks to add the plan, and give it a label like “Travel” so you can tell the two lines apart.
- When asked which line to use, keep your own SIM as the default for calls, iMessage and FaceTime.
- Then switch the travel line off until you arrive: Settings › Cellular › the new line › Turn Off This Line.
Install on Android
Wording varies by manufacturer — Samsung, Pixel and others each phrase it slightly differently — but the path is the same:
- Connect to wi-fi.
- Open Settings › Network & internet › SIMs (on Samsung, Settings › Connections › SIM manager).
- Tap Add eSIM / Add mobile plan / Download SIM instead? and scan the QR code.
- Confirm the download and name the line.
- Leave the new line disabled and keep your usual SIM as the default for calls and texts.
The one-tap install link is an iOS-only mechanism. On Android, use the QR code or the manual details below — tapping the link on an Android phone will not install anything.
Manual install, without a QR code
If you can’t scan — the code is on the same phone, the camera won’t focus, the screen is cracked — enter it by hand. Both platforms offer “Enter details manually” on the same screen where you’d scan.
- SM-DP+ address — the server that holds your profile.
- Activation code — the one-time code that identifies your specific line.
Both are shown with your eSIM. Copy and paste rather than retyping: the codes are long, and a single wrong character produces an install failure that looks like a network problem.
Switching it on when you land
- Turn the travel line back on in your cellular settings.
- Turn data roaming on for that line. This is the step people miss, and it is counter-intuitive: the eSIM roams onto a local network by design, so roaming must be enabled for it to work at all.
- Set mobile data to the travel line, and leave your home SIM selected for calls and texts.
- Turn data roaming off on your home SIM— otherwise your own carrier may still bill you while the eSIM does the work.
Registration can take a couple of minutes after landing. If nothing appears, toggle airplane mode on and off before assuming anything is wrong.
When the install won’t take
| Symptom | Usual cause and fix |
|---|---|
| “Unable to add plan” | No internet, or the phone is carrier-locked. Confirm wi-fi works, then check the lock with your carrier. |
| QR scans, then fails | Usually a profile that has already been installed once. An eSIM installs to one device only; contact us rather than retrying. |
| Installed but “No Service” | Line switched off, data roaming off for that line, or mobile data still set to the home SIM. Check all three, then restart. |
| Connected but no data | Mobile data is assigned to the wrong line. Switch it to the travel line in cellular settings. |
| No “Add eSIM” option at all | The handset has no eSIM chip, or it’s a region variant without one. See the compatibility guide. |
If none of that helps, we can look at the line itself rather than guess — get in touchwith the order reference and we’ll check its status at the network.
Removing an eSIM when the trip is over
An expired profile does no harm, but it clutters the line list. Delete it from the same cellular settings screen you added it in.
Do check the balance before deleting: a plan with data left can often be topped up onto the same line for the next trip, and deleting the profile throws that away. Once removed, an eSIM cannot be reinstalled from the original QR code.
Not bought yet? Pick a destination and the QR code is issued within minutes: eSIM plans by country, Europe regional plans, or the full catalogue.