How it works
Install it at home, not at the airport
Installing an eSIM needs a connection, and people find that out too late. A step by step guide to getting it ready at home and switching it on when you land.
Dani Requena 7 min Photo by Paige Cody on Unsplash Installing an eSIM needs a connection: your phone has to download the profile from the operator's server. That sounds obvious right up until you're at the boarding gate with a suitcase in one hand and the airport wifi asking you to register. So you do this at home, unhurried, and get it out of the way.
Before you start
- A phone that supports eSIM and isn't carrier locked.
- Wifi or data, to download the profile.
- The email with the QR code you get when you buy.
- Ten minutes. It's nearly always two, but don't do it in a rush.
How to install it, step by step
On an iPhone
- Open Settings and go into Mobile Data.
- Tap Add eSIM or Add Data Plan.
- Choose Use QR Code and scan the one from your email. If you're reading the email on that same phone, use the option to enter the details manually that comes alongside the code.
- Give it a name you'll recognise, the destination for example. With two lines in the phone, telling them apart by name saves confusion.
- When it asks which line to use for what, leave your usual number for calls and texts.
On Android
- Open Settings and go into Connections or Network & internet.
- Go into SIM or SIM manager and look for Add eSIM or Download a SIM.
- Scan the QR code from your email.
- Give it a name and confirm. The screen is called something slightly different depending on the manufacturer, but the order is the same.
Once that's done, the eSIM sits inside your phone, switched off and using nothing. It waits there for the trip.
When you land
This is the only step you do there, and it's two taps: go into your mobile data settings, pick the travel eSIM and switch on its data roaming. That step happens at your destination because that's when the phone looks for the local network.
And the setting that avoids nasty surprises: leave data roaming OFF on your everyday line. Your number keeps receiving calls and messages, but it won't browse and it can't run up any charges.
When the plan starts counting
There's no single answer here, and it's worth knowing before you install anything well in advance. In some destinations the plan starts counting as soon as the eSIM connects to a network there, and in others it starts the moment you install it.
Each destination's page says which, in the installation step and in its FAQs. If you're installing days ahead, check that first: it's the difference between landing with the whole plan or with two days already gone.
The QR code only works once
Once the profile is downloaded, that code can't be used to install it again. Three practical consequences:
- Keep the email with the QR code until you're back from your trip. Don't delete it once it's installed.
- If you delete the eSIM from your phone, you can't put it back with the same code.
- If you change handset mid-trip, the profile won't move on its own. Message us and we'll sort it out with you.
Common problems and how to get out of them
| What's happening | Usually | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The QR code won't scan | The code has already been used | Check whether the eSIM is already in your list of lines |
| It says it isn't compatible | Phone locked to an operator | Ask whoever sold it for an unlock |
| It installs but there's no data | Roaming is off | Switch it on for that line, once you've landed |
| No network shows up on arrival | Automatic search being slow | Aeroplane mode for ten seconds, or pick the network manually |
If the problem is that your phone doesn't offer the option to add an eSIM at all, that comes earlier and is explained in how to tell whether your phone supports eSIM.
Frequently asked questions
How do you install an eSIM?
On wifi, go into your mobile data settings, choose to add an eSIM and scan the QR code you got when you bought it. Two minutes later it's installed and switched off, waiting for your trip.
Can I install the eSIM before I travel?
Yes, and it's the sensible thing to do, because installing needs a connection. Before doing it a long way ahead, check on your destination's page when the plan starts counting: in some destinations it starts on install.
What do I do when I land?
Go into your mobile data settings, pick the travel eSIM and switch on its data roaming. Two taps. And leave roaming off on your everyday line so it doesn't use anything.
Can I use the same QR code twice?
No. The code is single use: once the profile is downloaded it belongs to that chip. If you delete the eSIM or change phone, you'll need a new one.
I've installed the eSIM and I have no data. What's missing?
Almost always data roaming for that line, which you switch on once you've landed. If it still won't work, try aeroplane mode for a few seconds or pick the network manually in your settings.
