How to Install an eSIM: iPhone and Android Step-by-Step

Installing an eSIM takes about two minutes, and every part of it happens in your phone's own Settings app — there's no app to download and nothing to plug in. The steps below are the same ones we walk customers through in our own setup wizard, written out here so you can see the whole process before you start.

What you need before you start

You'll need three things: a phone that supports eSIM, an internet connection (Wi-Fi or existing mobile data), and the QR code or activation link from your provider's confirmation email. If you're not sure your phone qualifies, check our guide on what an eSIM actually is — most flagships sold since 2018–2020 support it, but budget and older models sometimes don't.

Do this part at home or at your hotel, not at the airport gate. The install itself only needs a data connection to fetch the profile — after that it sits dormant until you actually use it. One QR code can usually only be scanned once, which trips people up when they try to "test" the install on one device and then move to another — if you're switching phones after buying a plan, check with your provider before scanning rather than burning the code by trial and error.

It also helps to have your confirmation email open on a second screen — a laptop, or another phone — rather than trying to scan a QR code displayed on the same phone you're installing it on. Some providers' guest dashboards work around this with a tap-to-install link instead of a QR code, which is worth using if you're stuck on one device.

Installing on iPhone

Open Settings → Cellular (some regions show "Mobile Data" instead), then tap Add eSIM. iOS will ask how you want to add the plan — choose Use QR Code and point your camera at the code from your confirmation email.

Once the phone recognises the code, it downloads the carrier profile in the background. You'll be asked to label the line — something like "Simply Connect" works better than the default, since you'll want to find it quickly later. From here, iOS handles activation automatically; there's no separate "install" button to hunt for.

Installing on Android

The exact menu wording varies slightly by manufacturer, but the path is consistent: Settings → Connections (Samsung) or Network & Internet (stock Android / Pixel), then SIM Manager → Add eSIM. Tap Scan QR code and hold the camera over the code until it locks on.

Android then downloads and activates the profile on its own — you'll see a short progress indicator, then a confirmation that the new line is ready. If the scan won't focus, most phones let you back out and enter the activation code manually instead; it's printed alongside the QR code for exactly this reason.

The step everyone forgets: data roaming

An eSIM that's installed but shows no signal abroad is almost always a roaming problem, not an installation one. Each SIM line — physical or eSIM — has its own roaming toggle, and installing a new eSIM doesn't touch your existing one.

• On iPhone: Settings → Cellular → [your eSIM's name] → Data Roaming — turn it on
• On Android: open the eSIM's entry under SIM Manager and enable roaming there specifically

It's easy to enable roaming on the wrong line, especially if your home SIM is still installed alongside the travel eSIM. Check the toggle sits under the new eSIM's own settings, not your regular number's.

Testing it before you fly

Switch on airplane mode, then turn it back off with only the travel eSIM's data enabled (most phones let you pick which line handles data under the same SIM Manager screen). If you get signal bars and a working page load on Wi-Fi-off data, the install is done correctly and you can safely leave it dormant until you land.

Don't skip this step because the install "looked" successful. A profile can download and activate cleanly and still fail to grab a signal later — usually because of the roaming toggle above, occasionally because a plan hasn't started its validity window yet. Finding that out at home, with Wi-Fi to fall back on, beats finding it out at immigration.

If it still doesn't work

Three things account for almost every failed install:

• Data roaming is off for the new line — the single most common cause, covered above
• The wrong SIM is set as the default for data — if you have both your home SIM and a travel eSIM installed, check which one is selected under mobile data settings, not just which one shows signal
• Low storage or an outdated OS — eSIM profiles need a small amount of free space and a reasonably current iOS/Android version to install; a phone that hasn't updated in a year or two occasionally rejects the profile silently

If none of that resolves it, most providers can reissue a fresh QR code — the original may have already been consumed by an earlier scan attempt, which is a more common cause of "invalid code" errors than an actual fault with the eSIM itself.

Once you land and confirm coverage, our plans page has current data and pricing if you're comparing options for your next trip, or want a top-up before this one runs low.