Installing a travel eSIM takes about three minutes: you open your phone’s mobile data settings, add a new plan, scan the QR (Quick Response) code your provider sent you, and label the line. That is the whole job — an eSIM (embedded SIM) is a digital SIM profile written into a chip already inside your phone, so there is nothing to unwrap, cut or swap.
The part that trips people up is not the installation. It is the difference between installing the profile at home and activating the data when you land. This eSIM setup guide walks through both, with the exact menu paths for iPhone and Android, and what to do when something misbehaves.
Before you start: five things to check
Spend two minutes here and you will avoid almost every common problem.
- Confirm your phone supports eSIM. Most flagship phones released from 2018 onward do, including iPhone XS and later, Google Pixel 3 and later, and Samsung Galaxy S20 and later. Regional variants differ — some models sold in mainland China and a few Samsung variants ship without eSIM — so check your exact model number rather than the family name. Our list of devices that work with a digital SIM covers the main ones.
- Check the phone is carrier-unlocked. A handset still locked to the network that sold it will refuse a third-party eSIM profile. Your home carrier can confirm the status, usually free of charge if the contract is paid off.
- Get on stable Wi-Fi. Downloading the profile needs an internet connection. Do this at home, not at the airport gate.
- Have the QR code on a second screen. You cannot scan a code displayed on the same phone you are installing it to — not easily, at least. Open the email on a laptop, tablet or print it. Most providers also give you a manual activation code as a fallback.
- Install before you fly, activate after you land. Almost every travel plan starts counting its validity period from first connection to a network, not from installation.
How to install an eSIM on an iPhone
Apple’s flow is the same on every recent iOS version, though the wording of one menu item changed with iOS 17.
- Connect to Wi-Fi.
- Open Settings → Mobile Data (called Cellular in US English).
- Tap Add eSIM (older versions: Add Data Plan or Add Mobile Data Plan).
- Tap Use QR Code and point the camera at the code from your provider. If the camera will not read it, tap Enter Details Manually and type the SM-DP+ address and activation code from your confirmation email.
- Wait for the profile to download. This takes 10–60 seconds.
- Label the line something you will recognise: Japan trip, Atlas, Travel data. Do not leave two lines both called "Secondary".
- Choose your default line. Set your home number as Default Voice so calls and texts still work, and leave mobile data on the home line for now.
- Turn Data Roaming on for the travel eSIM only. This sounds alarming but is correct: a travel eSIM connects through partner networks abroad, and roaming must be enabled on that line for it to attach. Keep roaming off on your home line.
Apple documents the underlying feature set on its own support site if you want to cross-check menu names for an older iOS release.
How to install an eSIM on Android
Android menu paths vary by manufacturer more than they do on iOS, but the sequence is identical.
Google Pixel and stock Android
- Connect to Wi-Fi.
- Go to Settings → Network & internet → SIMs.
- Tap the + next to SIMs, or Add SIM, then choose Download a SIM instead?
- Tap Next and scan the eSIM QR code.
- Confirm the download, then tap the new SIM entry and switch it on.
Samsung Galaxy
- Go to Settings → Connections → SIM manager.
- Tap Add eSIM, then Scan QR code from service provider.
- Scan the code and confirm. If Samsung asks for a confirmation code, it is in your provider’s email.
- Back in SIM manager, set which line handles mobile data and which handles calls.
Other Android brands
On Xiaomi, look under Settings → SIM cards & mobile networks. On OnePlus and Oppo, try Settings → Mobile network → SIM card & mobile data. Huawei devices from 2020 onward generally do not support third-party travel eSIMs at all. If you cannot find the option after a minute of hunting, search your Settings app for "eSIM" — the search bar will jump straight to it.
How to activate eSIM data when you land
Installation puts the profile on the phone. Activation happens the first time it registers with a network at your destination.
- Land, and switch off aeroplane mode.
- Open your mobile data settings and turn the travel eSIM line on.
- Set Mobile data to the travel line. On iPhone: Settings → Mobile Data → Mobile Data → [your travel line]. On Android: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Mobile data.
- Confirm Data Roaming is enabled on that line.
- Turn your home line’s data off to prevent accidental roaming charges. You can leave the home line active for calls and texts if you want to keep your number reachable.
- Wait 30 seconds to two minutes for the network name to appear in the status bar, then open a website to test.
Most travel eSIMs need no APN (Access Point Name) configuration at all — the profile carries the correct settings. If your provider does list an APN, enter it exactly as given under the travel line’s settings, not the home line’s.
For a sense of how this plays out on a real trip, including which networks tend to carry travel profiles, see our Japan connectivity walkthrough.
If it does not work
Work through these in order. The first two solve the large majority of cases.
- "No service" after landing. Toggle aeroplane mode on for 15 seconds, then off. This forces a fresh network search.
- Still nothing? Select a network manually. iPhone: Settings → Mobile Data → [travel line] → Network Selection, turn Automatic off and pick a listed operator. Android: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → [travel line] → Automatically select network, then choose one. If the first operator fails, try the next.
- QR code will not scan. Increase your screen brightness on the device showing the code, or use the manual entry option with the activation string from your email.
- "This code is no longer valid." An eSIM QR code is single-use. If you have already installed the profile once, do not scan it again — find the existing line in your settings instead. If you deleted it, contact your provider for a re-issue.
- Data connects but nothing loads. Check that data roaming is on for the travel line, and that any VPN or content blocker is switched off for the first test.
- Everything works but it is slow. Try switching that line from 5G to LTE. In congested areas or on partner networks with limited 5G access, LTE is often more stable.
- You need a factory reset. Note that resetting the phone or erasing all settings can wipe installed eSIM profiles. Back up your activation details before doing either abroad.
When a travel eSIM is not the right answer
Honest limits, because they matter:
| Situation | Better option |
|---|---|
| Two weeks in one country, moderate data use | Travel eSIM |
| Multi-country trip across a region | Regional travel eSIM |
| One-night layover with airport Wi-Fi | Skip it entirely |
| Phone with no eSIM support, or carrier-locked | Physical local SIM |
| You need a local phone number for taxis, banking or deliveries | Local SIM or local eSIM with a number |
| Six months in one place, heavy tethering | Local postpaid contract |
If you are still deciding whether the technology suits how you travel, our explainer on how digital SIM profiles actually work covers the trade-offs in more depth. The GSMA, the industry body that defines the eSIM specification, also publishes plain-language background at gsma.com.
For most trips, though, the appeal is simple: you install the plan on your sofa, and the phone connects itself somewhere over the destination country. Atlas eSIM sends the QR code by email within minutes of purchase, so you can complete the installation steps above days before departure and leave activation to the moment you land.
eSIM installation FAQ
Can I install an eSIM without Wi-Fi?
You need some form of internet connection to download the profile, so Wi-Fi is the practical answer. You can technically use your existing mobile data if it is working, but do not count on doing this at an airport with patchy free Wi-Fi.
Does installing an eSIM delete my current SIM?
No. A physical SIM and an eSIM coexist as separate lines, and installing one does not affect the other. Your home number stays reachable unless you switch that line off yourself.
How many eSIMs can my phone hold?
Recent iPhones store eight or more profiles and can run two lines at once. Most Android flagships store several but keep only one eSIM active at a time. Old profiles you no longer need can be deleted to free space.
What happens to my eSIM when the plan expires?
Data stops and the line goes inactive, but the profile stays on the phone until you delete it. Many providers let you top the same profile up for a later trip, which saves scanning a new code.
Can I move an installed eSIM to a new phone?
Usually not by copying it across. Apple offers a transfer feature between iPhones for some carrier lines, but travel profiles generally need to be re-issued by the provider and installed fresh on the new device.
Ready to set yours up? Browse Atlas eSIM data plans for your destination, install the profile tonight and arrive already connected.