How to Install and Activate an eSIM on Android (Samsung, Pixel)

Installing a travel eSIM on Android takes about five minutes: open your phone's SIM settings, choose to add an eSIM, scan the QR code your provider sent you, then set the new line as your mobile data SIM and turn on roaming for it. Your regular SIM stays in the phone for calls and texts.

The only catch is that every manufacturer puts the option in a slightly different place. Menu names vary by manufacturer and Android version, so treat the labels below as signposts rather than exact text.

Before you start

1. Check that your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked. A phone locked to your home carrier may refuse another provider's eSIM. Our guide to eSIM-compatible phones explains how to check.
2. Connect to Wi-Fi. The eSIM profile is downloaded over the internet, and the new line cannot download itself.
3. Read the plan's activation policy. Some plans start counting days as soon as the eSIM is installed, others only when it first connects at your destination. In the second case, install it a day or two before departure: you have time to fix problems at home, and the clock does not start until you land. If the provider says otherwise, follow its instructions.
4. Show the QR code on another screen. You scan it with the phone, so open it on a laptop or tablet, or print it. Also keep the manual details (SM-DP+ address and activation code), usually in the same email or the provider's app.

Samsung Galaxy

1. Open Settings > Connections > SIM manager (called SIM card manager on older versions).
2. Tap Add eSIM.
3. If the phone offers to search for plans from your carrier, skip that and choose Scan QR code or similar.
4. Point the camera at the QR code and confirm when the phone asks whether to add the plan.
5. Wait for the download to finish. The new eSIM appears in the SIM manager list.

Google Pixel

1. Open Settings > Network & internet > SIMs.
2. Tap Add SIM (a plus sign on some versions).
3. When the phone asks you to insert a SIM card, tap Download a SIM instead?
4. Scan the QR code and tap Download or Activate when prompted.
5. The new SIM appears under SIMs, and Android may ask straight away which SIM to use for calls, texts and data. You can change this later.

Other Android brands

Motorola, Xiaomi and most other brands follow one of two patterns. In Settings, look for:

• Network & internet > SIMs, as on Pixel, common on phones with a near-stock interface.
• SIM cards & mobile networks or a similar name, common on Xiaomi phones, with an eSIM option inside.

If you cannot find it, type "eSIM" or "SIM" in the search bar at the top of Settings. On any brand, that is usually the fastest route.

If the QR code does not work: manual entry

If the camera will not read the code, every flow above has a manual option, usually labeled Enter activation code or Enter it manually, sometimes behind a "Need help?" link on the scan screen. You need two details from your provider:

• SM-DP+ address: the server that delivers your eSIM profile. It looks like a web address.
• Activation code (sometimes called matching ID): a string of letters and numbers.

Some phones ask for both separately, others for a single long code starting with "LPA:1" that combines them. Copy and paste rather than typing, because one wrong character makes the download fail. Do not retry the same code over and over: some profiles can only be downloaded once. If it fails twice, contact the provider.

Set up the eSIM for your trip

Give each SIM a clear name

Tap the new SIM in the list and rename it, for example "Travel" and "Home". Every later choice, and the status bar, becomes much easier to read.

Choose which SIM does what

The usual setup for a data-only travel eSIM:

Function	Which SIM
Calls	Your main SIM
Text messages (SMS)	Your main SIM
Mobile data	Travel eSIM

On Samsung this is under SIM manager > Preferred SIMs; on Pixel, under Network & internet > SIMs. Keeping your main SIM for calls and texts means you still receive bank codes and calls to your usual number. WhatsApp keeps working with your normal account, because it runs over data whichever SIM provides it.

Roaming: on for the travel eSIM, off for your main SIM

This is the step people miss most. Many travel eSIMs connect to local networks as roaming partners, so they need Roaming turned on. Open the travel eSIM's settings and enable it.

Then open your main SIM's settings and make sure roaming is off. Otherwise your phone may use your home carrier for data abroad, and you may get a roaming bill. Your home line can still receive calls and SMS, depending on your carrier's roaming rules, but it will not use data.

On arrival

1. Turn off airplane mode after landing.
2. Check that the travel eSIM is switched on and set for mobile data.
3. Give the phone a minute or two to find a local network. The first connection abroad can be slow.
4. Look for signal bars on the travel line and open a website to confirm data works.

Troubleshooting

If you have signal but no data, or no signal at all, try these in order:

• Roaming toggle. Confirm roaming is on for the travel eSIM. This fixes most cases.
• Airplane mode. Turn it on for 10 to 20 seconds, then off, to force the phone to re-register on the network.
• Restart the phone. Simple, and it often works.
• Manual network selection. In the travel eSIM's settings, turn off automatic network selection and pick a network from the list. Providers often say which local networks they use.
• APN. Only change the access point name if your provider gives you one. Most travel eSIMs set it automatically, and an invented value makes things worse.
• Automatic data switching. Some phones switch mobile data to the other SIM when one signal is weak. Turn this off so data does not quietly move to your home carrier.
• Data used up. If data stops partway through the trip, check the remaining allowance in the provider's app.

If nothing works, contact the provider's support with a screenshot of the eSIM's settings. To pick the right plan size in the first place, see how much data you need when traveling.

After the trip

At home, disable the travel eSIM rather than deleting it: open its settings and turn off the switch to use the SIM. The profile stays on the phone in case you want to top it up for a future trip with the same provider, and the phone stops trying to connect with it. Then switch mobile data back to your main SIM.

Deleting (often labeled Erase or Remove) is usually permanent. Most providers cannot reinstall the same eSIM, so any remaining data or validity is lost. Delete it only when the plan has expired and you will not reuse it.

If you also use an iPhone, the steps differ; see how to install an eSIM on iPhone. To find a plan for your next destination, use the eSIM comparator.

Frequently asked questions

Can I install the eSIM before I travel?

Yes, and it is usually the best idea when the plan's validity starts on first connection at your destination. Install it a day or two before you leave, over Wi-Fi, and keep it switched off or not set for data until you land. If the plan starts counting at installation, wait until closer to departure.

Will I still receive calls and texts on my normal number?

Usually yes, if your main SIM stays on with roaming off. Whether calls and SMS reach you abroad, and what they cost, depends on your home carrier's roaming policy; inside the EU, roam-like-at-home rules apply to EU carriers. Ask your carrier if you are unsure.

Can I move the eSIM to another phone?

Generally not by yourself. Some recent Android phones can transfer an eSIM, but that mostly works for carrier lines, not travel eSIMs. If you change phones, ask the travel eSIM provider whether it can issue a new profile.

How many eSIMs can my Android phone hold?

Most eSIM phones can store several profiles, but how many can be active at once depends on the model; many run one physical SIM plus one eSIM at the same time. Look in the SIM settings: if the phone lets you add another eSIM, it has room.