soda Journal
Does your phone support eSIM? How to check
The one thing to confirm before buying an eSIM: does your phone support it? Not sure? Two methods tell you in about 30 seconds. Below we also explain what those checks are actually reading, and the regional traps that catch people out.
Two fastest ways to check
- iPhone: Settings → General → About, scroll down, and look for an “Available eSIM” or “Digital SIM” entry. If it’s there, you’re good.
- Android: dial
*#06#. If a number labelled EID appears, the phone usually supports eSIM.
One more thing: your phone needs to be unlocked (SIM-free). A handset locked to a carrier contract may refuse another provider’s eSIM. More on that below.
Why dialling a code tells you anything
It comes down to whether your phone has one tiny chip inside. Newer phones ship with a small built-in chip whose job is to store eSIM profiles. The industry name for it is the eUICC. Think of it as a blank SIM card soldered into the phone at the factory: nothing to insert or swap, and a network’s details can simply be written onto it.
The EID is that chip’s ID number. So the logic is simple: if your phone has an EID, it has the chip, which means it can hold an eSIM. The *#06# code and the iPhone Settings entry are checking the same thing through two different doors.
Dual SIM: do you lose your number?
You don’t. Most eSIM phones can run your existing physical SIM (your home number) and a travel eSIM at the same time. The physical card stays in for calls and bank verification texts, the eSIM handles your travel data, and the two lines sit side by side. Your usual number never moves.
Newer models go further with dual eSIM, meaning two eSIM profiles loaded at once and no physical card needed. For a traveller that’s handy: next trip, you just add another profile instead of deleting the last one. The thing to set when you land is which line carries mobile data (the travel eSIM) versus which one rings and texts (your home number). For how to switch lines, and why a freshly installed eSIM sometimes shows no signal, see how to install an eSIM.
Roughly which phones support it
No need to memorise models, just the ballpark:
| Platform | Roughly supported |
|---|---|
| iPhone | Most models from the XS / XR (2018) on; US iPhone 14 and later don’t even have a physical tray |
| Samsung | Galaxy S20 and later flagships, recent Z foldables |
| Google Pixel | Pixel 3 and later (a few regional versions aside) |
| Other Android | Varies by model; the *#06# check above is the surest test |
Same model, different region, different answer
This is the part people skip and then regret. A single model can ship with different hardware depending on where it was sold:
- Mainland-China iPhones have no eSIM hardware at all. The model number can be brand new and it still won’t work, so those phones need a physical SIM.
- Some dual-physical-SIM regional variants drop eSIM entirely to fit two physical card slots. Hong Kong and certain Asian versions have done this.
- A carrier-locked phone has the hardware but is locked down, so it may refuse another provider’s eSIM until the original carrier unlocks it.
That’s why a model table only gets you so far. Run one of the two checks above on the actual phone in your hand and you’ll know for certain. If you’re still weighing eSIM against a physical card, what an eSIM is and why it’s better lays out the difference.
Here’s a quick cheat sheet for the “right model, but might still not install” cases. Scan it before you fly:
| Your phone’s situation | Will an eSIM usually install? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Unlocked international or US model | Yes | Just confirm the EID and you’re set |
| Mainland-China iPhone | No (no hardware) | Use a physical SIM, or bring a second phone |
| Hong Kong / some dual-physical-SIM Asia models | Depends, often removed | Check the EID on the actual device first |
| Carrier-locked contract phone | Hardware yes, but locked | Get the original carrier to unlock before you travel |
| Company-issued work phone | May be managed by MDM | Ask IT whether you can add your own eSIM |
Two real-world cases: can you install or not?
A table is still abstract, so here are two situations a lot of people actually hit:
Case 1: a second-hand phone someone sold you. The trap with used phones isn’t the hardware, it’s whether it’s still locked to a previous owner or carrier. Dial *#06# to confirm the EID exists, then go into Settings and try “Add eSIM.” If the phone walks you all the way to the QR scan step, you’re almost certainly fine. If it stalls and asks for an unlock code, it’s still locked, and only the original carrier can fix that.
Case 2: someone who flies three or four times a year. This is exactly who dual-eSIM phones are built for. Keep your home number in the physical tray for calls and verification codes, and run all your travel data on eSIMs. Install one for Japan, keep it after you land home, then add Korea next time. Your phone can hold several countries’ lines at once, and you just switch before each trip. It’s even simpler with soda, because you don’t buy a separate bundle per country: one wallet settles across borders, billed by actual usage, capped at the cheapest plan price, with a balance that never expires. For how to set that up across a trip, see one eSIM for a multi-country trip.
Common questions
Do older phones (iPhone 8, iPhone X) support eSIM?
No. iPhones only got eSIM hardware from the XS / XR (2018) on; the iPhone X and anything earlier are physical-SIM only. When in doubt, dial *#06# and look for an EID.
My phone has no SIM tray, only eSIM (like US iPhone 14 and later). What do I do abroad? You’re actually in the best spot for travel eSIMs. No physical tray doesn’t mean no connection; you can still load one or two travel eSIMs, scan and activate on landing, and never worry about losing or forgetting a physical card.
How do I tell if my phone is carrier-locked? The most direct test is to pop in another carrier’s physical SIM and see if it connects. On tray-less models, try adding an eSIM in Settings; if it demands an unlock code, it’s locked. Unlocking goes through the carrier you signed the contract with, not a third party.
Can an iPad or Apple Watch take a travel eSIM? Most cellular iPads can install a travel eSIM, which is handy for getting a tablet online. The Apple Watch eSIM is tied to your existing number as a paired line, not a slot for a separate travel plan, so don’t count on it for that.
It supports eSIM, but I have two eSIMs. Will they clash? No. Dual-eSIM phones can store several profiles, but usually only one is active for data at a time. When you travel, set the travel profile as your mobile-data line and leave the others dormant; switch back whenever you need them.
Once you’ve confirmed support
Next is installing it, which is three steps: see how to install an eSIM. Then work out how much data you’ll use.
That last question is one soda is built to remove. Once your phone checks out, you don’t have to guess how many GB a country needs. You land, use it, and we bill by what you actually used, capped at the cheapest plan price, with any balance that never expires. Get a compatible phone on a stable line, and the rest is just paying for what you use.
(Support depends on your actual phone settings and carrier.)