soda Journal
How to install an eSIM: iPhone and Android, step by step
Short version: installing an eSIM is three steps. Scan a QR code, set it up, then turn on data roaming once you land. About three minutes. What actually trips people up isn’t the install but a couple of small settings, covered below.
Check two things first
- Your phone supports eSIM. Recent iPhones (XS and later) and most flagship Androids (Pixel, Galaxy S, and others) do. Fastest check: on iPhone, Settings → General → About and look for “Available eSIM”; on Android, dial
*#06#and look for an EID number. For the full list, see which phones support eSIM. - Your phone is unlocked (SIM-free). A handset locked to a carrier contract may refuse another provider’s eSIM. If you’re still fuzzy on how an eSIM differs from a plastic card in the first place, start with what an eSIM actually is.
What that QR code actually is
People assume the QR code is the SIM. It isn’t. It holds two things: a server address and an activation code. When your phone scans it, it connects to that address, uses the code, and downloads your number profile, then writes it onto the phone. So the QR code is more like a key than the SIM itself.
Once that clicks, a lot of things make sense. Why can you “enter details manually” when the camera won’t scan? Because the QR is just that same address and code packed into a picture. Type the text in by hand and you get the same result. The email that sends you the QR usually lists the manual fields too: a server address (called SM-DP+) and the activation code. Camera failing? Switch to typing.
Installing on iPhone
- Get your eSIM QR code (usually by email or in an app).
- Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM.
- Scan the QR code with the camera and follow the prompts. If it won’t scan, tap “Enter Details Manually” and fill in the address and code from the email.
- Label the eSIM (call it “Travel”) and choose which line to use for data and which to use for calls.
- After you arrive, turn on Data Roaming for that eSIM.
Installing needs an internet connection (your phone has to fetch the number profile from the server), so set it up at home on Wi-Fi before you leave. Leave the data roaming switch off until you land, though, or your phone may connect to your home carrier first.
Installing on Android (Pixel / Galaxy)
- Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Add eSIM.
- Scan the QR code and download the profile (that’s the number profile from above). If it won’t scan, choose manual entry.
- Activate the eSIM and set it as your mobile-data line.
- Turn on data roaming once you land.
Android menus differ a little between brands, but the path is similar: find “SIM” or “mobile network” settings and choose “Add eSIM.”
iPhone vs Android: same idea, different words
The steps are identical in spirit; only the labels change. Here’s the same action side by side so you don’t get lost hunting for a menu:
| What you want to do | On iPhone | On Android (Pixel / Galaxy) |
|---|---|---|
| Add the eSIM | Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM | Settings → Network → SIMs → Add eSIM |
| Type it in when scanning fails | Enter Details Manually | Enter activation code manually |
| Pick which line carries data | Cellular Data → choose the eSIM | Mobile data / Data SIM → choose the eSIM |
| Turn on data after you land | That eSIM → Data Roaming (on) | That eSIM → Roaming (on) |
| Find your EID | General → About | Dial *#06# |
Why the QR code usually only works once
This one catches people out. The first time you scan, the number profile downloads onto your phone, and that activation code is then spent. Scan again and the server replies “already used.” The QR isn’t broken; it just did its one job.
Which leads to an important rule: once it’s installed, don’t delete the eSIM on a whim. Delete it and the profile is gone, but the original QR is already used up, so you’d have to ask the seller to reissue a fresh one before you can install again. Save any cleanup of old eSIMs for after the trip, when you’re sure you’re done.
A quick word on the EID
Setup occasionally asks for your EID. Don’t panic. The EID is your eSIM chip’s own ID number, a fixed string of digits that’s unique to your phone. Some sellers or carriers ask for it before they activate, to make sure the profile is issued to this handset. You find it the same way as before: on iPhone under About, on Android by dialling *#06#.
Two common situations, handled
Situation one: installing at home the night before. This is the recommended way. Connect to your home Wi-Fi, scan the eSIM in, label it, but leave Data Roaming off. The next day you land, turn airplane mode off, then flip Data Roaming on for that eSIM, and you’re usually connected within a minute. Why hold the roaming switch until you arrive? Turn it on too early and your phone may use the travel eSIM to connect to a carrier back home, which does nothing useful.
Situation two: you’re already abroad and realise you never installed it. Still fixable, but you need a short burst of internet to install (the phone has to reach the server and download the profile). If there’s hotel or cafe Wi-Fi, hop on that and scan the QR. Airport Wi-Fi often wants a login and runs flaky, so skip it if you can. With no connection at all, borrow a travel companion’s hotspot just long enough to finish the install. Once the profile is down and Data Roaming is on, your own line stands on its own.
Stuck? Here’s the usual fix
| What’s happening | Likely cause / what to do |
|---|---|
| QR code scan does nothing | Save a screenshot and use manual entry, typing the server address and activation code from your email; make sure you’re online (you need data to install an eSIM) |
| Installed, but no internet at all | Usually data roaming is off, or your default data line is still the old SIM |
| Right eSIM installed, but data runs on the wrong line | In Cellular settings, set “Cellular Data” to your travel eSIM |
| No service after you land | Toggle airplane mode on for a few seconds and off again to force a fresh network search, and confirm data roaming is on for that eSIM |
| QR code only scans once | Correct. Most eSIM QR codes stop working after one install (the profile is already downloaded). Don’t delete the eSIM or you’ll need a reissue |
| Want to install before the trip | You can; just turn on data roaming after you arrive, not before |
| Switching phones | An eSIM can’t be popped out like a physical card; it usually needs a transfer or reissue, so don’t delete it casually |
Common questions
Do I need a QR code, or can I install an eSIM without one? You don’t strictly need the QR. Scanning it is just the fastest route. The same profile can be added by manual entry (the SM-DP+ server address plus the activation code), and some sellers let you install in one tap from their own app. When the camera won’t cooperate, typing it in is the reliable fallback.
Does installing an eSIM use up my physical SIM? No. Most phones run one physical SIM and one eSIM at the same time, so your home number still takes calls and verification texts while the travel eSIM handles data. Just set “Cellular Data” to the travel eSIM and leave your home line for calls.
Can two phones share one eSIM? No. Once a profile downloads onto one phone, it’s tied to that handset and the QR is spent, so you can’t simply move it to another phone. Switching devices usually means asking the seller to reissue a fresh profile. If you’re setting one up for family, install it on the phone that’s actually travelling.
How do I confirm the install actually worked? Check the status bar for signal bars, then open a webpage or map to test. If it installed but shows no service, toggle airplane mode for a few seconds to force a re-search, and double-check that data roaming is on and the data line is set to this eSIM.
Should I delete the eSIM when I get home? No rush. If it’s a balance-based or rechargeable eSIM, keeping it may let you reuse it on your next trip; delete it and you’d reinstall from scratch. Once you’re sure the trip is over and you won’t need it, remove it in Settings. With soda it’s even simpler, since the balance never expires, so there’s no reason to clear it out.
Once it’s installed, the real question begins
The install is the easy part, three minutes and done. The annoying bit is the guessing beforehand: how many GB does this trip need? For the full breakdown of what uses what, see how much data do you actually need.
soda’s whole point is that you don’t have to gamble before you install. You land, use it, and we bill by what you actually used, capped at the cheapest plan price, with a balance that never expires. So once you’ve done the few steps above, that’s it: use a little or a lot, you never overpay and never lose what you didn’t use.
(Menu names vary slightly by brand and OS version.)