How to Install an eSIM on iPhone (Step-by-Step Guide)

Apple made eSIM setup genuinely simple — and then renamed the menu three times across recent iOS versions, so half the guides online tell you to tap something that isn't there anymore. If you've got a QR code from a travel data provider and no idea where it goes, this guide walks through how to install an eSIM on iPhone exactly as it works on current iOS, plus the two settings that decide whether you land with working internet or a dead phone.

Budget three minutes, and do it at home on Wi-Fi before you travel.

First: does your iPhone support eSIM?

Apple's eSIM support goes back further than most people assume. Every iPhone from 2018 onwards has the hardware:

• iPhone XR, XS and XS Max — the first eSIM iPhones
• iPhone 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 families — all models
• iPhone SE (2nd generation, 2020) and newer

Two exceptions worth knowing. iPhones sold in mainland China generally ship without eSIM support. And iPhone 14 and later sold in the United States have no physical SIM tray at all — they're eSIM-only, which makes a travel eSIM the only practical option for those handsets abroad.

To confirm on your own device, go to Settings → General → About and scroll to EID. If there's an EID number listed, you have eSIM. You can also check our device compatibility list.

One more requirement: your iPhone must be carrier-unlocked. A phone still locked to your home network will refuse the profile.

How to install an eSIM on iPhone: step by step

1. Get on Wi-Fi

The eSIM profile downloads from your provider's server. No connection, no install. This is why you do it before the airport, not after.

2. Open the cellular settings

Go to Settings → Cellular. In the UK, Ireland, Australia and several other regions this reads Mobile Service or Mobile Data. Same menu.

3. Tap "Add eSIM"

On iOS 16 and earlier this said Add Cellular Plan. On current iOS it's Add eSIM. You'll then be offered two or three options — choose Use QR Code.

If you see Transfer From Nearby iPhone at the top, ignore it. That's for moving an existing line between Apple devices, not for adding a new travel plan.

4. Scan the QR code

Hold the camera over the QR code from your confirmation email. If the code is on the same iPhone you're installing to, tap Enter Details Manually and paste the SM-DP+ address and activation code from the email instead.

5. Wait for the download

The profile activates in roughly 30 to 60 seconds. Keep the screen awake until it finishes.

6. Label your lines

iOS asks you to name each plan. It suggests "Primary" and "Secondary" — override those with something clearer like Home and Travel. You'll be switching between them and the default labels are easy to mix up under pressure.

7. Answer the three questions iOS asks

After labelling, iOS runs through a short setup:

• Default Line — choose your home number if you still want to receive calls and texts on it
• iMessage & FaceTime — keep this on your home number so contacts see the number they know
• Cellular Data — select your travel eSIM. This is the one that matters

The two settings that make or break your arrival

Turn on Data Roaming for the travel line

A travel eSIM works by roaming onto local partner networks, so roaming has to be enabled for that line or you'll get bars and no data. Go to Settings → Cellular → [your travel eSIM] → Data Roaming and switch it on.

This is per-line. Enabling it on the travel eSIM does not enable roaming — or roaming charges — on your home carrier's line.

Switch off "Allow Cellular Data Switching"

This is the setting that catches people out and produces surprise bills. When enabled, iOS silently falls back to your home line whenever the travel eSIM's signal dips — at full international roaming rates.

Go to Settings → Cellular → Cellular Data and turn Allow Cellular Data Switching off. For extra safety, tap your home line and toggle Turn On This Line off entirely while you're abroad.

Install now, activate later

Installing an eSIM and starting its validity period are two separate events. The download needs Wi-Fi, so do it early. Most travel plans only start counting days once the eSIM registers on a network in the destination country — meaning an early install doesn't eat into your allowance. Plan specifics are set out on our how it works page.

Important: a QR code is single-use. Once installed, it won't work on a second device and typically won't survive a factory reset. Keep the confirmation email, and don't tap Remove eSIM until your trip is genuinely over — deleting a profile is permanent.

iPhones can store multiple eSIM profiles (eight or more on recent models) but only use two lines at once, so there's no need to delete old plans to make room for a new one.

Troubleshooting on arrival

• No service after landing — turn Airplane Mode on, wait 15 seconds, turn it off. This forces a network re-scan and resolves most cases.
• Still nothing — go to Settings → Cellular → [travel eSIM] → Network Selection, turn off Automatic, and manually select a supported local carrier.
• Signal but no internet — check Data Roaming is on, and confirm the travel eSIM is selected under Cellular Data, not just listed.
• "Unable to Complete Cellular Plan Change" — you're offline, the code has already been redeemed, or the iPhone is carrier-locked.
• Slow speeds — under Cellular Data Options → Voice & Data, make sure 5G or LTE is selected rather than a fallback mode.

Further answers are in our FAQ.

Quick reference

Step	Where to go
Check eSIM support	Settings → General → About → EID
Install profile	Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM → Use QR Code
Enable roaming	Settings → Cellular → [travel eSIM] → Data Roaming
Select data line	Settings → Cellular → Cellular Data → travel eSIM
Prevent surprise charges	Turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching

Get set up before you fly

Do this once and every trip afterwards is a two-minute job — the eSIM stays part of your iPhone and you simply add a new plan on top. Data packages start at $3.99 across more than 190 destinations, with coverage throughout Saudi Arabia for Umrah and Hajj.

See the available plans at umradata.com and install your eSIM while you're still on home Wi-Fi.