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The pre-trip eSIM checklist

Four checks, in the order you’ll need them: phone compatibility, installing at home, roaming settings when you land, and when your plan starts counting days.

Full install guide

Check your phone

A week or more before you fly

  • Look for Add eSIM. On iPhone it’s under Settings → Cellular (or Mobile Data); on a Pixel, Settings → Network & internet → SIMs. If the option is there, your phone supports eSIM. Apple lists iPhone XS, XS Max, XR or later; Google lists Pixel 3a and later.
  • Check it’s unlocked. On iPhone, Settings → General → About should say No SIM restrictions next to Carrier Lock. If it doesn’t, ask your carrier to unlock it before you buy a plan.
  • Bought in mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau? Apple says many models sold there use two physical SIM slots instead of eSIM. Check for Add eSIM first.
  • Check your destination is covered. Read the country list on the plan page, especially for regional plans, and note the network it uses.

Not sure where to start? What is an eSIM? covers compatibility in more detail, and a free trial eSIM lets you rehearse the install.

Buy and install at home

1 to 2 days before you fly

  • Connect to stable Wi-Fi. Apple notes a Wi-Fi connection is needed for eSIM setup in most cases.
  • Install with the provider app, a QR code or manual details. Show the QR code on a second screen. Many codes work only once, so don’t delete the eSIM after installing it.
  • Label your lines something obvious like Home and Travel.
  • Keep Home for calls and messages so people can still reach your number, and leave the Travel line switched off until you land.
  • Save the support details: the provider’s help page, your order email and the QR code or activation code, offline.

Set roaming and data on arrival

When you land

  • Turn on the Travel line and set it as your cellular / mobile data line.
  • Turn on Data Roaming for the Travel line only. Travel eSIMs connect as roamers, so this has to be on for that line.
  • Keep Data Roaming off on your Home line to avoid charges from your own carrier. On iPhone, also turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching.
  • No signal after a minute? Toggle Airplane mode on and off, or restart. If it still won’t connect, choose a network manually in the line’s network settings, then check the provider’s APN instructions.

Know when the plan starts counting

Before you install, and before you land

  • Read the plan’s validity line. Some plans start their clock when the eSIM first connects to a network in the destination; others start at installation or after a fixed time from purchase. The plan page or the provider’s help center will say which.
  • Check the activation window. Many providers give you a set period after purchase to start using the plan, for example 180 days on some Saily and Yesim plans we checked. Buy too early for a plan with a short window and it can expire unused.
  • Count days the provider’s way. A 7-day plan may run for 7 × 24 hours from activation rather than 7 calendar days, so a late-night arrival can cost you a day.
  • Top up before you run out, ideally on Wi-Fi, and check whether a top-up extends the validity or only adds data.

Fine print

Fair-use limits, hotspot rules and refund terms vary by provider and by country. Each of our destination guides lists what the official pages say.

Where this comes from

This checklist summarizes Apple’s and Google’s official eSIM help pages and the plan pages we read for our destination guides, checked 4 November 2026. Menu names vary by phone model and software version.