How to Install an eSIM on Android (Samsung, Pixel)
On Android, you install a travel eSIM by scanning a QR code. It takes a few minutes, and the best time is at home on Wi-Fi, a day or two before you fly. Below are the steps for Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel, followed by the settings that keep your number on and your data on the travel line. Menu names vary by phone and Android version, so look for the closest match.
Before you start
- Wi-Fi. The phone downloads the plan, so it needs a stable connection.
- A compatible, unlocked phone. Pixel 3 and newer, Galaxy S20 and newer, and most flagships from 2020 on support eSIM, but the phone must also be carrier-unlocked. See does my phone support eSIM.
- Updated software. Install pending system updates first.
- A second screen. Open the install page (it opens after payment, and the link is in your receipt) on a laptop, tablet or another phone, so your camera can scan the QR code.
Samsung Galaxy
- Go to Settings → Connections → SIM manager.
- Tap Add eSIM.
- Choose Scan QR code. On some models the path is SIM card manager → Add mobile plan.
- Point the camera at the QR code on the install page and confirm.
- Wait for the download to finish, then tap the new eSIM and rename it Travel.
Google Pixel
- Go to Settings → Network & internet → SIMs.
- Tap Add SIM and choose to set up an eSIM. On older versions the option is worded as downloading a SIM instead.
- When asked, scan the QR code on the install page and follow the prompts.
- When it finishes, open the new SIM and rename it Travel.
Other Android phones
Search Settings for "eSIM" or "SIM manager" and look for an option to add or download an eSIM, then scan the QR code. The wording differs between brands, but the steps are the same: add, scan, confirm, label. The makers' own steps are on Samsung's SIM help and Google's Pixel help. If the install fails, see eSIM won't install.
No camera angle that works?
The install page also shows an SM-DP+ address and an activation code. Many phones offer a way to enter these by hand on the scanning screen; on Samsung it is Enter activation code, elsewhere look for similar wording.
Set the lines: home for calls, travel for data
A travel eSIM usually carries data only, so the goal is simple: your home SIM keeps your number for calls and SMS, the travel eSIM carries mobile data, and your home carrier has nothing to charge for.
On Samsung
- In SIM manager, under primary or preferred SIM, set Calls and Text messages to your home SIM and Mobile data to Travel.
- If you see an option for automatic data switching, turn it off for the trip, so the phone doesn't fall back to your home line for data.
- Go to Settings → Connections → Mobile networks and turn Data roaming on for the travel line.
On Pixel
- In Settings → Network & internet → SIMs, set Mobile data to Travel and keep Calls and SMS on your home SIM.
- Open the Travel SIM and turn Roaming on.
- Open your home SIM and make sure mobile data and roaming are off. If there is an option to switch mobile data automatically, turn it off.
Roaming on for the travel line is expected: the eSIM is a visitor on the local network, and the plan is prepaid. Roaming and data off on the home line is what keeps your own carrier from charging you.
If your install page lists an APN
Most plans set the APN automatically. If your install page shows one, add it under the travel SIM's Access Point Names setting.
Before you fly
- The Travel line will usually show no service at home. That is normal, and nothing has started: validity begins when the phone first connects to a network the plan covers.
- Does the plan cover your home country? If your plan also covers your home country, for example a Europe eSIM bought in France, the line can connect at home and start its validity early. In that case, switch the travel SIM off in the SIM settings right after installing it and turn it back on once you have left. The same goes for layovers in a covered country.
- Don't delete the eSIM. An install code usually works once.
- Keep your receipt; the install page link is in it.
When you land
Switch off Airplane Mode. Within a minute or two the Travel line should show a network and data should work. If not, toggle Airplane Mode once and check that roaming is on for Travel and that Travel is the mobile data line. The full routine is in how to activate your eSIM, the landing-day checks are in no service after landing, and the fixes are in eSIM not working.
Want WhatsApp to stay on your usual number? It will; the details are in keep your WhatsApp number abroad. Using an iPhone too? See the iPhone guide. Ready to buy? Pick your destination on the eSIM page, for example Europe or Thailand.
Questions
My Android doesn't show an Add eSIM option. Why?
Either the phone has no eSIM chip, or it is carrier-locked, or the software is out of date. Update it, then check compatibility and ask your carrier about the lock.
Can I keep my home SIM and the eSIM at the same time?
Yes, on most eSIM Android phones. Keep the home SIM for calls and SMS and set the travel eSIM as the mobile data line.
Do I scan the QR code before or after I travel?
Before, at home on Wi-Fi. Validity only starts when the phone first connects to a network in the destination.
I only have one phone and no second screen. How do I scan?
Open the install page on any other screen you can borrow, or use the SM-DP+ address and activation code shown on the install page if your phone offers manual entry.