If you've read this far in the series, you already know the theory. This lesson skips it and goes straight to the doing. Installing an eSIM takes about ninety seconds of active effort, plus however long you spend deciding which destination to buy.
Do this before you fly, not at the gate. There's nothing about the process that benefits from being rushed, and everything about a boarding queue that makes it harder than it needs to be.
Before you start
Three things, checked once, save you from doing this twice. It's tempting to skip straight to the QR code, but each of these three has caused a genuinely stuck install for someone, so give them thirty seconds first:
- Your phone supports eSIM (dial
*#06#- an EID number means yes; see the full compatibility list if you want brand-by-brand detail). - Your phone is unlocked. A locked phone can't add a profile from a different carrier, full stop, regardless of anything else on this list.
- You're on Wi-Fi. Installation needs a working internet connection, and Wi-Fi is the sensible choice - you shouldn't need your home data allowance to install the thing that replaces it.
The install itself
- Buy your plan and open the confirmation email or your account page. You'll get either a QR code or a direct install link, depending on your device.
- If it's a QR code: open Settings > Mobile Data (iPhone) or Connections > SIM Manager (most Android phones), choose "Add eSIM," and scan it with your camera when prompted.
- If it's a direct link, tap it on the same phone you're installing to, and your phone will offer to add the plan automatically.
- Confirm the details on screen - destination and data allowance - then confirm the install. Your phone downloads the profile over Wi-Fi.
- Label the line if asked (we suggest the destination name, so "Portugal" beats "Line 2" at 2am in an airport).