How to install an eSIM on Android
To install an eSIM on Android, open Settings, go to SIM Manager or SIMs, tap Add eSIM, and scan the QR code from your provider. Confirm the plan and turn on Data Roaming for that line when you arrive. Exact menu names vary slightly by brand.
Android is a big family. Samsung, Pixel, Oppo, Sony, the lot.
The steps are nearly identical across all of them. Only the menu names shift a little, so here are the two most common paths spelled out.
And as ever: install your travel eSIM at home over wifi, not at the airport.
Before you start
You need an eSIM-capable Android phone, stable wifi, and the QR code from your order email. Support varies more on Android than iPhone, so it is worth confirming your model is one of the Android phones that support eSIM before you begin.
Most flagships from 2020 onwards have an eSIM. Plenty of mid-range models do too.
A handful of budget handsets skipped the chip, though, which is the one thing worth checking first. A locked phone will also refuse a new plan, so make sure yours is unlocked.
Samsung Galaxy steps
On a Samsung Galaxy, the eSIM lives in the SIM manager.
- Open Settings, then tap Connections.
- Tap SIM manager (older models say SIM card manager).
- Tap Add eSIM.
- Tap Scan QR code from service provider, and point the camera at the code from your email.
- Confirm and add the plan, then give it a clear name like "Travel".
Done. The plan is on your Galaxy.
Google Pixel steps
On a Pixel, it sits under network settings.
- Open Settings, then tap Network & internet.
- Tap SIMs, or the + next to your current SIM.
- Tap Download a SIM instead?, then Next.
- Scan the QR code from your order email.
- Follow the prompts to confirm, and name the plan.
That is the Pixel sorted.
Other Android brands follow the same shape. Look for SIM manager, mobile network, or connections in Settings, then an add-eSIM or download-a-SIM option.
Turn on Data Roaming when you land
Your Android eSIM will not use data until you enable Data Roaming for that line, which you do on arrival. Go to your SIM settings, select the travel plan, and switch Data Roaming on. This lets your phone use the local network abroad.
Roaming sounds expensive. On a travel eSIM, it is not.
It simply means "use the network here", which is exactly what you bought the plan to do. Your home provider's pricey roaming has nothing to do with it.
Switch it on when you arrive, and you are online.
Pick which SIM handles data
To use the eSIM for internet, set it as your preferred SIM for mobile data while keeping your main SIM for calls. Android lets you assign each line a job, so your usual number stays active for texts while the eSIM carries the data.
In SIM manager or SIM settings, you will see a "preferred SIM" or "mobile data" option.
Point mobile data at the eSIM. Leave calls and texts on your home line.
Both work together, and you are in control of which does what.
If it will not install
If your Android eSIM will not install, check that your phone is unlocked, your wifi is stable, and the QR code has not already been used. Those three cover most cases, and the fixes that solve almost every eSIM problem handle anything left over.
Run through these in order.
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No "Add eSIM" option | Phone does not support eSIM | Confirm your model, you may need a physical SIM |
| "Couldn't add eSIM" | Locked phone or weak wifi | Unlock the phone, get closer to the router |
| Code will not scan | Viewing it on the same phone | Enter the activation details manually |
Nine times out of ten it is one of those. If not, reply to your order email and we will fix it for you.