Do I need to remove my physical SIM to use a travel eSIM?

No. The eSIM is a second line next to it. Leave the physical SIM in for calls and texts and set the eSIM as the line for mobile data.

Will WhatsApp and iMessage keep my usual number?

Yes. They stay tied to your home number while the data travels over the eSIM. Apple confirms that FaceTime, iMessage and other apps keep working on your home line while you travel.

Does the travel eSIM switch itself off when I get home?

On an iPhone with iOS 26 or later, Apple says the phone turns the travel eSIM off and the home SIM back on when you return, depending on location. On other phones, switch mobile data back to the home line yourself.

The QR code is on the same phone I need to scan it with. What now?

Use the manual option. On iPhone it is Enter Details Manually at the bottom of the add screen, and on Samsung it is Enter activation code under Scan QR code. Many providers also install directly from their app or a link.

How to install a travel eSIM on iPhone and Android

Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi a day or two before the flight, as long as the plan's validity does not start at installation. On arrival, turn the eSIM line on, set it as the line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for that line only. Your home SIM stays in the phone for calls and texts.

Before you start

The phone must support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked. Check your phone first.
You need an internet connection to download the eSIM. Apple's instructions say to connect to Wi-Fi or a hotspot.
Know when the plan's days begin. If they start at installation, wait until you are about to leave. When validity starts explains the three cases.

QR code, app or manual codes

Providers deliver the eSIM in up to three forms, and they all install the same profile.

Method	How it works	When to use it
QR code	Scan it with the phone's camera or from the add eSIM screen	The code is on another screen or on paper
App or link	The provider's app or an activation link starts the install	You bought on the same phone
Manual entry	Type the activation details from the provider's email	The camera cannot scan the code

Install on iPhone

Connect to Wi-Fi.
Open Settings, tap Cellular, then Add eSIM. On some regional settings the menu is called Mobile Data.
Tap Use QR code and scan it. You can also open the Camera app, point it at the code and follow the prompt. For manual entry, tap Enter Details Manually at the bottom of the screen.
Give the line a label you will recognize, such as Travel.
When asked, keep your home line as the default for voice. Choose the travel line for cellular data only when you arrive.

Install on Android

Menu names vary by brand and Android version. These are the current paths for the two most common cases.

Pixel

Settings, Network and internet, SIMs, Add SIM, Set up an eSIM. Follow the on-screen steps.

Samsung Galaxy

Settings, Connections, SIM manager, Add eSIM, then Scan QR code. To type the code, choose Enter activation code under Scan QR code. Samsung's instructions end with a restart to apply the eSIM.

On arrival: data on the eSIM, calls on the home SIM

This is the step that prevents a roaming bill.

iPhone

Settings, Cellular: make sure the travel line is turned on.
Tap Cellular Data and select the travel line.
Leave Allow Cellular Data Switching off. With it on, the phone may use either line for data.
Tap the travel line, then Cellular Data Options, and turn on Data Roaming. Most travel eSIMs need this to connect, and the provider's instructions say so when they do.
Tap your home line, then Cellular Data Options, and make sure Data Roaming is off.

Android

On a Pixel, go to Settings, Network and internet, SIMs. Under your primary SIMs, tap Mobile data and choose the travel eSIM. Then open the travel eSIM and turn on Roaming.

On a Samsung, open Settings, Connections, SIM manager and set the travel eSIM as the preferred SIM for mobile data. Then turn on data roaming for it in the mobile network settings.

What the home line still does

With the home SIM active you can receive calls and texts on your usual number, including bank codes. Your home carrier's roaming rates apply to those calls and texts, so check them before you go. If you do not want any charge, turn the home line off and turn it on only when you need a code.

If it does not connect

Work through these in order.

Check that the eSIM line is on and selected for mobile data, and that data roaming is on for it.
Turn airplane mode on, wait a few seconds and turn it off, so the phone searches for networks again.
Restart the phone.
Check the APN against the one in the provider's instructions, if they give one. On a Pixel, Access point names is in the SIM's settings under Network and internet, SIMs. Other phones keep it in the mobile network settings.
Choose the network by hand. The provider's instructions usually name the local networks the plan uses. On a Pixel, the SIM's settings let you pick an operator from the available networks. Other phones have a similar option in the mobile network settings.
Confirm that the country you are in is on the plan's coverage list and that the plan has not expired.
Contact the provider's support, on Wi-Fi.

Do not delete the eSIM to "start again".

Do not delete an eSIM before the trip ends

Deleting is not the same as turning off. Apple's guidance is not to erase an eSIM as a troubleshooting step unless the carrier tells you to, and that after erasing you need to get a new eSIM from the carrier. Travel eSIM providers say the same about their own products. One puts it bluntly in its explainer: once deleted, an eSIM cannot be reinstalled. Many QR codes work for a single installation, so the code in your email will not bring a deleted eSIM back.

Turn a line off when you are not using it. Delete it only after the plan has expired or the trip is over.

Swapping eSIMs mid-route

On a route with more than one plan, install all of them before you leave if their validity starts at first connection. Then, at each border:

Turn the next eSIM's line on.
Move mobile data to it and turn on its data roaming.
Turn the previous line off. Keep it installed if you return to its coverage area later.

How many lines can be on at once depends on the phone. iPhone 13 and later can keep two eSIMs active. Pixel 7 and later can use two eSIM profiles at once if the carrier allows it. On a phone that runs one eSIM at a time, the swap is the same three steps.

If one plan starts at installation, install it on Wi-Fi at the last stop before you need it.

Fewer plans mean fewer swaps. Regional versus local eSIMs explains the trade-off, and the route calculator prices each option for your route.

How to install and activate a travel eSIM