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How to Install an eSIM on Android

Install an eSIM on any Android phone: the standard menu paths, manual activation codes, choosing the data SIM, roaming, APN entry and troubleshooting.

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Android manufacturers each rename these menus slightly. The steps below use stock Android wording; if you have a Samsung or a Pixel, the dedicated guides are quicker.

Before you start

  • Android 9 or later on a phone with eSIM hardware. Dial *#06# — if an EID is listed, you have it.
  • The phone must be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it on a contract, check with that carrier.
  • A Wi-Fi connection.
  • Your QR code on another screen, or the activation code ready to type.

Install with a QR code

  1. Open Settings → Network & internet → SIMs. On some phones this is Mobile network, SIM cards or Connections.
  2. Tap +, Add SIM or Add eSIM. If the phone offers to activate a physical SIM, look for Download a SIM instead? and tap that.
  3. Tap Next to open the scanner and point it at the QR code.
  4. Confirm the download when prompted. The profile takes one to three minutes; keep the screen on and stay on Wi-Fi.
  5. When it finishes, tap Settings or Done to go to the SIM's options.

Install without a QR code

  1. Follow the same path to the scanner screen.
  2. Tap Need help? and then Enter it manually.
  3. Paste the whole activation code, including the LPA:1$ prefix — for example LPA:1$rsp.example.com$K2-4RT-9QW.
  4. Tap Continue and wait for the download.

If your phone asks for an "SM-DP+ address" and an "activation code" as two separate fields, split the string at the dollar signs: the address is rsp.example.com, the code is K2-4RT-9QW.

Set the eSIM as your data SIM

  1. Settings → Network & internet → SIMs and tap the new eSIM.
  2. Turn Use SIM on.
  3. Turn Mobile data on for this SIM. On phones with a "Mobile data" chooser at the SIMs screen, select the eSIM there.
  4. Turn Roaming on for this SIM. Travel eSIMs use partner networks, so Android treats them as roaming — with this off, you get signal and no data. It costs nothing extra.
  5. Leave Calls and SMS pointed at your original SIM.
  6. Go back to your original SIM and turn its Roaming off, so your home carrier cannot bill you.

APN settings, if data will not flow

  1. Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → tap the eSIM → Access Point Names.
  2. Tap + to add one.
  3. Name: anything, e.g. "Travel". APN: the value shown on your delivery page. Leave everything else at its default.
  4. Save from the three-dot menu, then select the new APN so its radio button is filled.
  5. Toggle airplane mode on and off.

Check that it works

  • The status bar shows signal, and the SIMs screen lists the eSIM as connected.
  • Turn Wi-Fi off and load a web page.

Troubleshooting

  • Download fails or times out: you are not on a stable Wi-Fi connection, or the QR code has already been used. Each eSIM installs once only.
  • "No Service" after installing: toggle airplane mode. Then Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → the eSIM → Automatically select network — turn it off, pick the operator named on your delivery page from the list, then turn it back on.
  • Signal but nothing loads: roaming is off for the eSIM, or mobile data is still assigned to the other SIM.
  • Slow or dropping: Settings → the eSIM → Preferred network type — set it to 5G/LTE rather than a 2G-inclusive option.
  • The eSIM option is missing entirely: the phone is a regional variant without eSIM hardware, or its software is out of date. Check for a system update.

Never delete or erase the eSIM to fix a problem. An eSIM profile can only be downloaded once. Removing it from your phone destroys it permanently, and it cannot be reinstalled or replaced. If something is not working, work through the troubleshooting steps below or contact us — leave the profile where it is.

More detail in our Android eSIM guide, or ask support.