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How to Install an eSIM on a Google Pixel

Google Pixel eSIM setup: downloading the profile, entering an activation code by hand, selecting the data SIM, enabling roaming and configuring the APN.

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Pixel phones have the cleanest eSIM flow of any Android device — everything lives under Network & internet → SIMs.

Which Pixels support eSIM

Pixel 3 and every model since, including the a-series. The Pixel 2 has eSIM hardware but it only ever worked with Google Fi. Pixel 7 and later can also transfer an eSIM directly to another Pixel during setup.

Before you start

  • Connect to Wi-Fi.
  • Confirm the Pixel is carrier-unlocked — Pixels bought outright from the Google Store always are; carrier-financed ones may not be.
  • Have the QR code on a second screen, or be ready to type the code.

Install with the QR code

  1. Open Settings → Network & internet → SIMs. (With no SIM in the phone yet this may read Mobile network.)
  2. Tap + Add SIM, or Add more if you already have a line.
  3. The Pixel offers to activate a physical SIM. Tap Download a SIM instead? at the bottom.
  4. Tap Next and scan the QR code.
  5. Tap Download and wait one to three minutes. Keep the screen on.
  6. Tap Settings on the confirmation screen to go straight to the new SIM's options.

Install by typing the code

  1. Follow the steps above as far as the scanner.
  2. Tap Need help? then Enter it manually.
  3. Paste the full activation code from your delivery page, including the LPA:1$ prefix.
  4. Tap Continue and wait for the download.

Configure the line

  1. Settings → Network & internet → SIMs and tap the downloaded SIM.
  2. Turn Use SIM on.
  3. Turn Mobile data on for this SIM. The Pixel will confirm that you are switching your data line.
  4. Turn Roaming on for this SIM, and accept the warning. Travel eSIMs use partner networks, so Android calls this roaming — it does not cost anything on a prepaid travel plan.
  5. Leave Calls preference and SMS preference on your original line.
  6. Open your original SIM's settings and turn Roaming off there.

APN settings, if data does not start

  1. Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → the eSIM → Access Point Names.
  2. Tap +.
  3. Put the APN from your delivery page in the Name and APN fields and leave everything else at its default.
  4. Save from the three-dot menu, then select it.
  5. Toggle airplane mode on and off.

Troubleshooting

  • "Download a SIM instead?" is not shown: you are on a Pixel 2 or the phone is not on Wi-Fi. Connect to Wi-Fi and try again.
  • "Couldn't download SIM": the code has already been used, or the connection dropped mid-download. Each eSIM can only be installed once — if the download genuinely failed part-way, contact us with your order number rather than retrying repeatedly.
  • No Service: airplane mode for 30 seconds, then Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → the eSIM → Automatically select network off, and pick the operator listed on your delivery page.
  • Signal but no data: Roaming is off for the eSIM, or Mobile data is still assigned to your other line.
  • Adaptive Connectivity keeps switching: Settings → Network & internet → Adaptive connectivity — turn it off while you are travelling if the phone keeps dropping to slower networks.

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.

Still not connecting? Contact support with your order number and what the phone displays.