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Getting Started

Install your eSIM on iPhone

Step-by-step setup on iOS, including the iOS 17.4+ one-tap install.

Install your eSIM on iPhone

You need: an iPhone XS or newer running iOS 12.1 or later (iOS 17.4+ for the one-tap install), Wi-Fi or your existing mobile data, and the activation email from esimple.

Option 1 — one-tap install (iOS 17.4+)

Open the activation email on your iPhone and tap the "Install on iPhone" button. iOS handles the rest: it asks you to confirm the plan, gives it a label, and adds it to your cellular settings.

After install:

  1. Settings → Cellular.
  2. Tap the new plan (it'll be labeled with the country).
  3. Turn off iMessage / FaceTime for it (optional but cleaner).
  4. Set "Cellular Data" to the new plan when you land at your destination.

Option 2 — QR code

If you're on iOS 16 or earlier, or the one-tap link didn't work:

  1. Open the activation email on a second device (laptop or tablet) so the QR is on a screen your iPhone can see.
  2. On your iPhone: Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM.
  3. Choose "Use QR Code" and point the camera at the QR.
  4. Confirm the plan when iOS asks.

Option 3 — manual entry

If the QR won't scan (bad lighting, low-res image), you can type the details. From the activation email:

  1. Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM → "Enter Details Manually".
  2. Paste SM-DP+ address and Activation Code from the email.
  3. Continue.

After installing — turn it on when you arrive

Don't activate the eSIM until you land. Validity starts the moment it first connects to a network at your destination. To delay activation:

  • After installing, leave the plan on but set Cellular Data to your home plan.
  • When you land, switch Cellular Data to the eSIM. Done.

Common gotchas

  • "Cannot Add Cellular Plan" — your iPhone may be carrier-locked. See Will my phone work with esimple?
  • No signal after switching — toggle Airplane Mode on then off, or restart. iOS occasionally needs a nudge to re-register on the new network.
  • Both plans showing the same number — that's a display quirk of dual-SIM on iOS. Your data uses the plan you picked in Cellular Data.

If something still isn't working, email support@esimple.ai with your iPhone model + a screenshot of the Cellular settings screen.

Install your eSIM on iPhone · esimple