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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

Install your SIM before you travel when you have stable internet connectivity. Validity starts when the network connects at your destination for the first time — not when you install, and not when your phone sees your home carrier. To make sure the eSIM doesn't try to attach to a home network in the meantime:

  • 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 hello@support.esimple.ai with your iPhone model + a screenshot of the Cellular settings screen.

Install your eSIM on iPhone · esimple