eSIM Basics
How to Buy an eSIM for iPhone (and Where to Get One)
Oct
Quick Answer
Check that your iPhone supports eSIM and is carrier-unlocked, choose a plan by destination, data and days, pay, then scan the QR code from the email.
You can buy from your carrier for a home line, or from an online travel eSIM seller for a trip. eSIM4 needs no app, and 1GB plans start at $2.98 in 86 destinations.
With every eSIM4 plan
- Hotspot sharing
- Days start when the eSIM first connects
- Top up online if you run low
- Refund within 30 days if not installed
- Delivery by email
- No ID check
Check Your iPhone Before You Buy
A travel eSIM needs two things from your iPhone. It has to support eSIM, and it has to be carrier-unlocked.
eSIM works on the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and every later model. US models of the iPhone 14 and later have no SIM tray at all, so eSIM is the only option there.
Carrier-locked means your home carrier has tied the phone to its own network. If you bought the phone on a payment plan, ask your carrier about unlocking it before you buy.
Our iPhone eSIM compatibility guide and the compatibility and carrier-lock checker walk through both checks.
Where You Can Buy an eSIM for iPhone
Two places sell them, and each suits a different job.
Your own carrier. Use this for your everyday home line. You move your main number from a physical SIM to an eSIM, and your carrier tells you how.
An online travel eSIM seller. Use this for a trip. You pick the country, pay a fixed price, and your home line stays as it is.
eSIM4 sells travel eSIMs for more than 200 destinations. There’s no app to install and no ID check. Your plan arrives by email with setup steps for iPhone and Android.
How to Buy an eSIM for iPhone, Step by Step
- Open the shop and pick your destination.Use the search box, or open the category for the country you’re visiting. For a trip across several countries, look for a regional plan such as Europe or Asia.
- Choose data and days.In most destinations a 1GB plan runs 7 days and a 2GB plan runs 15, so a two-week trip needs at least 2GB even if you barely use data. The travel data calculator helps you size it.
- Add it to the cart and pay.Check the destination on the plan before you pay. A plan for the wrong country won’t connect where you land.
- Watch for the email.Your eSIM arrives by email with the QR code and setup steps for iPhone. Check your spam folder if it hasn’t shown up.
For choosing a plan on any phone, our general buying guide goes deeper.
How to Install It on Your iPhone
Do this on Wi-Fi, since the phone needs internet to download the eSIM. Open the email on a laptop or another screen, so your iPhone can scan the QR code.
- Open Settings.Tap Cellular, or Mobile Service if that’s what your iPhone calls it. Some regions show Mobile Data.
- Tap Add eSIM.Choose Use QR Code when your iPhone asks how you want to add it.
- Scan the QR code from the email.Follow the prompts and let the eSIM finish downloading.
- Confirm the new line appears.It shows up next to your home line in the Cellular or Mobile Service settings.
Our iPhone activation guide has the full walkthrough.
Settings to Check Before You Fly
Once the eSIM is installed, three settings decide which line does what.
- Cellular data: in the Cellular or Mobile Service settings, set Cellular Data to your travel eSIM.
- Calls and texts: leave your home line as the line for calls and texts.
- Data roaming: switch it off on your home line, so your carrier can’t bill you for data. Switch it on for the travel eSIM line if your setup email tells you to.
When to Install It
You can install the eSIM at home before you fly. Your days don’t start when you buy it or when you install it. They start when the eSIM first connects to a network in the destination.
Installing early is the safer choice, because you can sort out any problem on home Wi-Fi instead of at an airport.
If you change your mind, eSIM4 refunds within 30 days as long as the eSIM hasn’t been installed. Once it’s installed, it counts as used. If you run low on data later, you can top up online.
What an eSIM for iPhone Costs
A travel eSIM is a fixed price with no contract. 1GB plans cost $2.98 in 86 destinations, and bigger plans cost more.
| Destination | 1GB, 7 days | 5GB, 30 days |
|---|---|---|
| JapanSee plans | $2.98 | $9.98 |
| ThailandSee plans | $2.98 | $6.98 |
| ItalySee plans | $2.98 | $10.98 |
| United StatesSee plans | $2.98 | $11.98 |
Prices in USD from the eSIM4 shop, checked 30 September.
Every eSIM4 plan allows hotspot sharing, so one plan can also cover a laptop or a travel partner’s phone.
For more price ranges, see our cheap eSIM plans hub. Heavy users can check unlimited data eSIM prices.
Buying an eSIM for an iPad
The process is the same on an iPad with cellular. You buy the plan, scan the QR code, and set the eSIM as the line for cellular data.
A Wi-Fi-only iPad has no cellular hardware, so an eSIM can’t go on it. Run the compatibility checker above to confirm your model supports eSIM and is unlocked.
What About Calls and Texts?
Most eSIM4 plans are data plans. Your home line keeps handling calls and texts, and WhatsApp and FaceTime work over the eSIM’s data.
If you want a separate number, the Yabb app sells virtual numbers, including a real US number, along with calls and texts.
FAQ
Check that your iPhone supports eSIM and is carrier-unlocked. Then pick a destination, choose a plan by data and days, and pay. Your eSIM arrives by email with a QR code and setup steps.
Your carrier sells eSIMs for a home line. For a trip, an online travel eSIM seller such as eSIM4 sells plans by destination, with no app and no ID check.
Not with eSIM4. You buy on the website, and the setup email includes a QR code and steps for iPhone.
The iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and every later model. US models of the iPhone 14 and later have no SIM tray.
Yes. The phone must be carrier-unlocked to use a travel eSIM.
Yes, if it’s an iPad with cellular that supports eSIM. The steps match the iPhone. A Wi-Fi-only iPad has no cellular, so an eSIM can’t go on it.
Yes. Your days start when the eSIM first connects to a network in the destination, so buying and installing early uses none of them.
1GB plans start at $2.98 in 86 destinations. A 5GB plan for 30 days is $6.98 in Thailand and $9.98 in Japan.
eSIM4 refunds within 30 days if the eSIM hasn’t been installed. Once it’s installed, it counts as used.
About the author
Peter Moore, eSIM Content Writer
Peter writes eSIM4’s price guides and keeps them in line with the shop as plans change.
