eSIMion

iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, and 16e eSIM support

Yes — the full 16 lineup supports eSIM: 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, and the 16e. Two eSIMs run at once, and US models have no SIM tray. If you bought a 16 in the United States, a travel eSIM is the only way to get local-rate data abroad.

What this device can do

The facts first, then why each one matters on a trip.

eSIM support Yes

Your plan arrives by email and installs without touching the SIM tray.

eSIM profiles stored 8 or more

Stored profiles cost nothing: last trip's eSIM can stay on the phone without deleting anything.

Active at the same time 2 lines, in any mix the hardware allows

Home line stays live for calls while our eSIM does data — even with nothing in the tray.

Physical SIM tray No on US models; elsewhere varies by model — the 16e dropped the tray in some non-US markets too

On a trayless phone there is no airport-SIM fallback — buying before you fly is the safe play, and an eSIM is the only option anyway.

Dual SIM combinations Physical + eSIM, or eSIM + eSIM (trayless models: eSIM + eSIM only)

If your home number is already an eSIM, the tray can stay empty for the whole trip.

eSIM Quick Transfer Yes on iOS 16 or later; whether your home line moves without a carrier call depends on the carrier

Sort your home line's transfer before departure, not at the gate.

iOS requirement Supported out of the box (ships with iOS 18)

An up-to-date iOS makes eSIM installs smoother and the menus match our instructions.

Hotspot on the eSIM line Yes

Your laptop or travel partner can share the plan; hotspot use counts against the data allowance.

5G Yes

Where the local network offers 5G, the travel eSIM can use it.

The current lineup, including the 16e

eSIM behaviour matches the 14 and 15 generations: multiple eSIMs stored, two active at once, US models eSIM-only.

The 16e is eSIM-only in the US like its siblings. Some non-US markets have also received the 16e without a SIM tray, but tray availability varies by country and we have not verified every market — check your own phone rather than a chart. No tray simply means eSIM is the only path, which is the path you are here for anyway.

Mainland-China models remain the exception on eSIM. Wherever the phone came from, the *#06# dial-pad check is definitive: an EID line means eSIM.

Travel setup on a 16

Keep your home line (physical or eSIM) active for calls and texts with its data roaming off, install the travel eSIM from the email, and set it as your data line in Settings, Cellular. On a multi-country trip, two travel eSIMs can be live simultaneously.

Installing your travel eSIM

Your eSIMion eSIM arrives by email with a tap-to-install link, a QR code, and manual details. On current iOS the tap-to-install link is the fastest path. Full steps on the iPhone guide below.

Related

iPhone eSIM guide →

iPhone 15 eSIM support →

All devices →