Frequently asked questions

An eSIM is a digital SIM card built into your phone. A travel eSIM gives you mobile data in another country without buying a physical SIM at the airport or paying your home carrier's roaming rates. You install it before you leave, and it switches on when you land.

Both stay on your phone at the same time. Your home line keeps receiving calls and texts on your usual number. The travel eSIM handles your mobile data abroad. You don't lose your number, and you don't have to swap anything when you get home — just turn the travel eSIM off.

If you've bought your phone in the last few years and it wasn't sold in mainland China, almost certainly yes. The usual baseline:

• iPhone XS / XR or newer (any year from 2018 on).
• Google Pixel 3 or newer.
• Samsung Galaxy S20 or newer.
• Most recent iPads and many newer Android tablets.

Phones sold in mainland China usually have the eSIM hardware disabled by the carrier and won't work. If you're not sure, dial *#06# on your phone — if you see an EID number listed, you have eSIM.

Three ways, easiest first:

• Email us your itinerary. Forward your booking confirmation to trips@get.esimion.com and we'll reply with plan options that cover your dates.
• Use the planner. Make an account, paste your trip details, and we'll show you what fits.
• Browse directly. Look through plans by country and pick one yourself.

After you check out we send you a QR code and an install link. On most modern iPhones you can tap the link and iOS will install the eSIM in one step — no QR scan needed. On Android, point your camera at the QR or paste the activation code into Settings.

We keep your install page available offline too, so you have a backup if your hotel Wi-Fi dies the moment you land.

Turn up your screen brightness and zoom out so the whole QR fits in the frame. If that doesn't work, every install page also shows the LPA String you can copy — paste it into Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM → Enter Details Manually on iPhone, or the equivalent screen on Android.

Nine times out of ten: Data Roaming is off for the eSIM line. Travel eSIMs always connect through a roaming partner, even in the country the plan covers, so this setting has to be on.

• iPhone: Settings → Cellular → tap the eSIM line → Data Roaming → On.
• Android: Settings → Network & Internet → SIMs → tap the eSIM → Roaming → On.
• Then toggle Airplane Mode on for 15 seconds and back off.

Also make sure the eSIM is selected as your Mobile Data / Cellular Data line, not your home SIM.

Our plans are data-only — they don't come with a local phone number. You can still call and message anyone over WhatsApp, iMessage, FaceTime, Signal, or any other app that uses the internet. Your home number stays active for regular calls and texts if you keep your home line turned on.

You can't get one from a travel eSIM — ours or anyone else's data-only plan. A foreign phone number is a separate product. If you actually need one (signing up for local delivery apps, restaurant reservations that SMS-confirm, government services), you have three realistic paths:

• Buy a local prepaid SIM in-country. Airport kiosks and convenience stores sell them. Most reliable option — real local number, accepted by banks and 2FA. Some countries (Japan, Singapore, Germany, UAE) require an in-person passport check at the time of purchase.
• Voice-enabled travel eSIM. A small number of providers sell travel eSIMs that include calls and SMS as well as data. Coverage is patchier, and the "local" number is sometimes registered in a different country and just routed locally — which means banks may flag it as foreign.
• Virtual / cloud number app. Google Voice, Skype Number, TextNow and similar give you a number that works over data inside an app. Cheap or free, but many banks and government services reject these for verification codes because they detect VoIP.

For most travelers it isn't worth the hassle — keeping your home number active for incoming calls/SMS (with voice roaming switched off to avoid charges) and using WhatsApp / iMessage for everything outgoing covers the vast majority of trips.

Yes, just turn on Personal Hotspot / Mobile Hotspot the same way you would at home. The hotspot data comes out of your plan's allowance, so heavy use (video calls, streaming) will burn through it faster.

Almost certainly not. Smartwatches need a carrier "number sharing" plan from a postpaid mobile operator, which travel eSIMs don't offer. Your watch will still work for everything that doesn't need cellular (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth to your phone) — just no standalone connection.

You can top up. The fastest way: just email us — say "top up" or "more data" from the address you bought with, and we'll reply with a one-click checkout. You can also top up from your My eSIMs page. Top-ups are currently available on plans from providers that support refills (most don't — when that's the case, you'll see the option to buy a fresh plan instead).

Refunds are limited because eSIMs are delivered digitally and many activate the moment they touch a network. If your eSIM failed to provision or you genuinely couldn't install it, contact us and we'll work it out case-by-case. See our Terms of Service for the full policy.

Almost always, yes. Most home carriers charge a daily roaming fee or a fixed pass that bundles services you might not need. Travel eSIMs are prepaid, so you pay once for the data you'll actually use and there are no surprise charges on your next bill.

Open Settings → Cellular (iPhone) or Settings → SIMs (Android), tap your home line, and set it as your Mobile Data line. You can leave the travel eSIM installed for next time, or remove it. Removing it doesn't refund any unused data.

Sometimes. Plans from providers that support top-ups can be extended for a future trip in the same region. Others expire after the validity period and you'll need a fresh plan. The product page tells you which is which before you buy.

Email support@esimion.com with your order number or the email address you bought with. A real person reads every message.