eSIM Installation Guide for iPhone and Android

Start here: the full illustrated install guide (four languages)

Real phone screenshots for every step, from scanning the QR code to the settings you change on arrival. There is a complete version in English, 繁體中文, 한국어 and 日本語 — pick whichever you read most comfortably.

This page is the quick summary. If you want to follow along step by step, go straight to an illustrated guide above, or browse the full eSIM installation category.

Installing a travel eSIM is three steps: scan the QR code to load the profile, turn on data roaming for that eSIM after you land, and set it as your primary mobile data line. This page has the full walkthrough for iPhone and Android, when to install, and what to check first if it will not connect.

Three things to confirm before you install

  • Your phone supports eSIM. Dial *#06# — if an EID appears, it does. Compatibility checker
  • The phone is carrier-unlocked. Contract handsets from some carriers will refuse a new profile.
  • You have stable Wi-Fi. The profile is downloaded during installation.

When should you install it?

For most plans, install the day before or the morning of departure, while you still have Wi-Fi. Then you only need to switch on roaming when you land. Some plans start counting days at installation, so installing weeks early is not an advantage.

Exception: some Thailand plans can only be installed after you arrive. In that case connect to the airport's free Wi-Fi first — see our Thailand arrival guide. Your product page and order email state which rule applies.

Installing an eSIM on iPhone

1
Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM
2
Choose "Use QR Code" and scan the code from your order email. If the scan fails, enter the SM-DP+ address and activation code manually.
3
Wait for activation (about 2–3 minutes), then label the line something obvious like "Japan Data".
4
Leave Default Voice Line and iMessage & FaceTime on your original number so people can still reach you.
5
After you land: Settings → Cellular → set Cellular Data to "Japan Data" → open that line → turn on Data Roaming.

Screenshots for every step: eSIM installation guide.

Installing an eSIM on Android

Menu names vary by manufacturer, but the path is the same: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Add → Download a SIM instead → scan the QR code. Afterwards, open that SIM's settings, turn on Roaming, and set it as the mobile data line.

On Samsung it is Settings → Connections → SIM manager → Add eSIM. On Google Pixel it is Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Download SIM.

eSIM not connecting? Work through this order

1
Confirm Data Roaming is on for the eSIM. This is the cause about nine times out of ten.
2
Confirm mobile data is set to the eSIM, not your home line.
3
Toggle aeroplane mode on for ten seconds, then off, so the phone re-scans for networks.
4
Restart the phone, and check you are actually inside the destination country — some plans only activate on arrival.
5
Still nothing? Message us on LINE @peanutmo / WhatsApp +886-921-963-203. Qualifying cases are refundable.

Related guides

eSIM installation guide with screenshots

Every screen from scanning the code to the settings you change on arrival.

Does my phone support eSIM?

Check your handset in about ten seconds before you buy.

Travel eSIM data calculator

Trip length and usage in, a figure with headroom out.

What is an eSIM?

How it compares with a local SIM, roaming and pocket WiFi.

Last updated: 2026-08-02

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Why eSIM installation fails on Android

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Eight things people get wrong about travel eSIMs

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Is buying a SIM at the airport worth it?

What the airport counter actually costs you in money and in queue time.

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