What is an eSIM and how does it work?
An eSIM is a SIM that is built into your phone. Instead of putting in a plastic card, you download a mobile plan to it, usually by scanning a QR code. Travellers use one to get mobile data abroad without hunting for a local SIM card or paying their home provider's roaming charges.
What is an eSIM?
eSIM is short for embedded SIM. It is a small chip fixed inside the phone that does the same job as a SIM card: it holds the details that let a mobile network recognise your phone and connect it. The difference is that nothing is inserted. Your mobile plan arrives as a download, which is why an eSIM is sometimes called a digital SIM.
The downloaded plan is called a profile. A plastic SIM card carries one profile, fixed at the factory. An eSIM can store several at once, and you add or remove them in your phone's settings. That is what makes it handy for travel: your home plan stays on the phone, and a travel plan sits beside it.
eSIM is an industry standard, so the same eSIM works with operators all over the world, as long as your phone supports it and is not locked to one carrier.
How does an eSIM work?
When you buy an eSIM plan, you get a QR code. The code holds two things: the address of the server that stores your profile and a one-time activation code. When you scan it, your phone downloads the profile over the internet and installs it as a new line, listed in settings next to your usual SIM.
From then on the phone treats the eSIM like any other SIM. When you arrive, the travel eSIM connects to a local network. It normally does this by roaming, so data roaming needs to be on for the eSIM line. On a prepaid travel plan that costs nothing extra: you have already paid for the data. What you want to avoid is your home SIM roaming, so set the eSIM as the line for mobile data.
Two practical points follow. Installing needs an internet connection, so it is easiest at home on Wi-Fi before you travel. And the activation code normally works once, so do not delete an installed eSIM to make room for another; phones keep several side by side.
eSIM or physical SIM card
| Compared | eSIM | Physical SIM card |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A chip built into the phone | A removable plastic card |
| How you get it | Downloaded, usually by scanning a QR code | In a shop or by post |
| Changing plans | In settings, nothing to swap | Take one card out, put another in |
| Plans on one phone | Several stored, often two in use at once | One per SIM slot |
| Lost or damaged | No card to lose | Small and easy to lose when swapping |
| To set it up you need | An internet connection and an eSIM phone | The card and a SIM tool or pin |
| Works in | Most recent phones, if unlocked | Almost any phone with a SIM slot |
What is a travel eSIM?
A travel eSIM is a prepaid data plan for the country or region you are visiting, delivered as an eSIM. You buy it before you go, install it at home, and use it for mobile data while you are away. Your usual SIM stays in the phone, so you can still take calls and texts on your own number if you want to (your home provider's roaming rates apply to those).
Plans come in three shapes. A country plan covers one country. A regional plan covers several countries on one eSIM, and a global plan covers many countries across several regions. The eSIMs on Live Test 1113 are data only: there is no local phone number, and apps such as WhatsApp work over the data. Each plan says when its days start; most start when you first connect at your destination, not when you buy them. Regional plans: Europe eSIM, North America eSIM, Asia eSIM, Global eSIM.
Does my phone support eSIM?
Most recent smartphones do. On iPhone that is the XS, XS Max and XR onward; on Google Pixel, the Pixel 3 onward, with a few early exceptions; on Samsung, the Galaxy S20 series onward and the foldables. Many other Android phones support it too, but it varies by model and by the country it was sold in.
The quickest check is to dial *#06#. If the screen shows an EID number, your phone has an eSIM. The phone also needs to be carrier-unlocked, which matters if you bought it on contract. See the list of eSIM compatible phones.
How to install an eSIM
- Connect to Wi-Fi you trust. The phone needs the internet to download the eSIM.
- Open the QR code from your order email on another screen, or print it. On iPhone go to Settings, then Mobile Service (Cellular), then Add eSIM. On Android open your SIM settings and choose to add an eSIM. Then scan the code.
- Give the new line a name you will recognise, such as "Travel".
- Set the travel eSIM as the line for mobile data, and keep your usual line for calls and texts if you want them.
- When you land, turn on data roaming for the travel eSIM line only.
Cannot scan the code? Most phones also let you type in the details by hand; they are on your order page. Help with installing
How to top up an eSIM
With many travel eSIMs you can add data to the eSIM you already have instead of buying a new one. On Live Test 1113, open your order page from the link in your order email, or sign in to your account, and press Top up on the eSIM. There is nothing new to install. Each plan says whether it can be topped up; where it cannot, buy a new eSIM for the rest of the trip.
Is an eSIM cheaper than roaming?
It depends on your home provider, so check what they charge for data in the country you are visiting: some include it, some sell a daily pass, and some charge by the megabyte. Then compare that with the price of a travel eSIM for the same trip.
For a sense of prices: plans on Live Test 1113 start at £0.98. See every plan
How to choose a travel eSIM
There is no one best eSIM for everyone. These are the things worth checking on any plan:
- Coverage: does it cover every country on your route? Regional plans differ in their country lists.
- Networks: which local networks does it use, and at what speed? Plans that can use more than one network help where coverage is patchy.
- 5G: only matters if the plan lists 5G and your phone supports it.
- Data and days: pick an allowance that fits how you use your phone, and a validity at least as long as the trip.
- When it starts: most plans start on the first connection at your destination, some when you install them.
- Top-ups: being able to add data to the same eSIM lets you start small.
- Price per GB: the cheapest plan is rarely the best value, so compare the cost per GB.
eSIM questions
- Can I keep my WhatsApp number with a travel eSIM?
- Yes. WhatsApp is tied to your account, not to the line that carries your data, so it keeps your usual number while the travel eSIM provides the data.
- Can I have more than one eSIM on my phone?
- Yes. Most eSIM phones can store several eSIMs and switch between them in settings. How many can be in use at the same time depends on the phone; many recent phones run two lines at once.
- Can I use an eSIM and a physical SIM at the same time?
- On a dual-SIM phone, yes. A common set-up for travel is your usual SIM card for calls and texts and a travel eSIM for mobile data.
- Does installing an eSIM need Wi-Fi?
- Installing needs an internet connection, because the phone downloads the eSIM. Wi-Fi at home is the easy option. After that the eSIM uses mobile networks and does not need Wi-Fi.
- What happens if I delete my eSIM?
- An eSIM's activation code normally works only once, so a deleted eSIM usually cannot be installed again from the same QR code. Do not delete one to make room for another; phones hold several side by side. If it happens, contact us from the help page.
- Can I use an eSIM in a tablet?
- Yes, if the tablet has mobile data and supports eSIM, as many Wi-Fi + Cellular iPads and some Android tablets do. A Wi-Fi-only tablet cannot use one.
- Does a travel eSIM give me a local phone number?
- The eSIMs on Live Test 1113 are data only, with no phone number, calls or ordinary texts. Calling and messaging apps work over the data.