How to add an eSIM on iPhone and Android

An eSIM is a carrier profile downloaded into a chip already soldered inside your phone, so activating one is a software job rather than a plastic card swap. The steps are short on both iPhone and Android, but the failure messages are vague, so it helps to know what is happening underneath.

Adding an eSIM on iPhone

Open Settings > Cellular, called Mobile Data or Mobile Service in some regions, then tap Add eSIM. On iOS 16 and later you are offered Transfer From Nearby iPhone or Use QR Code; older releases show Add Cellular Plan and go straight to the scanner.

Point the camera at the carrier's QR code, or choose to enter details manually if you were sent an activation code as text. The profile downloads over Wi-Fi or an existing mobile connection, so you need working internet before you start.

When it finishes, iOS asks you to label the line and pick defaults. The eSIM setup guide walks through each prompt, and the iOS hub shows how the Cellular section changed between versions.

Adding an eSIM on Android

Pixel and most stock builds use Settings > Network & internet > SIMs, then a plus button or a Download a SIM instead link on the SIM screen. Samsung routes the same job through Connections and SIM manager, where the option reads Add eSIM.

From there the flow matches the iPhone: scan the QR code, confirm the plan, wait for the download and give the line a name. Some carriers skip the code entirely and push the profile automatically after you sign in to their app.

Manufacturer wording varies more on Android than anywhere else, which is why the Android settings hub and the iOS versus Android comparison are useful before you go hunting.

What the carrier QR code actually contains

The code is not the SIM. It holds a short activation string: the address of the carrier's provisioning server, a unique matching identifier that names your profile on that server, and sometimes a confirmation code you type separately.

Your phone reads that string, contacts the server and downloads the real profile. That is why the process needs internet, and why a screenshot of the code works just as well as the printed original.

Most codes are single use. Once a profile has been downloaded, scanning the same code again usually fails, so keep the email until the line is confirmed working.

Moving an eSIM to a new phone and labelling lines

Do not delete an eSIM as your first step when upgrading. Deleting removes the profile from the device, and many carriers then require a support call to reissue it.

Recent iPhones can pull a line across during setup or later through Transfer From Nearby iPhone, with both devices unlocked and nearby. Newer Android phones offer a comparable transfer, though support depends on the carrier and the handset pair, so check before wiping anything.

With two lines active, labels do the heavy lifting. Both systems let you name each line and choose which one handles calls, messages and mobile data by default, plus whether data may switch to the other line automatically. Pick names you will recognise in a hurry, because the label appears in the call and message screens.

When the eSIM will not activate

Work through the obvious causes first. Confirm the phone is carrier-unlocked and supports eSIM for your region, that you are online, and that the code has not already been used on another device.

If the download stalls, toggle airplane mode, restart, and try again on a different network; captive Wi-Fi portals often block the provisioning request. A pending carrier settings or system update can also block activation, which the software update guide covers.

Still stuck? Ask the carrier to reissue the profile rather than resetting the phone, since a reset rarely helps and creates new problems, as the reset guide explains. You can also practise the whole flow in the settings simulator before touching a live line.