# How do I install an eSIM on iPhone for travel? > How to install a travel eSIM on iPhone: QR code, manual entry or one-tap install (iOS 17.4+), which line to use for data, and data roaming on arrival. - URL: https://esimwithcrypto.com/guides/install-esim-iphone/ - Last updated: 2026-10-15 - Publisher: eSIMwithCrypto (https://esimwithcrypto.com) Install the travel eSIM at home, on Wi-Fi, in a few minutes; switch it on when you land. The three ways to install it, the settings to choose for calls and data, and what to do if it does not connect. **Quick answer — How do I install an eSIM on iPhone for travel?** For an eSIM paid in crypto from eSIMwithCrypto, connect your unlocked iPhone to Wi-Fi, open Settings › Cellular › Add eSIM and scan the supplied QR code. Select it for data and enable its roaming on arrival. Example: Japan 5 GB for 30 days costs $7.39. Updated 15 October 2026. ## What are the key installation facts? | Attribute | Value | | --- | --- | | iPhones with eSIM | iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later (Apple 118669) | | eSIMs stored on one iPhone | 8 or more; 2 lines active at once (Dual SIM) | | iPhone 13 and later | 2 active eSIMs, or 1 nano-SIM and 1 eSIM (Apple 109317) | | eSIM-only iPhones | iPhone 17 models in 12 markets, including the US, Canada, Mexico and Japan; iPhone Air in every market (press reports) | | iPhones bought in mainland China | eSIM on 5 models only, such as the iPhone Air (A3518) and iPhone 17e (A3635) (Apple 123879) | | Wi-Fi to install | Required, except some eSIM-only models in some countries (Apple 118227) | | Ways to install | QR code from another screen, manual entry of the SM-DP+ address and activation code, or one-tap install on iOS 17.4 or later | | Carrier lock | Settings › General › About › Carrier Lock must say “No SIM restrictions” (Apple 109316) | | Our delivery | QR code, SM-DP+ address and activation code in My eSIMs, usually a few minutes after the payment is confirmed on the blockchain | | Validity | Not at install: the validity starts when the eSIM first connects to a network in your destination | ## How do I install a travel eSIM on iPhone, step by step? Do steps 1 to 5 at home before you leave, and step 6 when you land. Menu names change slightly between iOS versions and countries: Mobile Service, Cellular or Mobile Data. 1. **Check that the iPhone is unlocked** — Open Settings › General › About › Carrier Lock. “No SIM restrictions” means the iPhone accepts a travel eSIM. Only your carrier can unlock it, not Apple. 2. **Connect to Wi-Fi** — Apple says the iPhone must be connected to a Wi-Fi network or a hotspot to set up an eSIM. Some eSIM-only models can activate without Wi-Fi in some countries. 3. **Open your eSIM in My eSIMs** — After payment, My eSIMs shows the QR code, the SM-DP+ address and the activation code of your eSIM, usually a few minutes after the payment is confirmed on the blockchain. 4. **Add the eSIM** — On the iPhone itself, tap the one-tap install button (iOS 17.4 or later). From another screen, go to Settings › Mobile Service › Add eSIM › Use QR Code and scan it. Without either, tap Enter Details Manually and type the SM-DP+ address and the activation code. 5. **Name the line and keep your number for calls** — Call the new line Travel. Keep your usual line as the default for calls, SMS, iMessage and FaceTime. You can leave the Travel line off until you land. 6. **Switch it on when you land** — Turn the Travel line on, choose it for Mobile Data (Cellular Data) and turn on Data Roaming for it. Turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching to keep all data on the travel eSIM. ## Which iPhones can install a travel eSIM? Every iPhone from the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR onwards, according to Apple, if it is not locked to a carrier. An iPhone stores 8 or more eSIMs and uses 2 lines at once. From the iPhone 13, both active lines can be eSIMs, so a travel eSIM can sit next to your usual eSIM. Three cases need a check: - **iPhone 17 and iPhone Air:** press reports say the iPhone 17 models are eSIM-only in 12 markets (Bahrain, Canada, Guam, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the US and the US Virgin Islands), and the iPhone Air in every market. A travel eSIM works the same way; there is simply no SIM tray. - **iPhones bought in mainland China:** only 5 models have eSIM, among them the iPhone Air (A3518) and the iPhone 17e (A3635), per Apple. The others have two nano-SIM trays and no eSIM. - **Some models sold in Hong Kong and Macao** have two nano-SIM slots instead of an eSIM (Apple). To see your model number: Settings › General › About › Model Number. Model by model: [eSIM compatible phones](https://esimwithcrypto.com/esim-compatible-phones/). ## QR code, manual entry or one-tap install: which should I use? Use the one that fits the screen you bought on: - **You bought on the iPhone itself:** tap the one-tap install button in My eSIMs. It needs iOS 17.4 or later and no second screen. - **You bought on a computer or a tablet:** scan the QR code on that screen with the iPhone (Settings › Mobile Service › Add eSIM › Use QR Code). - **Neither works:** tap Enter Details Manually and type the SM-DP+ address and the activation code shown in My eSIMs. All three install the same eSIM profile. The activation code follows the GSMA format `LPA:1$` + the SM-DP+ address + `$` + a matching ID. Install it once: the QR code works once, on one phone, and a deleted eSIM cannot be installed again. ## Which line should I use for calls, messages and data? Your usual line for calls and SMS, the travel eSIM for data. Our eSIMs are data only: no phone number, no calls and no SMS. - **Calls, SMS, iMessage and FaceTime:** keep your usual line as the default, so bank codes (2FA) and messages keep reaching your number. - **Mobile Data:** the Travel line, with Data Roaming on. - **Data Roaming on your usual line:** off, if you want to avoid roaming data charges from your home operator. - **Allow Cellular Data Switching:** off, so the iPhone does not move data back to your usual line. Apple adds one condition for two plans from two carriers: the iPhone must be unlocked. Calls and texts that reach your home line abroad may still be charged by your home operator. More: [what a data-only eSIM is](https://esimwithcrypto.com/data-only-esim/). ## When should I switch on the travel eSIM? When you land. Install it at home, then leave the Travel line off or on: the validity starts when the eSIM first connects to a network in your destination, so installing early costs no days. For supported iPhones bought in mainland China, Apple restricts installing eSIMs from foreign carriers while the device is in mainland China. Turkey’s regulator blocked the websites and apps of at least 35 eSIM sellers in July 2025. Check before departure: [install a travel eSIM before or after landing?](https://esimwithcrypto.com/guides/when-to-install-esim/) ## What if the eSIM does not install or does not connect? Check these four points, in this order: 1. **Wi-Fi:** the download needs a working Wi-Fi network or hotspot. 2. **Carrier lock:** a locked iPhone can install a travel eSIM but will not connect with it. Settings › General › About › Carrier Lock must say “No SIM restrictions”. Details: [carrier-locked phone](https://esimwithcrypto.com/guides/locked-phone-esim/). 3. **Settings on arrival:** the Travel line on, chosen for Mobile Data, with Data Roaming on. Then turn airplane mode on and off. 4. **Never delete the eSIM** to try again: the QR code works once, on one phone, and a deleted eSIM cannot be installed again. Turn the line off instead. Still no service? Write to support@esimwithcrypto.com with your order reference, the country and the time (UTC). Email replies within 12 hours, 7 days a week, including help with installing and activating your eSIM. ## What else should I know before buying? ### Can I install a travel eSIM on iPhone without Wi-Fi? Usually not. Apple says the iPhone must be connected to a Wi-Fi network or a hotspot to set up an eSIM; in some countries, eSIM-only models can activate without Wi-Fi. A hotspot from another phone works too. Install at home before you leave, when Wi-Fi is easy, and switch the line on when you land. ### Can I keep my usual SIM and add a travel eSIM on iPhone? Yes. An iPhone uses 2 lines at once (Dual SIM), and from the iPhone 13 both can be eSIMs. Keep your usual line for calls, SMS and bank codes, and choose the travel eSIM for mobile data. The iPhone must be unlocked to use plans from two carriers, Apple says. Our eSIMs are data only, so they never replace your number. ### How do I install an eSIM on iPhone 17? The same way as on other iPhones: Settings › Mobile Service › Add eSIM, then scan the QR code, enter the details manually, or use the one-tap install button on iOS 17.4 or later. Press reports say the iPhone 17 is eSIM-only in 12 markets, including the US, Canada, Mexico and Japan, so there may be no SIM tray at all. ### Can I use the same QR code on two iPhones? No. the QR code works once, on one phone, and a deleted eSIM cannot be installed again. If you travel with two iPhones, buy one eSIM for each: the cart allows up to 10 different plans per order, and up to 10 eSIMs of each plan. Before you install, check that the eSIM is for the phone you will travel with, because an installed eSIM cannot be moved to another phone. ### Does a travel eSIM work on an iPhone bought in China? Only on 5 models, per Apple: the iPhone 18 Pro (A3715), 18 Pro Max (A3718), iPhone Duo (A3721), iPhone 17e (A3635) and iPhone Air (A3518). Other iPhones bought in mainland China have two nano-SIM trays and no eSIM. Apple says a travel eSIM can be activated on these models outside China, with Location Services on. ### Should I delete the travel eSIM after my trip? Not before the trip is over and the data or the validity has ended. A deleted eSIM cannot be installed again: the QR code works once, on one phone, and a deleted eSIM cannot be installed again. During the trip, turn the line off instead of deleting it. Top-ups are added to the eSIM already on your phone, so keeping it installed also keeps top-ups possible. ### Why does my iPhone show the name of a local network? A travel eSIM works in roaming and may display the visited network name. Our roaming partners have not been confirmed per plan; local operator names on destination pages are background information. If it shows No service instead, check that Data Roaming is on for the Travel line and that the iPhone is not carrier-locked. ## Which sources support this guide? 1. [Set up eSIM on iPhone (Apple Support 118669)](https://support.apple.com/en-us/118669) — Apple (checked 2026-10-15) 2. [Use eSIM while traveling internationally with your iPhone (Apple Support 118227)](https://support.apple.com/en-us/118227) — Apple (checked 2026-10-15) 3. [Use Dual SIM with an eSIM (support article 109317)](https://support.apple.com/en-us/109317) — Apple (2026-09-17) 4. [Unlock your iPhone for use with a different carrier (support article 109316)](https://support.apple.com/en-us/109316) — Apple (checked 2026-10-09) 5. [Use eSIM with iPhone in China mainland (support article 123879)](https://support.apple.com/en-us/123879) — Apple (checked 2026-10-15) 6. [iPhone 17 eSIM-only markets](https://heise.de/-10639642) — heise online (checked 2026-10-09) 7. [Canadian iPhone 17 models will only have eSIM](https://mobilesyrup.com/2025/09/09/canadian-iphone-17-models-will-only-have-esim/) — MobileSyrup (2025-09-09) 8. [LPA activation code format explained](https://builders.firsty.app/guides/lpa-activation-code-format-explained) — Firsty (eSIM seller) (checked 2026-10-09) 9. [Turkey blocks eSIM providers](https://www.intellinews.com/turkey-blocks-e-sim-providers-392021/) — bne IntelliNews (checked 2026-10-09) **Ready to choose your travel eSIM?** The QR code appears in My eSIMs, usually a few minutes after the payment is confirmed on the blockchain. eSIMs from $0.89, paid in USDT, BTC, SOL or another accepted coin. 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