Android does the same job as iOS, but every manufacturer names the menu differently. That is the only genuinely confusing part, so here is where to look on each.
Do this at home on Wi-Fi, before you fly.
Before you start
- Your phone needs eSIM hardware. Dial
*#06#— if an EID appears, you have it. - It must be carrier-unlocked.
- You need Wi-Fi to download the profile.
Where the menu is
Google Pixel Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Add SIM → Download a SIM instead?
Samsung Galaxy Settings → Connections → SIM manager → Add eSIM → Scan QR code from service provider
Motorola Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Add more → Use a different SIM
Xiaomi Settings → SIM cards & mobile networks → Add eSIM
Oppo / OnePlus Settings → Mobile network → Add eSIM
If none of those match your phone, search the Settings app for eSIM or SIM manager — the search box finds it faster than hunting through menus.
Installing
- Open the menu above and choose to add an eSIM.
- Scan the QR code. If the code is on the screen you are using, look for Enter manually and paste the activation details.
- Confirm when the phone asks to download the plan.
- Give the line a name you will recognise —
Travel dataor the country. Do not leave it as “SIM 2”.
Routing your data
Once installed you will have two lines. Set them up so the travel eSIM carries data and nothing else changes.
On Pixel: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs, select the travel eSIM, and turn on Use SIM. Then under Mobile data, choose the travel eSIM.
On Samsung: Settings → Connections → SIM manager. Under Preferred SIM, set Mobile data to the travel eSIM, and leave Calls and Text messages on your home line.
Wherever you find it, the principle is the same: data on the travel line, calls and texts on your home line.
Turn roaming off on your home line, on for the eSIM
The step that saves the money, and the step that makes the eSIM work at all.
Home line: open its settings and turn Roaming off. It stays reachable for calls and texts, but cannot use data abroad.
Travel eSIM: turn Roaming on. A travel eSIM connects through partner networks, which your phone treats as roaming. With it off, no data.
Same phone, two lines, opposite settings. Get these backwards and you will either have no data or an unwelcome bill.
Samsung: one extra setting
Samsung offers Auto data switching, which lets the phone fall back to your other SIM when the preferred one has no connection. It sounds helpful and is not, if your home line is the fallback: it can quietly start roaming.
Settings → Connections → SIM manager → Auto data switching → off.
When you land
Most plans activate on first connection. If nothing happens:
- Toggle Airplane mode on and off.
- Confirm mobile data is pointed at the travel eSIM.
- Check Roaming is on for the travel line.
- Try picking a network by hand: mobile network settings → turn off Select automatically and choose an operator.
Still stuck? Work through the troubleshooting checklist.
A note on APN settings
Most eSIMs configure themselves. Occasionally a phone needs the APN entered manually — your provider will give you the value. On Android it lives under the line’s settings → Access Point Names.
If your data will not start and everything else looks right, this is worth checking before assuming the plan is faulty.