Before you buy a travel eSIM: check that your phone supports it, whether your carrier has locked it, and what to do if it has
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A travel eSIM can fix the roaming bill, the airport queue and the hunt for a shop. It cannot fix the phone. If the handset has no eSIM hardware, or its carrier has locked it to one network, the QR code simply will not work.
Both problems are easy to find at home and hard to solve at the airport, because unlocking goes through the carrier and can take days.
This guide walks through the two checks in order – hardware, then lock – for iPhone and Android, plus the regional rules that decide what a carrier may do.
👉 In a hurry? Look up your model in Torrum’s device list first.
Does the phone have an eSIM at all?
Inside every eSIM phone sits a soldered chip that stores downloadable carrier profiles. No chip, no eSIM – a software update cannot add one.
Every eSIM-capable phone has an EID, the identifier of that chip. Google describes the EID as the number needed to use an eSIM, and on a Pixel you find it under Settings > About phone > SIM status; the phone’s box shows it too. If your phone lists an EID somewhere in its About or status screens, the hardware is there.
The quickest route, though, is the model list. Manufacturers publish which models support eSIM, and Torrum keeps its own list for the same reason.
iPhone: the models and the regional exceptions
Apple lists eSIM support from the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR onwards. Two regional exceptions matter for travellers:
- Mainland China: Apple says only the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air sold there support eSIM;
- Hong Kong and Macao: certain models sold there use two nano-SIM cards for Dual SIM – check the model code before counting on eSIM.
An iPhone can hold eight or more eSIMs, according to Apple, so an old travel profile does not block a new one. Some newer iPhones, meanwhile, sold in the US and several other markets have no SIM tray at all – the eSIM versus SIM versus roaming explainer lists where Apple dropped it.
Android: Pixel, Samsung and the rest
Google Pixel is the clearest case. Google’s help centre says:
- Pixel 4 and later: all phones work with eSIM;
- Pixel 3a: phones bought with one US carrier’s service, or in Japan, do not;
- Pixel 3: phones bought from US or Canadian carriers, bar two US exceptions, and those bought in Australia, Taiwan and Japan, do not;
- Pixel 2: only phones bought with one specific US carrier’s service do; the original 2016 Pixel does not at all.
Google also notes that the Pixel 10, 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL sold in the US are eSIM-only.
Samsung and other brands vary by model and by the market the phone was made for. A Samsung support page notes that some services may not be available depending on your carrier or region. Check the exact model code, not just the name, against the device list – the model name alone may not tell you.
Carrier lock: the check most travellers skip
A phone can have perfect eSIM hardware and still refuse a travel profile, because the carrier that sold it has locked it to its own network.
On an iPhone the check takes seconds. Apple’s instructions: open Settings, tap General, then About, and look next to Carrier Lock. If it says “No SIM restrictions”, the phone is unlocked.
If it shows anything else, Apple’s advice is to contact your carrier – and it is explicit about who can change that: “Only your current carrier can unlock your iPhone.” Apple adds that it might take the carrier a few days to complete the request. On Android, the carrier is also the one to ask – menus differ by brand.
Practical rule: check the lock when you book the flight, not when you pack.
Where you bought the phone changes the rules
United Kingdom. Ofcom banned mobile companies from selling locked handsets from 17 December 2021. Phones bought from UK networks since then should arrive unlocked; an older handset may still carry a lock and needs a request to the network.
United States. There is no blanket ban on locking. On 12 January 2026 the Federal Communications Commission waived an older rule that had required one major carrier to unlock phones 60 days after activation. That carrier now follows, like its competitors, the industry’s voluntary CTIA Consumer Code, which the FCC says covers postpaid and prepaid unlocking, notice and response times. Under that code, postpaid phones become eligible for unlocking once the contract or device financing is complete, so a phone still being paid off may be locked – check your carrier’s unlocking policy before the trip.
Elsewhere. Rules differ by country and carrier. Whatever the country, on an iPhone the Settings check above shows the actual state; on Android, ask the carrier.
Two lines at once: why dual SIM matters too
A dual-SIM phone keeps your home SIM active alongside the travel profile. That second line is how your usual number stays reachable while the eSIM handles data.
Google says Pixel 3a and later phones can use one physical SIM and one eSIM at the same time, a mode called Dual SIM Dual Standby. Apple’s Dual SIM guide describes the same setup on iPhone: two numbers, one of which you choose for cellular data.
How to split the jobs between the two lines – WhatsApp, iMessage, SMS codes – is covered in our guide to keeping your home number on a travel eSIM.
Torrum plans once the phone passes
Once hardware and lock are sorted, choosing a plan is the easy part. Here is the United Kingdom as an example.
United Kingdom Packages: data and days set in advance, installed before you fly.
Packages start their days at the first connection in the country and lapse at the end of their period with any unused data. For short or unpredictable use, Pay-per-MB meters data instead – in the UK at $0.0011 per MB, with the balance kept for later trips.
United Kingdom Pay-per-MB: a metered balance, charged per megabyte used.
For heavy days, Unlimited is sold as day passes, so there is no data counter to watch.
United Kingdom Unlimited: day passes with no data counting.
👉 Planning a British trip? Read our UK connectivity guide.
A pre-purchase checklist
- Find your exact model and look it up in the compatibility list.
- Confirm the eSIM chip: an EID in the phone’s About or status screens (on a Pixel, also on the box).
- Check the carrier lock; on iPhone, look for “No SIM restrictions”.
- If locked, ask your carrier to unlock it and allow several days.
- Buy the plan – for example, a UK package – then add the profile before departure over Wi-Fi with the step-by-step screens.
- Once you land, make the travel line your mobile data line and allow it to roam.
Not sure about a result? Ask the Torrum Telegram bot before you buy.
Symptoms, causes, fixes
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No option to add an eSIM | No eSIM chip, or a regional model without it | Check the model code; use a different phone for the trip |
| Profile refused, SIM not supported | Carrier lock | Ask your carrier to unlock; check “No SIM restrictions” again |
| Profile installed, no data abroad | Roaming off on the eSIM, or wrong data line | Enable roaming for the eSIM; set it as the data line |
| Home number stops working | Home SIM switched off to make room | Use a dual-SIM capable phone; keep both lines on |
| Model name matches, eSIM missing | Different regional variant | Compare the exact model number, not the name |
FAQ
How do I know if my phone supports eSIM?
Look up the exact model in the manufacturer’s list or Torrum’s device page, or find an EID in the phone’s status screens.
Which iPhones support eSIM?
iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later, according to Apple – with exceptions for most mainland China models and certain Hong Kong and Macao ones.
Do all Pixel phones work with eSIM?
Pixel 4 and later do. Some Pixel 3 and 3a phones do not, depending on where and from which carrier they were bought.
How do I check if my iPhone is carrier-locked?
Settings > General > About, next to Carrier Lock. “No SIM restrictions” means unlocked.
Can Apple or Torrum unlock my phone?
No. Only your current carrier can, Apple says, and it may take a few days.
Are phones sold in the UK still locked?
Ofcom banned UK mobile providers from selling locked handsets from 17 December 2021. Older phones may still be locked.
My US phone is on a payment plan. Will a travel eSIM work?
Only if it has no carrier lock. A phone still being paid off may be locked, so check the Carrier Lock line and your carrier’s unlocking policy well before the trip.
Will my home SIM keep working next to the eSIM?
On dual-SIM phones, yes – for example Pixel 3a and later, and iPhones set up with two lines.
Can a software update add eSIM to my phone?
Not if the chip is missing – no update adds hardware. If your model is on the list but no eSIM option appears, install the latest system update first.
Can I install the eSIM once I arrive?
You need a working internet connection for the download. Downloading it before the flight, on a reliable Wi-Fi, is safer.
Final thoughts: check the phone before the plan
Two common reasons a travel eSIM fails are a phone without the chip and a phone its carrier still controls. Both take minutes to check and, if needed, days to fix – so the check belongs at the start of trip planning.
Once “No SIM restrictions” shows and the model is on the list, the rest is choosing data for the destination.
👉 Phone ready? Start with a UK package or browse other countries on the same page.
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