eSIM on Android: Samsung, Pixel and the Rest (Setup Guide)

Every Android eSIM setup is the same two switches under different menu names: turn Mobile data and Roaming ON for the travel eSIM, and Roaming OFF for your home SIM. The one Android-specific catch is that support is region- and carrier-dependent, so a model list is never the final word — dial *#06# and look for an EID.

Where the menu is on your phone

Phone

Path

Samsung Galaxy

Settings > Connections > SIM manager > Add eSIM

Google Pixel

Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > + (Add eSIM)

Motorola, Nothing, Sony

Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Add eSIM

OnePlus / Oppo

Settings > Mobile network > SIM & network > Add eSIM

Xiaomi / Redmi

Settings > SIM cards & mobile networks > Add eSIM

Honor

Settings > Mobile network > SIM management > Add eSIM

After it installs, set these

Open the travel eSIM in the SIM list. Turn Mobile data ON and Roaming ON.
Open your home SIM. Turn its Roaming OFF, but leave the line enabled so you still get calls and verification codes.
If your phone has an automatic SIM switching or “smart network switch” option, turn it off for the trip.
Give the eSIM a name you will recognise in the status bar.

The Android-specific gotchas

The same model can differ by market. A Galaxy bought in Korea, or from certain carriers, may have eSIM disabled in firmware even though the global version supports it.
Dual-SIM Android often disables the second physical SIM when an eSIM is active on hybrid-tray phones. That is fine here — the eSIM is the second line.
Some skins hide roaming one level deeper, under the individual SIM rather than the SIM list. If you cannot find it, search "roaming" in the settings search box.

Common questions

Which Android phones support eSIM?

Samsung Galaxy S20 and later, Note 20, the Z Flip and Z Fold series and mid-range models from the A54 onward; Google Pixel 3 and later; OnePlus 11 and later; recent Oppo, Xiaomi, Honor, Motorola, Sony and Nothing flagships. Support is far more region-dependent on Android than on iPhone, so verify with *#06#.

Where is Add eSIM on Samsung?

Settings > Connections > SIM manager > Add eSIM. On Pixel and most stock-Android phones it is Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Add eSIM, or the + next to SIMs.

Why does my Samsung not show the eSIM option even though the model supports it?

Carrier and regional variants. Some operators ship the same model with eSIM disabled in firmware, and some Korean and Chinese market variants never had it. The *#06# check is authoritative: no EID, no eSIM.

How do I pick which SIM uses data on Android?

Settings > Network & internet > SIMs, choose the travel eSIM, turn on Mobile data and Roaming for it, then open your home SIM and turn its Roaming off. Some skins put the data-line choice on the SIMs list itself as “Mobile data preference”.

Does Android have the same data-switching trap as iPhone?

Less commonly, but check. Some skins have an automatic-SIM-switching or “smart network switch” option that can move data to whichever line has better signal. If your phone has one, turn it off while travelling.

Can I move an eSIM between Android phones?

Generally no for a prepaid travel plan — the profile stays where it was installed and the QR code is single-use. Android 14 and later added an eSIM transfer feature, but it requires the issuing operator to support it, which prepaid travel providers typically do not.

eSIM on Android

Where the menu is on your phone

After it installs, set these

The Android-specific gotchas

Common questions

Android with an EID? You are set.