eSIM on iPhone: Install, Dual SIM Settings and the Switch to Turn Off

On iOS 17.4 and later you install in one tap from the link in your order — no QR code needed. Then set three things in Settings > Cellular: Cellular Data to the travel eSIM, Default Voice Line and iMessage & FaceTime to your home number, and Allow Cellular Data Switching OFF.

The settings, in order

Setting

Set it to

Add the plan

Tap the install link in your order (iOS 17.4+), or Settings > Cellular > Add eSIM > Use QR Code

Label it

Something obvious like “Travel” — you will be picking between two lines all trip

Cellular Data

The travel eSIM

Data Roaming (on the travel line)

ON — a travel eSIM is a roaming profile, this is what makes it work

Data Roaming (on your home line)

OFF — this is what stops your own carrier billing you

Allow Cellular Data Switching

OFF

Default Voice Line

Your home number

iMessage & FaceTime

Your home number

Things specific to iPhone worth knowing

US iPhone 14 and later have no SIM tray. They are eSIM-only, so a travel eSIM is not a convenience, it is the only option abroad.
iPhones sold in mainland China have no eSIM. The hardware is different; *#06# will show no EID.
iMessage can go green. If it does, check Settings > Messages > Send & Receive and confirm your own number is still ticked — the data line changing does not change your identity, but the setting can get knocked.
Wi-Fi Calling on your home line lets you answer calls to your own number over the eSIM's data or hotel Wi-Fi with no roaming charge. Turn it on before you leave.
Focus and Low Data Mode are per-line on iPhone. If data feels slow, check Low Data Mode is not on for the travel line.

Common questions

Which iPhones support eSIM?

iPhone XS, XS Max and XR (2018) and every iPhone since, plus iPhone SE 2020 and 2022. iPhone 14 and later sold in the United States have no SIM tray at all and are eSIM-only. iPhones bought in mainland China do not support eSIM.

How do I install an eSIM on iPhone in one tap?

On iOS 17.4 and later, tapping the install link in your order email or on the pickup page opens the eSIM installer directly — no QR code, no camera. Older iOS: Settings > Cellular > Add eSIM > Use QR Code.

Which line should I set for what?

Cellular Data: the travel eSIM. Default Voice Line: your home number. iMessage & FaceTime: your home number. All three are in Settings > Cellular, and you set them once.

What is Allow Cellular Data Switching and why turn it off?

It lets iPhone quietly use your other line for data when the current one looks weak — which abroad can mean your home SIM roaming at full carrier price with no warning. Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data > Allow Cellular Data Switching, off.

Can I use eSIM Quick Transfer for a travel eSIM?

No. Quick Transfer moves a carrier line between two iPhones and needs the issuing carrier to support it. A prepaid travel profile stays on the phone it was installed on, which is why you should install on the phone you are actually taking.

How do I remove it after the trip?

Settings > Cellular > tap the travel plan > Delete eSIM. Do it only when the trip is definitely over — deleting is permanent and the QR code will not work again.

eSIM on iPhone

The settings, in order

Things specific to iPhone worth knowing

Common questions

Got an iPhone from 2018 or later?