Does My Phone Support eSIM? How to Check in 30 Seconds

Two things have to be true before a travel eSIM will work on your phone: the hardware has to support eSIM, and the phone has to be carrier-unlocked. Most people check the first and get caught by the second.

The 30-second check

On iPhone: open the dialler and enter *#06#. If the screen shows an EID number alongside the IMEI, the phone has eSIM hardware.

On Android: the same *#06# code works on most models. Alternatively look in Settings → About phone → Status, or try Settings → Network & internet → SIMs and see whether an "Add eSIM" or "Download a SIM" option exists.

No EID means no eSIM. It is that simple.

Or use our device checker

iPhones with eSIM

Everything from the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR (2018) onwards, including:

• iPhone XS / XS Max / XR
• iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max
• iPhone SE (2nd generation, 2020) and (3rd generation, 2022)
• iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 families, in every variant

One exception worth knowing: iPhones bought in mainland China ship without eSIM support. Hong Kong and Macau models vary by generation. If the phone was bought there, run the *#06# check rather than trusting the model number.

US iPhone 14 models and later went the other way — they are eSIM-only, with no physical SIM tray at all.

Android phones with eSIM

The list is long and grows every year. The reliable families:

• Samsung — Galaxy S20 and later, Note 20, Z Flip and Z Fold from the first generation, and recent A-series models such as the A54 and A55
• Google Pixel — Pixel 3 and later (the Pixel 3 in some regions only; Pixel 4 onwards is universal)
• Motorola — Razr foldables, Edge series, some G-series
• Huawei — P40, Mate 40 and selected later models
• Oppo, OnePlus, Xiaomi, Honor, Sony, Nokia — selected flagship models, very much model-by-model

Android is where the dial check earns its keep. Two phones with the same model name can differ by region, and the spec sheet on a retailer's site is not always right.

The part people miss: carrier locking

A phone can have perfect eSIM hardware and still refuse a travel eSIM, because the carrier it was bought from has locked it to their network.

This affects phones bought on contract or on an instalment plan, most often in the US, UK, Canada and Japan. Signs you are locked:

• the eSIM installs but never finds a network,
• an error appears when adding the profile,
• your carrier's app mentions an unlock request.

The fix: contact the carrier and ask for an unlock. Once the phone is paid off they are generally required to do it, and it is usually free and takes a day or two. Do this before the trip, not during it.

Bought the phone outright, from Apple, Samsung, or any normal retailer? It is almost certainly unlocked already.

Tablets, watches and laptops

• iPad — cellular models from the iPad Pro (3rd gen), iPad Air (3rd gen) and iPad mini (5th gen) onwards
• Apple Watch — cellular models support eSIM, but usually only with your home carrier, not a travel plan
• Windows laptops — many recent business models have eSIM; look for it in Settings → Network & Internet → Cellular

Travel eSIMs are data-only, which suits tablets and laptops perfectly and makes them a poor fit for a watch that wants your phone number.

If your phone doesn't support it

You still have options:

• A local physical SIM bought on arrival.
• A portable Wi-Fi hotspot, rented or bought — sensible for groups.
• Wi-Fi only, which in most European and East Asian cities is more workable than it sounds.
• Or use it as the excuse the next handset upgrade was waiting for.

Check your device · How to install an eSIM