Installing a travel eSIM and using it for internet access are separate decisions. Your phone may show the new plan while still sending data over your home line. Set aside a few minutes on reliable Wi-Fi and have your provider’s instructions open before switching anything off.
Check the plan before installing it
Check compatibility for the exact phone model, where it was sold, your network and the countries on your route. Find out when validity starts: installation, activation or first connection are different possible triggers, and only the provider can tell you which applies to your plan. Also check whether it includes a phone number, calls and texts or data only. If you rely on your home number for sign-in codes, decide how you will receive them and what your home carrier charges abroad.
Keep the provider’s contact details and activation instructions somewhere accessible offline. If a QR code must be scanned, display it on another device or use the provider’s supported same-device method. Treat the activation code as private. Do not delete or transfer your existing home line to make room for the instructions below.
Add the plan on iPhone
For a plan from a different carrier, check Settings > General > About and look for the carrier-lock entry. Apple says an unlocked iPhone displays “No SIM restrictions”. Its international eSIM guide explains regional and model differences as well as the option of keeping both lines active.
For a QR code from the provider on an already set-up phone, open Camera, scan the code, tap the mobile-plan notification and follow the prompts to add the eSIM. Enter a confirmation code if the provider supplied one. A provider app or activation link uses a different route; use the appropriate method in Apple’s setup instructions. At the destination, choose the travel line for mobile data in Settings > Mobile Data. The menu may be called Cellular on your phone. Decide separately whether you need the home line on; active home service can still incur charges.
Add the plan on Google Pixel
On a supported Pixel with a physical SIM and no eSIM already set up, open Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Add SIM > Set up an eSIM. Select the provider and follow its setup steps. If you already use an eSIM, check your model and operator’s support for two active profiles first. Google’s Pixel instructions cover both cases. These are Pixel menus, not directions for every Android phone.
In the SIM preferences, choose the travel line for mobile data. Calls and texts have their own preferences. Review any automatic data switching and data-during-calls options before relying on a particular line for all data; behaviour depends on the Pixel model and your settings.
Test at the destination and switch back at home
Check the provider’s roaming instructions for the travel line specifically. Disable Wi-Fi briefly and load a new page to test mobile data. If it fails, reconnect to Wi-Fi, check that the travel line is enabled, selected for data and within its validity and coverage. Contact support before deleting the profile; do not assume your code can install it again.
On returning home, check that your usual line is on and selected for data, and switch off the travel line if no longer required. Confirm calls or messages on your normal number and test mobile data without Wi-Fi again.
Sources checked on 5 November 2026.