How to activate an eSIM on iPhone: every method

To activate an eSIM on iPhone, go to Settings › Cellular (Settings › Mobile Service on UK iPhones), tap Set Up Cellular or Add eSIM, then follow the method your carrier gave you: a ready-made plan (eSIM Carrier Activation), a transfer from your old iPhone, a QR code, a link, a carrier app or a code you type in. Apple's page Set up eSIM on iPhone, published on 22 October 2026, lists all six, and each needs an iPhone XS, XS Max, XR or later and a carrier that supports eSIM.

This guide follows Apple's support pages as they read on 27 October 2026, when the current version is iOS 27.2. It adds the carrier side (Verizon, AT&T, EE), the Dual SIM screens that come after activation, and the fixes when the line does not come up. If you use Android, see our Android activation guide instead.

Which method applies to you?

You rarely choose the method yourself: the carrier or travel eSIM provider does, by how it sends the eSIM. Match what you received to the row below, then go to that section.

Table based on Apple's set-up page, read on 27 October 2026. If your line is on an Android phone, Apple says the carrier moves it by eSIM Carrier Activation or a QR code, and that with iOS 26 or later some carriers support a direct Android-to-iPhone transfer: our guide to moving an eSIM between iPhone and Android covers it.

Before you start: five checks

1. The iPhone has eSIM. Apple lists the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later. In mainland China only the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Duo, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air support eSIM, according to the same page. Our iPhone eSIM page and the full iPhone model list give the details per model.
2. A connection. Apple's page If you can't set up an eSIM on your iPhone (23 April 2026) asks for a Wi-Fi network or hotspot; in some countries, eSIM-only models can activate without Wi-Fi.
3. The latest iOS. Apple asks for the latest version the iPhone supports. On 27 October 2026 that is iOS 27.2 for recent models, released the day before according to Apple's security releases list. Go to Settings › General › Software Update.
4. The iPhone is not locked to another carrier. Settings › General › About › Carrier Lock should say No SIM restrictions, as Apple explains on its Invalid SIM or No SIM page. A locked iPhone only works with its carrier.
5. An active plan and your codes at hand. Keep the email or letter with the QR code, any confirmation code and your account PIN. Many QR codes work once only: our guide on how eSIM QR codes expire explains why.

Travelling? A travel eSIM can be installed at home and switched on later; our guide on when to install a travel eSIM covers the timing.

Method 1: eSIM Carrier Activation

This is the method with nothing to scan. When you buy an iPhone or a plan from a carrier, the carrier can attach an eSIM to your iPhone in advance. Apple says it usually happens at purchase.

During setup

1. Turn on the iPhone and join a Wi-Fi network when asked. AT&T's guide for the iPhone 18 Pro Max says to pick a secured network.
2. When the cellular plan screen appears, tap Continue.
3. Finish setup. The carrier name appears in the status bar once the line is live.

If no prompt appears, AT&T gives three causes: no Wi-Fi during setup, the iPhone was not linked to your plan in advance, or a software update is needed. Verizon's eSIM activation article has the same flow from Settings: tap Set Up Cellular, then Continue; if that item is missing, tap Cellular, then Add eSIM.

After setup

1. Tap the notification Carrier Cellular Plan Ready to Be Installed (UK: Network Provider Mobile Plan Ready to Be Installed).
2. In Settings, tap the item with the same name.
3. Tap Continue at the bottom of the screen.
4. Make a call to test the line. If you cannot, Apple says to contact the carrier.
5. If the new eSIM replaces a physical SIM, remove the SIM card and restart the iPhone.

US iPhones since the iPhone 14 have no SIM tray at all, as Verizon notes, so in the US this method and Quick Transfer are the usual routes.

Method 2: eSIM Quick Transfer from your old iPhone

If your number is already on another iPhone, you can move it without the carrier sending anything. Apple's conditions: both iPhones signed in to the same Apple Account, both on iOS 18.4 or later, Bluetooth on, both close together, and the old iPhone unlocked with its passcode. With iOS 26 or later you can move more than one number.

During setup, the new iPhone offers the transfer on its own. After setup, the short version is:

1. Settings › Cellular (UK: Mobile Service) › Set Up Cellular or Add eSIM.
2. Choose the number. If no list appears, tap Transfer From Nearby iPhone.
3. On the old iPhone, tap Transfer, and enter the verification code shown on the new iPhone if asked.
4. Wait for the plan to activate. The line on the old iPhone stops working.

If a banner says Finish Setting Up Your Carrier's Cellular Plan, tap it: Apple says it opens your carrier's site to finish the transfer. The full walkthrough, with carrier exceptions, is in our guide to transferring an eSIM between two iPhones, and the checks for a stuck transfer are in eSIM transfer not working.

Method 3: scan a QR code

A QR code is the most common way travel eSIM providers and many carriers deliver an eSIM. It needs a second screen or a printout, since the iPhone camera cannot scan its own display; for that case, see the email trick in step 2.

During setup

On the Set Up Cellular screen, tap Use QR Code and follow the instructions.

After setup

1. Open the Camera app and point it at the QR code. Tap the Cellular Plan Detected notification (UK: Mobile Plan Detected).
2. If the QR code is in an email or web page on the same iPhone, on iOS 17.4 or later touch and hold the code, then tap Add eSIM.
3. Tap Continue, then Add Cellular Plan (UK: Add Mobile Plan).
4. If the iPhone asks for a confirmation code, enter the one your carrier sent.

You can also start from Settings › Cellular › Add eSIM › Use QR Code. If the scan fails, check the code has not already been used: a QR code from a one-time profile cannot be reinstalled after deletion, which is why our guide on an accidentally deleted eSIM says to contact the provider before buying again.

Methods 4 to 6: manual entry, a link or a carrier app

Manual entry (SM-DP+ address and activation code)

Use this when the QR code will not scan or the provider sends the details as text. Apple's steps:

1. Open Settings and tap Cellular or Mobile Data.
2. Tap Add Cellular Plan.
3. Tap Enter Details Manually at the bottom of the screen.
4. Type the SM-DP+ address and the activation code exactly as given, plus the confirmation code if there is one.

Copy and paste where you can: a missing character or an extra space is enough to make the download fail. Our manual activation guide explains what each code is.

A link from the carrier or provider

On iOS 17.4 or later, Apple describes a carrier link: tap the link, tap Allow on the Activate New eSIM notification, then tap Continue. There is no code to scan or type. Open the link on the iPhone you want to activate, not on a computer.

A carrier app

Apple's page says to download your carrier's app from the App Store, and that some apps can also move your number from your previous phone. In the UK, EE's eSIM help page uses its app for replacement, lost or deleted eSIMs: Manage › Mobile and SIMs › Check Settings › Replace my SIM/eSIM. For new QR codes or conversions, EE sends you to Settings › Mobile Service › Add eSIM or Convert to eSIM.

Travel eSIMs: installing and switching on abroad

A travel eSIM installs with one of the methods above, usually a QR code, a link or the provider's app. The difference is what happens on arrival. Apple's page Use an eSIM while traveling internationally, published on 22 October 2026, describes the iOS 26 and later flow:

1. When you arrive, tap the notification and then Turn On Travel eSIM.
2. Choose Travel eSIM Only or Travel eSIM and Current eSIM.
3. Tap Continue, then choose Low Data Mode or Not Now.

With both lines on, data goes over the travel eSIM, but Apple warns that roaming fees on your home line may still apply. With the travel eSIM only, Apple says FaceTime and iMessage continue to work on your home line. Back home, the iPhone should turn the travel eSIM off and your home line back on; if not, go to Settings › Cellular, tap your home line and turn on Turn On This Line.

No prompt? Select the travel line yourself under Settings › Cellular › Cellular Data, and turn on Data Roaming for that line, as Airalo's troubleshooting page also advises. Destination guides such as our Spain eSIM hub list the providers that cover each country.

After activation: labels, default line and data

As soon as a second line is active, the iPhone shows a short series of Dual SIM screens. Apple's page Using Dual SIM with an eSIM (22 October 2026) describes them; Verizon's article shows the order as it appears on a phone that also has a physical SIM.

1. Cellular Plan Labels. Verizon: tap Primary, pick a label, tap Done; then tap Secondary for the new plan. Apple's examples are Business and Personal, and you can type your own (Travel, for instance). Change it later under Settings › Cellular › tap the number › Cellular Plan Label.
2. Default number. The line used when you call or text someone who is not in Contacts. You can still choose a line per contact.
3. iMessage and FaceTime. Choose either line or both.
4. Cellular data. Pick the line for data. Only one line uses cellular data at a time; change it under Settings › Cellular › Cellular Data.

Allow Cellular Data Switching sits on the Cellular Data screen. Apple says to turn it on if you want the iPhone to use data from both plans, depending on coverage and availability. Leave it off with a travel eSIM unless you are happy for the home line to use data abroad, since that may be charged as roaming.

Menu names depend on the region. Apple's pages say to tap "Cellular or Mobile Data", and its UK set-up page starts from Settings › Mobile Service, so on a UK iPhone read Mobile Service wherever this guide says Cellular. The order of the screens is the same.

When activation fails: messages and fixes

Apple's own fix list, in order: turn Airplane Mode on and off; in Settings › Cellular, turn the line off and on; restart the iPhone. Then check for a carrier settings update: Settings › General › About, then tap the version number next to Carrier in the eSIM section. On iOS 18 or later, the Apple Support app can run more diagnostics.

Airalo adds two checks: turn off any VPN, and remove configuration profiles you do not recognise under Settings › General › VPN & Device Management. Do not delete the eSIM while troubleshooting; a deleted profile often cannot be reinstalled.

Carrier lock

If Carrier Lock does not say No SIM restrictions, only your current carrier can unlock the iPhone. Verizon notes that iPhones bought from Apple are unlocked. Our guide on unlocked phones and travel eSIMs explains the rules.

Who to contact

For your home line, the carrier (Verizon lists 1-800-VERIZON on its article). For a travel eSIM, the provider's support. Apple suggests having the error message, your phone number, your account PIN, and the iPhone's IMEI or EID (Settings › General › About) ready; our guide to finding the EID shows where.

How we checked

We read every page cited here on 27 October 2026: Apple's Set up eSIM on iPhone (US, 22 October 2026) and UK version (25 October 2026), Using Dual SIM with an eSIM, the travel eSIM page, If you can't set up an eSIM and Invalid SIM or No SIM, plus the Verizon, AT&T, EE and Airalo pages linked above. Menu labels are quoted from those pages; the current version on that date was iOS 27.2. Apple's eSIM pages describe the screens of iOS 26 and later, so labels on an older iOS may differ.

We left out error messages we could not find in Apple's documentation. Next step: check your model on our iPhone 17 series page or the full compatible-devices list.