Guide

eSIM on iPhone: how to install it and set up a second line

Where to find eSIM in iPhone settings, how to install a profile from a QR code, switch between two lines, and safely remove the eSIM after your trip.

Published September 21, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 · 8 min read · MoreSim editorial team

To set up an eSIM on iPhone, connect to Wi-Fi, open Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM and scan the QR code. Menu names depend on your iOS version, and eSIM support depends on the model and the country the iPhone was made for. After you land, set the eSIM line for cellular data and turn on data roaming for it.

What is an eSIM on iPhone, and why use one when you travel?

An eSIM on iPhone is a SIM card without the plastic: the carrier profile is written straight to a chip inside your phone. There’s no tray to open and nothing to lose or break. For travel, the big win is that your home SIM stays where it is: the travel data plan runs as a second line, and bank codes and calls keep coming to your usual number.

eSIM support depends on the iPhone model and its regional version — phones bought in mainland China, for example, are a different story. So the first step is always the same: make sure your specific phone works with eSIM. The @moresim_bot Telegram bot has a compatibility check: pick your model and get the answer right away.

Where to find eSIM settings on your iPhone

On iPhone, eSIM lives in the cellular settings. The general path is Settings → Cellular → the option to add a plan. The wording differs between iOS versions: you may see “Add Cellular Plan,” “Add eSIM” or “Set Up eSIM,” and the section itself is called Mobile Data on some iPhones. Go by meaning, not the exact label.

If your iPhone settings have no Add eSIM option, there are usually three reasons: the model doesn’t support eSIM, iOS hasn’t been updated in a long time, or the phone is locked to a carrier. Update iOS and check the section again. Locked phones sometimes refuse to accept another provider’s profile, so check that too.

How to install an eSIM on iPhone: step by step

You install an eSIM on iPhone only once, and you need a stable internet connection to do it: the profile downloads from the carrier’s server, and a dropped connection halfway through turns a simple job into a support ticket.

1. Connect to Wi-Fi or working mobile data; the connection needs to stay stable during installation.
2. Open Settings → Cellular. The wording varies between iOS versions; on some iPhones the section is called Mobile Data.
3. Tap the option to add a plan: “Add eSIM,” “Add Cellular Plan” or “Set Up eSIM,” depending on your iOS version.
4. Point the camera at the QR code from the bot chat or your account on the website. If the code is open on the same phone, choose to enter the activation details manually.
5. Wait for the profile to download and give the line a clear name, like “Travel.”
6. Choose which line handles calls, texts and cellular data. You can change these settings at any time.
7. Check that the new line shows up in the list. That’s it for installation; you don’t need to turn it on yet.

It’s smarter to install the profile at home before you fly. Airport Wi-Fi at your destination can be flaky, and you don’t have mobile data yet — a classic catch-22. With MoreSim, the QR code arrives in the chat about 30 seconds after you pay, so you can do it all even on the day you leave.

How to activate your iPhone eSIM after you land

Activating your iPhone eSIM after you land means turning the line on and setting it for cellular data: installing and activating are two different things. The profile is already on your phone, and the plan starts counting from its first connection to a network in your destination country. At home, you can simply keep the line turned off.

1. After landing, turn on the eSIM line in the Cellular section.
2. Set it as your cellular data line.
3. Turn on data roaming for this line: most travel eSIMs connect to a local carrier’s network as roaming SIMs, so without it you won’t get data. If your plan’s instructions say otherwise, follow them.
4. Turn off cellular data on your home SIM so your data doesn’t go through your home carrier.
5. Wait a couple of minutes. If no network shows up, toggle airplane mode on and off.

Sometimes the phone latches on to a network with a weak signal and won’t let go. In that case, choosing a carrier manually in the network settings helps: iOS shows a list of available networks and you can try another one. Which carriers appear in that list depends on the country and your exact location — nobody can promise that in advance.

How do two lines work on one iPhone?

After installing a travel eSIM, your iPhone runs two lines: your home SIM and the travel eSIM. Each gets its own role, and this is where first-timers usually get confused. Keep this simple setup in mind.

Messaging apps run over the internet, not over a particular SIM, so Telegram and WhatsApp stay on your home number and receive messages over the eSIM’s data. Keep your home line on if you’re expecting bank texts: for that, your carrier has to offer roaming in the country. A call from your home line while abroad is your carrier’s standard roaming with its own rules, so check the terms before your trip.

• Give both lines clear names, or in a week you won’t remember which is which.
• Keep cellular data off on your home SIM for the whole trip.
• Check which number iMessage and FaceTime are linked to.
• If you’re expecting an important call, keep your home line on, at least for incoming calls.
• Check how much data you have left in the bot or in your account on the website.

How to find your eSIM number on iPhone

You can find the eSIM number on iPhone in the cellular settings: tap the line and look for the phone number field. Travel data plans usually have no number or just a technical one, and MoreSim plans are mobile data only, with no phone number. That’s normal: you call through messaging apps, and your home number stays with you.

The ID of the eSIM chip itself, the EID, is in Settings → General → About. You rarely need it — usually support asks for it when troubleshooting an installation. Your MoreSim order details and plan info are always visible in the bot chat and in your account on the website, so there’s no need to write them down.

How to turn off an eSIM on iPhone, and when to delete it

You can turn off an eSIM on iPhone with one toggle, but only delete the profile once the plan is used up. A line that’s turned off stays on the phone and comes back any time. A deleted profile usually can’t be reinstalled from the same QR code.

1. Open Settings → Cellular and tap the line.
2. To just turn it off, switch the line’s toggle off. The label depends on your iOS version.
3. Once you’ve switched cellular data back to your home SIM, check that the internet works at home again.
4. Only delete the profile when the plan is definitely used up and you don’t plan to go back to it.

If you run out of data early, there’s no need to delete anything: top up the plan with “Top up data” on the eSIM card in your account or in the bot’s app, if top-ups are available for that plan, and the data is added to your current profile. You don’t need a new eSIM or a new installation.

Before you reset your phone or move to a new one, message us: a deleted eSIM profile usually can’t be reinstalled from the same QR code, so ask support first. Support is available via /support in the bot, a ticket in your account and email at admin@moresim.online.