Guide

How to add a second eSIM without mixing up your profiles

How to add a second eSIM, how many profiles a phone stores and how many work at once, which line to use for data and calls, and how to switch countries on the road.

Published September 12, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 · 7 min read · MoreSim editorial team

You add a second eSIM the same way as the first: open your cellular settings, tap “Add eSIM” and scan the new profile’s QR code. Your first eSIM stays in the list of lines. A phone can store several profiles, but usually only one or two lines work at the same time, depending on the model. Once it’s installed, set one line for mobile data and the other for calls and texts, and give both a clear name right away.

How many eSIMs can a phone store, and how many work at once?

A phone stores several eSIM profiles, but usually only one or two lines work at the same time. According to Apple, an iPhone can hold eight or more eSIMs and use two of them at once. On Android phones both numbers depend on the model, the manufacturer’s software and the OS version: most run one eSIM alongside a physical SIM, and some newer models support two eSIMs. The most reliable source is the list of lines in your own settings.

You can install eSIM profiles in advance and leave them switched off. A switched-off profile doesn’t use data and doesn’t interfere with other lines. Before a trip, you turn the one you need on with a couple of taps and turn the others off; nothing needs reinstalling, and you won’t need the QR code again.

How to add a second eSIM, step by step

A second eSIM goes in through a QR code in your cellular settings, and you don’t have to touch your first eSIM at all.

1. Connect to stable Wi-Fi: the eSIM profile downloads over the internet.
2. Open your cellular settings and choose “Add eSIM”, “Add Cellular Plan” or “Download SIM profile”; the name depends on your phone and OS version.
3. Scan the new profile’s QR code. Your first eSIM stays in the list of lines.
4. When the phone asks you to label the line, give it a clear name based on the country or purpose, not “Secondary” or “SIM 2”.
5. Choose which line handles mobile data and which handles calls and texts.
6. Turn on data roaming on the travel eSIM line: most travel eSIMs connect to the local carrier as a roaming partner, so there’s no data without it. If your plan’s instructions say otherwise, follow them.
7. Switch off any profiles you don’t need so the phone doesn’t bounce between networks.

Home is the best place to add a second eSIM. A MoreSim QR code arrives in the chat about 30 seconds after you pay, and the plan only starts counting on its first connection to a network in your destination. So an eSIM installed a week before your flight doesn’t lose any days.

Which line should you use for data and which for calls?

Put mobile data on the travel eSIM and keep calls and texts on your home number; your phone assigns these roles separately. That split is the whole point of having several profiles: data runs through the plan for the country you’re in, while verification codes still reach the number you’ve always had. MoreSim plans are data-only, with no phone number. You can call over messaging apps where they aren’t restricted, and bank texts keep arriving on your home SIM.

Turn off mobile data on your home SIM so your data doesn’t go through your home carrier. Keep the line itself on if you’re expecting texts from your bank; your carrier needs roaming available for that. Also check the setting that moves data to the other line when the main one loses signal (on iPhone it’s called Allow Cellular Data Switching). It sounds handy, but on a trip it can quietly push your data into your home carrier’s roaming.

How do you switch between eSIMs on a trip?

To switch eSIMs at a border, turn on the new country’s profile, turn off the previous one and make sure mobile data is set to the right line. A multi-country route with local plans is the main reason people keep several eSIM profiles. The phone handles the rest, though it may take a few minutes to pick up a network after the border.

If data doesn’t come back within a few minutes of switching eSIMs, turn airplane mode on and off to make the phone pick a network again. Near borders, phones often cling to a tower in the country you just left. And check that data roaming is on for the profile you just switched on.

How many eSIM profiles do you need for your route?

The number of eSIM profiles depends on your route: one travel eSIM covers one country, one regional eSIM covers several countries in the same region, and countries in different regions each get their own profile.

MoreSim has local plans for a single country and regional plans for a group of countries. The wider a plan’s coverage, the fewer profiles you have to keep and switch. Picking one or the other is a question of your route, not your phone: the countries in a regional plan are listed on its catalog page.

What should you do with your eSIM on a layover in another country?

On a long layover in a third country, your destination eSIM probably won’t work, because its network isn’t at the transit airport. You have two options: get by on airport Wi-Fi, or install a second eSIM in advance that covers the layover country and switch it on after landing.

The layover routine is the same as at a border: switch on the transit eSIM, set mobile data to it, and after the next flight move data back to your main one. Install both profiles at home before you fly; don’t count on stable Wi-Fi in the transit zone. If the connection is short and you only need messaging, it’s often easier to wait until you land.

What should you do with old eSIM profiles?

After a trip, it’s enough to switch an old eSIM profile off: switched off, it uses nothing, and there’s no need to delete it right away. But once five or six of these pile up in your list of lines, things get confusing, especially if they all have the same name. Every couple of months, it’s worth going through the list and tidying up.

A tidy list of lines saves time on every trip after this one. Your phone only has a few active lines, and with a clean list you can see in seconds which eSIM is providing data, which one takes calls and what to switch off before you fly.

If you have several eSIMs, start by checking one thing: which line is set for mobile data. Most of the time, that’s why data drops, not the plan itself.