Devices

Which iPhones support eSIM: all models since the XS, plus a check

Every iPhone since the 2018 XS and XR has eSIM. By generation: which run two eSIMs at once, which ship without a SIM tray, which are eSIM-only, and how to check yours.

Published September 24, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 · 8 min read · MoreSim editorial team

According to Apple, as of October 2026 every iPhone since the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR (2018) supports eSIM: the iPhone 11, the second- and third-generation iPhone SE, the iPhone 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16, the iPhone 16e, the iPhone 17 lineup with the iPhone Air, the iPhone 17e, and the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max. The exception is most versions built for mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao, which have two physical SIM slots, although in mainland China the iPhone Air, 17e and 18 Pro do have eSIM. You can check your own iPhone in Settings in about a minute, and the model number tells you which market it was made for.

Which iPhones support eSIM? A model-by-model table

iPhone eSIM support depends on two things: the generation and the market a specific phone was built for. The table below is based on Apple’s specs as of October 2026, and the iPhone 17 lineup and iPhone Air have their own breakdown by SIM version.

iPhones from the XS to the 12 run two lines as “physical SIM plus eSIM”. From the 13 series, iPhones can also run two eSIMs at once, which is exactly why Apple could drop the SIM tray from US models starting with the iPhone 14 without losing the second line.

What changed with the iPhone 13: two active eSIMs

Starting with the iPhone 13, two eSIMs can be active on the same phone at once, a feature called Dual eSIM. Before the iPhone 13, a second line only worked alongside a physical SIM: one eSIM could be active while any others stayed switched off.

Any iPhone with eSIM can store several eSIM profiles and switch between them, but no more than two lines can be active at any moment. For travelers that makes things simple: your home number on line one, a travel eSIM on line two, and old profiles from past trips switched off or deleted. On the trip, keep calls and texts on your home line and switch mobile data to the travel eSIM.

Why US iPhones are eSIM-only

Since the iPhone 14, every iPhone sold in the US ships without a SIM tray and works only with eSIM. The US iPhone 15, 16, 16e, the iPhone 17 lineup, the iPhone 17e and the iPhone 18 Pro are built the same way. In most other countries, the same models, except the iPhone Air, come with a nano-SIM tray plus eSIM support.

A US iPhone 14, 15 or 16 works in other countries as long as it isn’t carrier-locked and your home carrier issues eSIMs. There’s no way to insert a physical SIM, so your carrier has to move your number to an eSIM before you switch phones. A travel eSIM installs on it just like on any other iPhone.

How to check if your iPhone supports eSIM

The most reliable way to check eSIM support on a specific iPhone is in its own settings, because that accounts for both the model and the market version, which no list can do.

1. Open Settings → Cellular (or Mobile Data). If you see “Add eSIM”, the phone supports eSIM.
2. Dial *#06# in the Phone app. If an EID appears alongside the IMEI, your iPhone has an eSIM chip.
3. Go to Settings → General → About and tap “Model Number” to reveal a number that starts with A.
4. Look that model number up in Apple’s tech specs: they list which market the version is for and which SIM types it supports.
5. In the same About screen, find “Carrier Lock”. For a travel eSIM it needs to say “No SIM restrictions”.

Buying a used or imported iPhone: what to check

With a secondhand iPhone or one bought abroad, check three things: the market version, whether it has a SIM tray, and whether it’s carrier-locked. The first two decide how you’ll keep your home number; the third decides whether any other SIM or eSIM will work in it at all.

• Market version. The model number shows whether the phone was built for the US, Europe, Asia or China, which determines whether it has a tray and whether it has eSIM.
• SIM tray on the side. If there isn’t one, your home number will have to live on an eSIM.
• EID. If *#06# shows no EID, that particular phone has no eSIM, which happens with versions for mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao.
• Carrier lock. Phones from the US and elsewhere are sometimes sold on contract and locked to a local carrier.

Your iPhone supports eSIM. What’s next?

If your iPhone supports eSIM and isn’t carrier-locked, you can add a travel eSIM as a second line next to your home number. Your home SIM stays in the phone and keeps receiving calls and texts, while mobile data on the trip runs through the eSIM.

1. Pick a plan for your destination on the MoreSim website or in the @moresim_bot Telegram bot, and pay with Telegram Stars from any country, right in the bot (bank card and SBP payments currently work with cards issued in Russia).
2. Get your QR code in the chat, usually in about 30 seconds.
3. Install the eSIM on your iPhone using our step-by-step guide while you’re still at home on Wi-Fi.
4. Once you land, switch cellular data to the eSIM. The plan starts counting from its first connection in your destination.

MoreSim plans are data-only, with no phone number: on the road you call over messaging apps where the country doesn’t restrict them, and bank texts keep arriving on your home SIM. If you get stuck at any step, MoreSim support is reachable via /support in the bot, a ticket in your account and email.