Every iPhone released since September 2018 supports eSIM: the range starts with the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, and in the United States every model from the iPhone 14 onward is eSIM only, with no physical SIM tray at all. If your iPhone is less than eight years old, it can almost certainly download a travel data plan in minutes without you touching a piece of plastic.
That matters for travellers because Apple’s eSIM implementation is among the most polished anywhere. Profiles install from a QR code in a couple of minutes, your home SIM keeps working alongside the new plan, and iOS gives you clean per-line controls for data, roaming and labels. Used well, it turns landing in a new country into a non-event: you switch the travel line on and you are online before the seatbelt sign goes off.
This guide covers every iPhone specific detail: exact model support, how many profiles you can store and run at once, the precise Settings steps, what Quick Transfer does and does not move to a new phone, and the iOS toggles that stop your phone quietly burning through a travel data allowance in the background.
In this guide:
- Which iPhones support eSIM
- iPhone eSIM capabilities by model
- How many eSIMs can an iPhone store and use
- How to install a travel eSIM on your iPhone
- Quick Transfer: moving eSIMs to a new iPhone
- iPhone settings that save data abroad
- Get your iPhone ready for the trip
Which iPhones support eSIM
eSIM support begins with the 2018 generation: iPhone XS, XS Max and XR. Every iPhone launched after them supports it too, including both iPhone SE models from 2020 and 2022, the full 11 through 17 ranges, and the iPhone Air. If you want the fundamentals of the technology first, our complete eSIM guide explains it in plain terms; the one line version is that an eSIM is a SIM chip built into the phone that you load digitally instead of inserting.
The US eSIM only era
In September 2022 Apple removed the SIM tray from all US iPhone 14 models, and every US iPhone since has followed. If you bought an iPhone 14 or newer in the United States, you are already an eSIM user: your home carrier line is an eSIM, and a travel plan simply installs as a second profile next to it. Models sold in Europe, the UK, Japan and most other markets kept the physical tray through the iPhone 16 generation, so travellers elsewhere typically run a plastic home SIM plus a travel eSIM. The iPhone Air went eSIM only in most markets worldwide at launch in 2025.
Models and regions that miss out
Two exceptions catch people out. First, iPhones sold in mainland China have historically shipped with two physical SIM slots and no consumer eSIM, so a China market iPhone usually cannot install a travel profile; some Hong Kong and Macau variants have similar quirks. Second, a carrier locked iPhone may block eSIM profiles from other providers entirely; ask your carrier for an unlock before you travel. The fastest way to settle both questions for your exact handset is the two minute test in our device compatibility checker.
iPhone eSIM capabilities by model
The table below summarises what each generation can actually do. The headline change arrived with the iPhone 13: from that generation onward, two eSIMs can be active simultaneously.
| iPhone model | eSIM support | Lines active at once | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| XS, XS Max, XR | Yes | 1 physical + 1 eSIM | First eSIM generation; one eSIM active at a time |
| 11, SE (2020), 12 range | Yes | 1 physical + 1 eSIM | Stores several profiles, activates one eSIM at a time |
| 13 range, SE (2022) | Yes | 2 eSIMs, or physical + eSIM | First generation with dual active eSIMs |
| 14 and 15 ranges | Yes | 2 eSIMs, or physical + eSIM | US models have no SIM tray |
| 16 and 17 ranges | Yes | 2 eSIMs, or physical + eSIM | US models eSIM only |
| iPhone Air | Yes | 2 eSIMs | eSIM only in most markets |
| Mainland China variants | Generally no | 2 physical SIMs | Dual nano SIM trays instead of eSIM |
In practice the differences are minor for a single trip: even a 2018 iPhone XS runs your home SIM and one travel eSIM side by side, which is the setup most travellers want. The dual active eSIM capability on newer models matters most for US eSIM only phones and for people juggling two travel plans at once, for example a country plan and a regional backup.
How many eSIMs can an iPhone store and use
An iPhone can store eight or more eSIM profiles, and models from the iPhone 13 onward can keep two lines active at the same time. Stored profiles sit switched off in Settings without consuming anything, so there is no need to delete a plan when a trip ends.
For frequent flyers this is the killer feature. You can keep a Japan plan, a regional Europe plan and your home line installed together, then flip the right one on from Settings as each trip starts. The switch takes seconds and needs no QR code the second time; only the initial install does.
One caution: storage is generous but not the same as reusability. Many prepaid travel profiles are single install, meaning a deleted profile may not come back. Keep old profiles switched off rather than deleting them until you are sure you will not need them again.
How to install a travel eSIM on your iPhone
Before you install
Three checks make the process effortless. Confirm your iPhone is carrier unlocked; update iOS if an update is pending, since eSIM handling has improved steadily across versions; and get on reliable Wi-Fi. Then buy your plan: when you order from Viasimo, the QR code arrives by email within minutes of checkout, so you can complete the whole installation from your sofa the night before the flight. Plans are prepaid and one off, so nothing recurs and nothing needs cancelling afterwards.
The exact steps
- Open Settings and tap Mobile Service (called Cellular on US iPhones).
- Tap Add eSIM, then Use QR Code.
- Scan the QR code from your email, opened on a second screen such as a laptop or tablet. If you only have the one phone, choose the manual entry option and type the activation details from the same email, or use the one tap install link where provided.
- Tap Continue and wait for the Activating eSIM step to finish; this usually takes under two minutes.
- Give the new line a label such as Travel so the two lines are easy to tell apart.
- When asked which line to use, keep your home line as the default for calls and iMessage; you will switch data to the travel line when the trip begins.
The generic walkthrough in our installation and activation guide covers the same flow with screenshots and the equivalent Android steps.
Line settings that matter
Once installed, three settings decide whether everything works smoothly abroad. Set Mobile Data to the travel eSIM when you land. Turn Data Roaming on for the travel line only; nearly all travel eSIMs require it, and leaving it off is the single most common cause of a no connection complaint, as our troubleshooting guide explains. Finally, turn off Allow Mobile Data Switching, which otherwise lets iOS quietly fall back to your expensive home line when the travel line dips. Your home number keeps receiving calls, texts and bank codes throughout; the full two line arrangement is covered in our dual SIM travel setup guide.
Quick Transfer: moving eSIMs to a new iPhone
Since iOS 16, Apple’s eSIM Quick Transfer can move eSIMs between iPhones over Bluetooth, either during new phone setup or later via Settings, Mobile Service, Add eSIM, Transfer From Nearby iPhone. It works brilliantly for many home carrier lines, particularly with large US and European carriers that have built support for it.
Travel eSIMs are a different story. Prepaid travel profiles are typically bound to the device that first installed them and are not eligible for Quick Transfer; attempting to move one usually fails, and deleting it from the old phone does not create a fresh copy for the new one. Two practical rules follow. Do not upgrade phones in the middle of a trip if you can avoid it. And if you must switch devices while a plan is live, contact support before deleting anything, so you know whether your profile can be reissued for the new phone.
iPhone settings that save data abroad
A travel plan lasts a lot longer when iOS stops spending data behind your back. Five minutes of setup covers it.
Turn on Low Data Mode
Go to Settings, Mobile Service, tap the travel line, then Data Mode, and choose Low Data Mode. This pauses automatic downloads, background app refresh and photo syncing over that line, trimming the invisible baseline consumption that otherwise ticks away all day. Streaming and browsing still work normally; the mode only restrains background activity.
Turn off Wi-Fi Assist
Scroll to the bottom of the Mobile Service screen and disable Wi-Fi Assist. This feature switches to cellular data whenever Wi-Fi is weak, which is a fine idea at home and a terrible one on flaky hotel Wi-Fi, where it can silently drain hundreds of megabytes overnight while your phone thinks it is helping.
Rein in the background
- Set Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi only under Settings, General, Background App Refresh.
- In Settings, Apps, Photos, disable mobile data for iCloud Photos so holiday shots upload on Wi-Fi instead.
- In App Store settings, turn off automatic downloads over mobile data.
- Disable video autoplay inside Instagram, TikTok and YouTube; feeds with autoplay are the biggest silent consumers.
- Download offline maps for your destination city in Apple Maps or Google Maps before you fly; navigation then costs almost nothing.
Get your iPhone ready for the trip
The whole preparation fits into ten minutes. Confirm your model and unlock status with the device compatibility checker, buy a prepaid plan for your destination, install the eSIM over home Wi-Fi using the steps above, label the line, and set the two roaming toggles. On landing, flip Mobile Data to the travel line and you are done: no kiosk, no queue, no plastic.
Browse plans for your route on the destinations page; one off prepaid pricing is listed live per country and region, delivery is instant by email, and support is available around the clock if anything about your setup looks unfamiliar.
