Does your phone support eSIM?
Dial *#06# on the phone you plan to travel with. If the screen shows an EID, a 32-digit number, your phone can take an eSIM. If there is no EID, it cannot, no matter what a compatibility list says.
Updated September 19, 2026
Three checks, in order
Dial *#06#
The keypad shows your identifiers. If an EID appears, a 32-digit number, the phone has an eSIM. No EID means no eSIM, whatever the model name says.
Look in Settings
iPhone: Settings › Cellular. Android: Settings › Network & internet › SIMs, or Settings › Connections › SIM manager on Samsung. An Add eSIM option means the phone supports it.
Check the lock
The phone must be carrier-unlocked. A phone still tied to the carrier that sold it will refuse another operator's profile even when the hardware supports eSIM.
Which phones have it
As a rule of thumb, flagship phones sold from 2019 onwards support eSIM. The detail below is worth reading if yours is older or was bought in another country, because the same model name can ship with and without eSIM depending on the market.
iPhone
iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, from 2018, and every iPhone since. Models sold in the United States from iPhone 14 onwards have no SIM tray at all and run on eSIM only. Mainland China is the exception: Apple lists the few models sold there that take an eSIM.
Apple SupportGoogle Pixel
Pixel 3a and later support a physical SIM alongside an eSIM. Pixel is the most consistent Android line for travel eSIMs because the behaviour barely changes between markets.
Pixel HelpSamsung Galaxy
The Galaxy S20 series onwards, plus the Z Fold and Z Flip lines, in most markets. Samsung varies eSIM support by region more than any other maker, so the *#06# check decides it for your specific handset.
Samsung SupportOthers
Recent Motorola Edge and Razr, several Xiaomi, Oppo and Honor flagships, and Huawei models from the P40 era carry eSIM in some markets. Same rule: the EID is the proof.
What compatibility does not decide
A compatible phone still needs two other things to work abroad. The travel eSIM has to be selected as the data line, and roaming has to be on for that line. Both live in the same settings screen you used to install the profile.
Travel plans carry data only. Calls and texts keep running through your usual SIM and your home number, which is exactly why your number survives the trip. Calls over WhatsApp, FaceTime or Telegram go through the eSIM's data like any other app.
Phone passes? Pick a plan
Vayufly sells prepaid data plans for 190+ countries, from $0.60. The app shows what is left and how many days remain, and warns you before either runs out.
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Next: how to install an eSIM, or browse plans by destination.