How to Use an eSIM When Traveling Abroad (and Keep Your Home Number)
A travel eSIM can cut your data costs abroad to a fraction of a daily roaming pass. Here's how to set one up without losing your home number.
To use an eSIM abroad, buy a travel data eSIM for your destination before you leave, install it at home over Wi-Fi, then switch your phone’s mobile data to that eSIM when you land. Keep your regular line turned on for calls and texts, but turn off data roaming on it so your home carrier doesn’t charge you. Your phone must be carrier-unlocked and support eSIM.
The alternative is your carrier’s own international plan, which is simpler but often more expensive per day. Here’s how to choose and set up either.
What you need first
- An eSIM-capable phone. Most iPhones since the XS/XR, Pixel phones since the Pixel 3 and recent Samsung Galaxy flagships support eSIM. US iPhones since the iPhone 14 have no SIM tray at all. Our explainer on what an eSIM is covers compatibility.
- An unlocked phone. A carrier-locked phone accepts only that carrier’s profiles. Check on iPhone under Settings > General > About > Carrier Lock (“No SIM restrictions” means unlocked). Unlocking rules differ by carrier and can take time, so ask well before your trip.
- Wi-Fi to install the eSIM. Do it at home, a day or two before you fly.
Travel eSIM vs carrier international plan
| Option | Typical cost (rough, Oct 2026) | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel eSIM app (data only) | Often a few dollars to around $10 for small data packs; more for large or unlimited plans | Trips of several days, heavy map and social media use | Usually no local phone number; check speed caps and validity days |
| Carrier day pass (e.g. Verizon TravelPass, AT&T International Day Pass) | Around $12 per day on many plans | Short trips; you want your normal plan to work as usual | Daily charges add up fast on long trips |
| International features included in your plan | Included on some plans | Light use; some T-Mobile plans include basic data in many countries | Speeds may be slow; check what’s included |
| Local physical SIM bought on arrival | Varies by country | Long stays, needing a local number | Not possible on eSIM-only phones; store hours and ID requirements |
Travel eSIMs are sold by many companies through their apps and websites, such as Airalo, Holafly, Saily and Nomad, among others. They’re listed here only as examples of the category. Compare price per gigabyte, how many days the plan lasts, which networks it uses in your destination, and whether a “unlimited” plan slows down after a certain amount.
How to set up a travel eSIM on iPhone
- Buy the plan in the provider’s app or website. You’ll get a QR code, a manual code, or a one-tap install option.
- On Wi-Fi, go to Settings > Cellular > Add eSIM and follow the prompts (or tap the install link from the provider’s app).
- Label the new line, for example “Travel.”
- When asked about the default line, keep your Primary line for calls and iMessage/FaceTime, and choose the travel eSIM for Cellular Data (you can also set this later).
- Turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching so the phone doesn’t fall back to your home line for data.
- When you land, go to Settings > Cellular, tap the travel line and turn on Data Roaming if the provider says it’s needed (many travel eSIMs require this).
- Tap your home line, then Data Roaming, and make sure it’s off.
Apple explains the roaming settings on its cellular data roaming support page.
How to set up a travel eSIM on Android
- Buy the plan and get the QR code or activation code.
- On a Pixel, go to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Add SIM (or Download a SIM instead?). On a Samsung Galaxy, go to Settings > Connections > SIM manager > Add eSIM.
- Scan the QR code or enter the code manually.
- Set the travel eSIM as the SIM for mobile data, and keep your home SIM for calls and texts.
- On arrival, turn on Roaming for the travel eSIM if required and confirm roaming is off for your home SIM.
Menu names vary between Android brands and versions, so search Settings for “SIM” if you can’t find these exact paths.
Keeping your home number for calls and 2FA texts
Leaving your home line on lets you receive calls and text messages, including the one-time codes banks and other services send for two-factor authentication. Some things to know:
- Incoming calls and texts while roaming may still cost money depending on your plan, even with data roaming off. Check your carrier’s international rates before you go.
- Wi-Fi Calling on your home line lets you make and receive calls and texts over Wi-Fi or over the travel eSIM’s data. On many US plans, Wi-Fi calls back to US numbers are free or low cost, but confirm with your carrier.
- iMessage, WhatsApp and similar apps work over data, so they’ll use the travel eSIM.
- Better 2FA before you go: switch important accounts to an authenticator app or passkeys so you aren’t dependent on SMS abroad. Here’s how to set up two-factor authentication.
Don’t delete your home eSIM to “make room.” Deleting a profile doesn’t cancel your plan, but getting it back can require contacting your carrier, which is hard from abroad.
Avoiding surprise charges
- Check before you board that data roaming is off on your home line.
- Use hotel or café Wi-Fi for big uploads, backups and app updates, and pause automatic photo backup over cellular if your plan is small.
- Download offline maps and playlists over Wi-Fi to save travel data.
- Check data usage in Settings > Cellular (iPhone) or Settings > Network & internet > SIMs (Pixel), and top up in the eSIM provider’s app.
After your trip
Switch mobile data back to your home line and turn the travel eSIM off. You can delete it once the plan has expired and you’re sure you don’t need it. If you’re thinking of switching carriers altogether, see how to switch carriers and keep your number.
Bottom line
Install a data-only travel eSIM at home, set it as your data line, and turn off data roaming on your home line. Keep the home line on for calls and texts, use Wi-Fi Calling where possible, and move important accounts off SMS codes before you leave. For very short trips, a carrier day pass may be worth the convenience.
FAQ
Can I keep WhatsApp and iMessage working with a travel eSIM?
Yes. Both are tied to your account and number, not to which line supplies data, so they keep working over the travel eSIM’s data connection.
Do travel eSIMs give me a local phone number?
Most are data only. Some providers sell plans with a local number, but they cost more.
When should I install the travel eSIM?
A day or two before you leave, over Wi-Fi. Many plans don’t start their validity period until they first connect in the destination, but check the provider’s terms.
Will my locked phone work with a travel eSIM?
No. Ask your carrier to unlock it first, if you meet its requirements, or use your carrier’s international plan instead.
