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This section explains the steps for installing an eSIM profile onto a device in detail — from what needs preparing beforehand, how to install using a QR code or a link, through to the differences between iOS and Android, and what to do when installation fails. What is written here focuses specifically on installation, not turning on data roaming afterwards, which is covered separately in the activation category.

Before starting, be sure the device genuinely supports eSIM. If unsure, check first in the getting-started category or use our device-checker tool, so time is not spent on a process the device never supported to begin with.

Preparing before you start installing

What is needed is a genuinely working internet connection during the install step, whether Wi-Fi or an existing mobile connection still in use, and reasonable battery level, since some devices refuse to begin the installation process if the battery is too low.

It helps to open the email containing the QR code on a separate device, such as a computer or tablet, then scan that QR code using the camera of the smartphone that will receive the profile, since opening the email and scanning the QR code on the same device is awkward to do.

Installing using the QR code

1. 1Open the email containing the QR codeOpen it on a separate device, such as a computer, so it can be scanned conveniently with the smartphone.
2. 2Go to the add eSIM menu on the smartphoneOn iOS this is usually under Settings > Mobile Service / Cellular > Add eSIM. On Android it is usually under Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Download a SIM instead. Both are general forms only — exact wording differs by manufacturer and Android version.
3. 3امسح رمز QRUse the camera within that menu to scan the QR code shown on the other device's screen.
4. 4Wait for the device to download the profileThe device needs an internet connection throughout this step; do not lock the screen or disconnect until it finishes.
5. 5Label the profile and choose the default SIM for dataGive it a memorable label, such as the destination country's name, and choose whether this profile will be the default SIM for data once you arrive.

Installing using a link instead of a QR code

Some devices support installation by simply tapping a link directly from the email on the very device being used, without scanning a QR code through the camera. This is more convenient when the email is already open on that smartphone itself, though not every model and operating system version supports this function equally.

If the installation menu does not appear after tapping the link, try the QR-code scanning method instead, opening the same email on a separate device as described above.

How iOS and Android differ

Why installation works only once

Each eSIM profile is tied to the device it is first installed on, by the system's own design. Once download and installation succeed, the same QR code usually cannot be reused to install on another device, and deleting the profile from the original device does not make it installable elsewhere either.

If installation fails

Can you install before travel day?

Installing ahead of travel day is entirely normal, and doing so somewhere with stable Wi-Fi is recommended, to reduce the risk of hunting for a signal to install upon arrival at the destination airport. Installing does not mean data starts being used immediately — it simply means the profile is ready and sitting on the device.

Actually activating it, such as turning on data roaming for that profile, is usually done separately once you arrive — that step is covered specifically in the activation category.

• Always connect to stable Wi-Fi before starting the install
• Open the QR code email on a separate device for convenient scanning
• Label the profile memorably immediately after a successful install
• Never delete the profile just to try reinstalling it
• Install ahead of time, but activate only when actually needed

Check whether your device is supported

Read how to activate after installing

Installing on a tablet or a spare device

A tablet that already supports a cellular connection usually supports eSIM in broadly the same way a phone does, though menu placement and wording still differ by manufacturer and operating system version, just as described above. Check the tablet's own settings search or use the device-checker tool first, rather than assuming it behaves identically to a phone from the same maker.

A spare device is useful for anyone who wants to keep a data profile running as a separate hotspot, apart from a primary phone that still needs its original number for calls or messages. The installation steps are the same ones described in the sections above, simply carried out on that other device instead.

Installing more than one profile on the same device

Most eSIM-capable devices can store more than one downloaded profile at once, though the maximum any given model allows is set by that device's own manufacturer and firmware, not by whoever issues the plan. The profile list within the settings menu shows every one ever installed, whether it is currently active or simply sitting idle.

Keeping profiles from past trips causes no problem on its own, beyond using up whatever storage the device sets aside for this purpose. Labelling each profile clearly at the time of installation, such as including the country name and the month of travel, makes it far easier to tell them apart later, especially once more than two or three have accumulated.

Which profile is set as the default for data should also be checked again each time a new one is installed, since some devices automatically switch the default to whichever profile was just installed, which may not actually be the one intended for use at that moment.

When the device says there is no room for another profile

Once the number of installed profiles reaches that device's own limit, it will refuse the next installation with its own wording of the error, which is different from the connection-related failures described earlier. The fix is deleting a profile that has genuinely finished being used first, to free up space, then starting the installation process again.

Installing after you have already arrived

Installation is not limited to before departure — it can be done after landing too, using airport or hotel Wi-Fi to download the profile through the same steps described above. This moment simply carries more pressure if something goes wrong along the way, such as an unstable connection, because there is less time left before the profile is actually needed.

If installation was not done ahead of travel, look for the most stable Wi-Fi available as soon as possible after landing, such as an airport information counter or a waiting area that often carries a better signal, then follow the QR-scanning or link-tapping steps described in the sections above as normal.

Reinstalling after a factory reset

Resetting a device to factory settings clears its entire state, including any eSIM profile installed on it, since the profile is stored as part of the very device state a reset wipes away. After a reset, the same QR code that was already used for a first successful install usually cannot be scanned again to reinstall, because it is tied to that original installation event, not to the now-blank device.

If a factory reset is planned while the profile is still needed afterwards, message the team on LINE at https://lin.ee/skDPoNx or by email at esimonline.asia@gmail.com before resetting, with the order number, to ask whether a fresh installation link can be issued for that same order — rather than getting in touch only after the reset, once the device has no working line left at all.

Asking before resetting matters especially if that device is the very one being carried on a trip already, since without a spare line to fall back on while waiting for a reply, having no internet connection at all makes reaching out for further help even harder. Planning ahead this way saves far more time than troubleshooting after the fact.

Check your device's profile limit before installing several