Rakuten Mobile and eSIM

What Rakuten Mobile's product page confirms

Rakuten Mobile's product page for the Rakuten Hand 5G gives the SIM type as eSIM and says dual-SIM use works with two eSIMs (eSIM x 2). The same page says activation needs a Wi-Fi connection. This matters for Thai users: to run a Thai number alongside a travel eSIM on a Rakuten Hand 5G, the Thai number must also be an eSIM, because the phone has no SIM tray.

Where the eSIM menu sits on Rakuten handsets

Rakuten handsets run near-stock Android. The route to try is Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → +, then choose to download an eSIM. If the menus are in Japanese, switch the device language to English under Settings → System → Languages first.

Before buying one second-hand

• Ask the seller to delete the old Rakuten profile in front of you. With no SIM tray, a leftover profile takes up eSIM capacity.
• These phones are built for Japanese networks and may miss some bands in Thailand or elsewhere. Compare the bands on the product page with your destination's networks.

Check your own Rakuten before you buy a plan

1. Open the Phone app and dial *#06#. If the screen shows an EID (a 32-digit number), the handset has an eSIM chip. If you see only IMEI numbers, treat it as unconfirmed and carry on with the next check, because some phones do not show the EID on this screen.
2. Open Settings → Network & internet → SIMs. If there is a button to add or download an eSIM, the software for your unit's market has the feature switched on.
3. Find the model code under Settings → About phone and compare it with the manufacturer's spec page for the country you bought it in. The model code is more reliable than the marketing name, because one name can cover several market variants.
4. If the phone is second-hand or imported, ask the seller whether it is network locked. A unit locked to an overseas carrier usually refuses another operator's profile even when an EID is present.

Installing an eSIM on a Rakuten, step by step

1. 1Install in Thailand before you flyConnect to stable Wi-Fi and install the eSIM while you are still at home. If the scan fails you still have time to contact the shop, which beats troubleshooting at the arrival airport with no data.
2. 2Open the add-eSIM menuOn a Rakuten, go to Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → + → download an eSIM and choose to scan the QR code. If the QR code is on the same phone and you cannot scan it, choose to enter the activation details by hand (the SM-DP+ address and activation code from your email).
3. 3Label the lineRename the new line, for example Travel or the country name, so you do not mix it up with your Thai SIM when choosing the data line.
4. 4Leave it off until you landIf the plan's validity starts on first network connection, keep the eSIM line switched off and turn it on only when you reach the destination.
5. 5Turn on data roaming for the eSIM lineMost travel eSIMs run as roaming on a local network. If the line shows signal but no data, switch on Data roaming in that eSIM line's settings.

Switching the data line while travelling

On a dual-SIM Rakuten, calls and texts can use a different line from mobile data. The setting to change is the mobile data line, found at Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Mobile data.

• Set mobile data to the travel eSIM and keep your Thai SIM for calls and texts, so bank OTP messages still arrive.
• Switch off Data roaming on the Thai SIM, so the phone cannot fall back to it and run up roaming charges.
• If the menu offers automatic data switching during calls (labelled Mobile data switching or similar), turn it off while abroad.
• Back in Thailand, move mobile data back to the Thai SIM, then turn off or delete the expired eSIM line.

Common problems on Rakuten handsets