Sharp AQUOS and eSIM

Where the eSIM menu sits on an AQUOS

AQUOS phones run near-stock Android. The route is Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Add SIM, then Download a SIM instead. If the phone boots in Japanese, change the language under Settings → System → Languages first; the menu is far easier to find.

Units from Japanese carriers

• Units bought through docomo, au or SoftBank use different model codes from SIM-free versions, and some are still network locked.
• Before buying second-hand, have the seller delete the previous owner's eSIM and confirm the SIM unlock.
• AQUOS is barely sold officially in Thailand, so think about service and warranty in advance.

Check your own AQUOS 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 AQUOS, 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 AQUOS, go to Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Add SIM or + → Download a SIM instead 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 AQUOS, 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 an AQUOS