Xiaomi and eSIM

Where the eSIM menu sits on HyperOS and MIUI

Xiaomi's own help pages give two routes. Article KA-36300 uses Settings → SIM cards & mobile networks → turn on Use eSIM and tap OK → Manage eSIM → Add mobile plan. The newer FAQ KA-492669 uses Settings → Mobile networks → turn on Use eSIM → Manage eSIM → Add eSIM or Discover eSIMs, then scan a QR code or enter the details by hand. Xiaomi adds that the path only exists on phones that support eSIM, so if there is no Use eSIM switch at all, your unit does not have the feature.

Market caveats

• Xiaomi does not publish a per-country list of eSIM models on the pages we could check, which is why the table on this page says market dependent and the handset menu is the final answer.
• Flashing global software onto a mainland China unit does not add an eSIM chip. If *#06# shows no EID, there is no chip.
• Redmi and POCO models sold in Thailand are physical SIM only, as the table above shows. If you use one, plan for a physical travel SIM instead.

Check your own Xiaomi 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 → SIM cards & mobile networks (Mobile networks on newer HyperOS builds). 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 Xiaomi, 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 Xiaomi, go to Settings → SIM cards & mobile networks → turn on Use eSIM → Manage eSIM → Add mobile plan 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. 3Disable SIM 2 first if neededIf two physical SIMs are inserted, remove or disable the second one first, because Xiaomi will not run the eSIM alongside SIM 2.
4. 4Label 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.
5. 5Leave 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.
6. 6Turn 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 Xiaomi, calls and texts can use a different line from mobile data. The setting to change is the mobile data line, found at Settings → SIM cards & mobile networks → Mobile data or Data SIM.

• 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 Xiaomi