Install and activate
Setting up the eSIM on iPhone and Android, switching it on abroad, and when the plan starts
How to install the eSIM on iPhone
Setup takes a couple of minutes. You need an internet connection for it, so install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. Where to find the QR code and details - In the "Your eSIM is ready" email. It has the QR code, the manual install details and a link to your order page. - In your account: open My eSIMs and tap "Install" on the eSIM card. On the install page, pick iPhone under "Which phone do you have?". Option 1: one tap from the email If your iPhone runs iOS 17.4 or later, open the email on the phone itself and tap "Install on iPhone". The iPhone walks you through the rest. Option 2: scan the QR code 1. Open the QR code on another screen, a laptop works well. 2. Open the iPhone camera and point it at the code. An install button will pop up. 3. No button? Go to Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM and scan the code from there. Option 3: enter the details by hand Use this when the QR code is open on the same iPhone. 1. Go to Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM. 2. On the scanner screen, tap "Enter Details Manually". 3. Copy the "SM-DP+ address" and "Activation code" from the install page and paste them in. What to pick next 1. The iPhone asks where you'll use the eSIM. Pick the travel abroad option. 2. When it asks about the plan, choose data only. Our plans are internet only. Calls and texts stay on your main SIM and your number stays the same. 3. The new line shows up under Cellular. To give it mobile data and turn on roaming, see the article "After installing". The QR code works on one phone only, so scan it with the iPhone you're taking on the trip. If the eSIM won't install Make sure the phone isn't carrier-locked: Settings → General → About. The Carrier Lock line should say "No SIM restrictions". If that's fine and it still won't install, message us through the chat button in the bottom-right corner or email support@skipthekiosk.com with your order number.
How to install the eSIM on Android, Samsung and Pixel
Setup takes a couple of minutes and needs internet. Do it at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. Before you start 1. Check that your phone supports eSIM: dial *#06#. If you see an EID line, you're good. 2. The phone must not be carrier-locked. 3. Open your install details: the "Your eSIM is ready" email, or My eSIMs and the "Install" button. Under "Which phone do you have?", pick Android. For manual setup Android needs one code, the "Full activation code". You can copy it from the install page. Samsung 1. Go to Settings → Connections → SIM manager → Add eSIM. 2. Tap "Scan QR code" and point the camera at the QR code on another screen. If the code is on this same phone, or the camera can't read it, tap "Enter activation code" and paste the code. 3. The phone offers to turn on the new eSIM right away. Say yes. Your main SIM stays on for calls and texts. 4. In SIM manager, open Mobile data and pick the new eSIM. Keep calls and texts on your main SIM. Google Pixel 1. Go to Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Download a SIM instead. 2. Scan the QR code from another screen. If that doesn't work, choose to enter the code manually and paste the "Full activation code". 3. Turn on the new eSIM and set it for mobile data. Leave your main SIM for calls and texts. Other Android phones Menu names vary by brand. Look for the SIM section in Settings, or search settings for "eSIM". You want the option to add or download an eSIM. Next step Once it's installed, give the eSIM mobile data and turn on data roaming for it. The article "After installing" covers this. The QR code works on one phone only, so scan it with the phone you're traveling with. If there's no eSIM option or setup keeps failing, message us through the chat button in the bottom-right corner or email support@skipthekiosk.com. Include your order number and phone model.
When the plan starts counting days
Short answer: for most plans the days start counting when your phone first connects to a network at your destination. Not when you buy, and not when you install. Two dates on the plan page - "Validity" is how long the plan lasts, for example "7 days from first connection to a network". - "Activation" is how long you have to install the eSIM, for example "Within 180 days of purchase". The number depends on the plan. So you can buy well ahead of the trip. The days don't run while you're at home. How it plays out 1. You buy the eSIM. Nothing is counting yet. 2. You install it at home on Wi-Fi. Still nothing. 3. You land, turn on the eSIM line and data roaming, and the phone joins a local network. That's when the clock starts. The exception Some plans start as soon as the eSIM is installed. Your "Your eSIM is ready" email tells you which kind you have. If it says "The plan starts as soon as the eSIM is installed", install it right before the trip, not a week early. Not sure? Ask support before you install. Where to check Open My eSIMs. - Before you install, the card says the plan hasn't started yet and shows an "Install by" date. Install before that date. - Once the plan is running, you'll see "Valid until" and "Days left". Usage data from the operator can lag by up to 5 minutes, so the card may take a moment to update after you first connect. Something looks off Days started before your trip, or the "Install by" date is close and you fly later? Message us through the chat button in the bottom-right corner or email support@skipthekiosk.com. Include your order number and the ICCID from the install page.
After installing: roaming, mobile data and when to switch on
Installing the eSIM and switching it on are two separate steps. Install at home, switch on after you land. When to install Ahead of time, at home on Wi-Fi. Installing needs internet, and you might not have any at the airport. On most plans the days don't count until the phone connects to a network at your destination. More on that in "When the plan starts counting days". When to switch it on After landing. Do three things: 1. Turn on the eSIM line. 2. Set it as your mobile data line. 3. Turn on data roaming for it. iPhone 1. Settings → Cellular → Cellular Data. Pick the eSIM line. 2. Cellular → the eSIM line → Data Roaming. Turn it on. Samsung 1. Connections → SIM manager → Mobile data. Pick the eSIM. 2. Connections → Mobile networks → Data roaming. Turn it on. Other Android phones use similar names. Look in the SIM and mobile network settings. Why roaming on is fine Data roaming is the normal mode for a travel eSIM. You only pay for our plan, there are no extra charges. Do keep roaming off on your main SIM, or your home carrier may bill you at its own rates. Calls and texts Our plans are data only, with no phone number and no calls. Keep your main SIM installed and on, it handles calls and texts. Your number stays the same. No internet? 1. Turn airplane mode on for 10 seconds, then off. The phone will look for the local network again. 2. Wait up to 10 minutes. The first connection can be slow, especially right after landing. 3. Set the APN by hand. If your plan needs one, the APN is in the email and on the install page. iPhone: Cellular → the eSIM line → Cellular Data Network. Android: Mobile networks → Access Point Names → Add. Still nothing? Message us through the chat button in the bottom-right corner or email support@skipthekiosk.com with the ICCID. You'll find it on the install page in My eSIMs.
Can I reinstall the eSIM or move it to another phone?
Short answer: an eSIM installs on one phone, once. You can't move it to another phone yourself. The QR code works once As soon as the eSIM is on a phone, the QR code and manual codes stop working. The install page will say "This eSIM is already on a phone and can't be installed again". So one plan can't run on two phones, and forwarding the email with the QR code won't help anyone. Giving the eSIM to someone else Before it's installed, you can pass the eSIM to the person who'll travel with it. 1. Open My eSIMs and tap "Share" on the card. 2. Copy the install link and send it in a messenger. The link opens the install guide with the QR code and codes, no login needed. They won't see your email or your other eSIMs. Whoever installs it first keeps it. You can't revoke the link, so don't post it in public chats. Don't delete the eSIM If you don't need the line right now, just turn it off in settings. Don't delete the eSIM, even after the trip if days or data are left. If your plan allows top-ups, extra data goes onto the same eSIM with no new QR code. Deleted it, or getting a new phone? You can't fix this on your own, so contact support. Ideally do it before you remove the eSIM from your old phone. Send us: - your order number; - the ICCID from the install page; - what happened, and which phone you want to use. We'll check the eSIM's status with the operator and tell you what's possible. We can't promise a transfer up front, it depends on the specific eSIM. Message us through the chat button in the bottom-right corner or email support@skipthekiosk.com.