How to Install an eSIM: iPhone, Android, GrapheneOS and Windows
Check your device, install an eSIM on four platforms, and work through common activation and mobile-data problems.
By GhostSims Security Team ·
An eSIM is a digital SIM profile downloaded to a device with compatible hardware. Installing that profile and having usable mobile service are separate steps: you still need supported coverage, the correct settings and any required usage credit. This guide was reviewed on 20 October 2026; menu names can change with software updates.
Check compatibility before buying
Check the exact model number, regional version and carrier-lock status with the manufacturer. A product-family name alone is not enough: not every iPhone, Galaxy, Pixel or Windows laptop variant supports the same eSIM features. A Windows PC needs a cellular modem and eSIM support; Wi-Fi alone does not provide them. Confirm that your provider supports activation on your particular device.
Have a reliable internet connection, your provider's activation instructions and the QR code or manual activation details ready. Display the QR code on another screen when necessary. Treat it as private account information. Do not remove a working SIM profile until you have checked whether the provider can reissue or transfer it.
Install on iPhone
- Connect to Wi-Fi and open Settings > Cellular (called Mobile Data in some regions).
- Choose Add eSIM, then the QR-code option when provided. Scan the code and follow the onscreen prompts. If your provider supplied manual details, use the manual-entry option.
- Label the new line and choose which line should handle mobile data. On a dual-SIM phone, check the default voice line and data-switching settings separately.
- Complete any provider activation steps, then test data with Wi-Fi turned off. Enable data roaming only if the provider instructs you to do so.
Apple also supports carrier-specific activation and transfers, but availability varies. Follow Apple's current eSIM setup guide for the options shown on your phone.
Install on Android
On a supported Pixel, open Settings > Network & internet > SIMs, choose the option to add a SIM, and select the eSIM setup or download option. Scan your provider's QR code and follow the prompts. Samsung commonly places this under Settings > Connections > SIM manager > Add eSIM. Other manufacturers use different names.
After installation, enable the profile and select it for mobile data. Check the provider's APN and roaming instructions rather than copying settings from another service. If there is no add-eSIM option, verify the model, software version and carrier restrictions before assuming a QR-code problem.
Install on GrapheneOS
GrapheneOS has a separate switch for eSIM management. Open Settings > Network & internet > eSIM support and enable it, then return to the SIM settings to add or download the profile. This enables the proprietary functionality needed to manage eSIMs; the official GrapheneOS instructions explain that it does not require installing Google Play.
Existing installed profiles and adding new profiles are different capabilities. If setup stalls at “Checking network info”, consult that official troubleshooting section and check connectivity before resetting or deleting anything.
Install on a compatible Windows PC
On Windows 11, open Start > Settings > Network & internet > Cellular > eSIM profiles. Under the option to add an eSIM profile, select Add profile. Choose manual activation details or scan the provider's QR code when supported, then download the profile and enter a confirmation code if supplied. Select the downloaded profile for cellular data.
Use Microsoft's Windows eSIM guide for your version. If Cellular or eSIM profiles is missing, check the PC's hardware specifications and manufacturer's modem drivers.
Troubleshoot activation and data
- QR code rejected: confirm it belongs to this order and has not already been used. Ask the provider about reissue; repeated deletion and rescanning can make recovery harder.
- Profile installed, no internet: confirm it is enabled and selected for data, check coverage and credit, and apply the supplied APN and roaming settings.
- No service: check carrier unlocking, regional compatibility and local coverage, then restart. Record the exact error for support without posting the activation code publicly.
An eSIM resists physical removal, but it does not eliminate account takeover or fraudulent SIM transfers. GhostSims SIMs have no expiry; the SIM purchase includes no data, call minutes or credit and does not provide SMS verification. Review SIM options, destination data rates and any required data-credit top-up before relying on a new connection.