Does Your Phone Support eSIM? A 60-Second Check Before You Buy

Most eSIM problems we see are not network problems. They are bought-a-wrong-phone problems: the plan works perfectly, but the phone was never able to use an eSIM in the first place. The result is always the same — a refund request and a wasted evening.

The good news: checking takes about a minute. Here is the exact check, including the iPhone models from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao that do not support eSIM — the single most common trap for travelers from this region.

The 60-second check

1. Is your phone carrier-locked? An eSIM from any travel provider only works on an unlocked phone. If you bought your phone from a carrier on a contract, ask them to unlock it first.
2. Does the eSIM menu exist? Open settings and look for:
   • iPhone: Settings > Cellular > Add Cellular Plan
   • Samsung: Settings > Connections > SIM card manager > Add mobile plan
   • Google Pixel: Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Add SIM
   If you can see that menu, your phone can almost certainly use a travel eSIM.

iPhones: the rule, and the exceptions that matter here

The rule: iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and every model released since then supports eSIM.

Exception 1 — mainland China: iPhones sold in mainland China use two physical SIM slots and do not support eSIM, on any model. If your iPhone was bought in the mainland, it will not work with a travel eSIM.

Exception 2 — Hong Kong and Macao: most iPhones sold in Hong Kong and Macao also lack eSIM support. There are four models that do support eSIM despite this: iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone SE (2020), and iPhone XS. Everything else from HK/Macau retailers: no eSIM.

One bit of good news: iPhone 14 and later models sold in the United States are eSIM-only — nothing to check, they work.

Samsung and Google Pixel

Most recent flagships are fine. On our compatibility list: Samsung Galaxy S20 and newer S-series, the Z Flip / Z Fold lines, Galaxy A54 5G, and Google Pixel 3 and newer. One caveat: US carrier-locked Samsung phones sometimes hide the eSIM menu until the phone is unlocked — if the menu is missing, check the lock first.

iPads

Most Wi-Fi + Cellular iPads from 2019 onward support eSIM, including iPad Pro (11-inch and 12.9-inch, 3rd generation and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad mini (5th generation and later) and the base iPad from 7th generation on. Wi-Fi-only iPads have no SIM hardware at all.

If your phone is not compatible

• Check the full list before buying anything. We maintain a device-by-device compatible device list with every model we have verified.
• Already bought a plan? You can request a full refund at any time before your QR code has been emailed — that is exactly why you should do the check before checkout, not after. See our FAQ for the details.