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How to install your travel eSIM.

Install on Wi-Fi before you go. Turn on your travel data when you arrive. No app required, no tiny SIM to lose.

Open My eSIMsShow me the steps

Install now. Connect when you land.

Installation saves the eSIM to your phone. For the live plans ShrimpToast lists, validity starts on the first connection in a covered destination.

  1. Before you leave

    Use reliable Wi-Fi to install. Keep the travel line off until you need it.

  2. At your destination

    Enable the travel line, choose it for data and turn on its data roaming.

  3. The clock starts

    Your first covered connection starts validity. Turning the line off won’t pause it.

Check your plan’s activation deadline in Plan details before buying. If your home country or a stopover is covered, connecting there can start the clock early.

Add your eSIM in three steps

  1. Get your phone ready

    Connect to reliable Wi-Fi on the phone you’ll use for travel. It needs to support eSIM and be carrier-unlocked. Check your phone if you haven’t yet.

  2. Open My eSIMs → Install eSIM

    Choose your purchased eSIM, tap Install eSIM and follow the phone’s prompts. Direct installation works on supported phones; QR and manual options are available if you need them.

    Add the travel plan as a new line. You do not need to transfer your home number.

  3. Name it. Keep it off for now.

    Give the new line a recognizable label, such as Travel or your destination. Keep your usual line selected for data until departure, and switch the travel line off until you reach a covered destination.

Find the Install eSIM action in your purchased service.

Using a QR code or manual setup?

On a computer, open the eSIM in My eSIMs and scan its QR code with your travel phone. Using just one phone? Try Install eSIM first, or open Other install options to copy the manual details.

Install an eSIM on iPhone
  1. Settings
  2. Cellular (or Mobile Service)
  3. Add eSIM
  1. Choose Use QR Code and scan the code shown on another screen.
  2. For manual setup, choose Enter Details Manually. Copy the SM-DP+ address and activation code from Other install options in My eSIMs into their matching fields.
  3. Follow the prompts to add the plan, label the travel line and keep it off until arrival.

On supported iOS versions, you can also touch and hold an eSIM QR code in a browser or email, then choose Add eSIM.

Apple’s eSIM setup guide
Install an eSIM on Google Pixel
  1. Settings
  2. Network & internet
  3. SIMs
  4. Add SIM
  5. Set up an eSIM
  1. Follow the setup prompts to reach the QR scanner, then scan your purchased eSIM’s code from another screen.
  2. For manual setup, look for the help or manual-entry option at the scanner. Use the full activation code from Other install options in My eSIMs.
  3. Finish adding the plan, label it and keep the travel SIM off until you arrive.
Google’s eSIM setup guide
Install an eSIM on Samsung Galaxy
  1. Settings
  2. Connections
  3. SIM manager
  4. Add eSIM
  1. Choose the QR-code option and scan your purchased code from another screen.
  2. For manual setup, choose the activation-code option and use the full code from Other install options in My eSIMs.
  3. Follow the prompts, label the new line and keep it off until arrival.

Older menus may say SIM card manager → Add mobile plan. Other Android phones use different labels; search Settings for eSIM and follow your manufacturer’s instructions.

Samsung’s eSIM setup guide

Already see the travel line in Settings? Enable the existing eSIM when you need it. Don’t scan the code again or delete the profile to start over.

Landed? Give data the right line.

Open your phone’s mobile or SIM settings. Select the travel eSIM for data, then check these settings before leaving Wi-Fi.

Your travel eSIM

For maps, messages and everything online.

Travel line
On
Mobile data
Travel eSIM
Data roaming
On

Your home SIM

Keep its number if you need calls or texts.

Home line
Optional
Data roaming
Off
Automatic data switching
Off

These settings help prevent home-line data use. Home-carrier calls, voicemail and SMS can still cost extra. Check your home carrier’s terms before using that line abroad.

Where to find mobile data and roaming

iPhone
  1. Settings
  2. Cellular (or Mobile Service)
  1. Under Cellular Data / Mobile Data, choose the travel line and turn Allow Cellular Data Switching off.
  2. Open each line to set its Data Roaming: on for travel, off for home.
Google Pixel
  1. Settings
  2. Network & internet
  3. SIMs
  1. Choose the travel SIM for Mobile data. Set roaming on for travel and off for home.
  2. Turn Automatic data switching off. If shown, also turn off Data during calls on the home line.
Samsung Galaxy
  1. Settings
  2. Connections
  3. SIM manager
  1. Choose the travel SIM for Mobile data. Check roaming under Connections → Mobile networks for the selected line.
  2. Turn off Data switching or Data switching and backup calling, if available.

Menu labels and per-line controls can vary by model and software version.

Installed, but not online?

  • Check the place and the plan

    Make sure you’re in a covered destination, within the plan’s validity and have data remaining. A travel eSIM may not connect at home.

  • Check the selected line

    Turn the travel eSIM on, choose it for mobile data and enable its roaming. Follow your purchased plan’s instructions for any APN settings; don’t guess them.

  • Test, then get help if needed

    Give it a few minutes to register. Briefly turn Wi-Fi off and try loading a webpage. If it fails, reconnect to Wi-Fi, open that eSIM in My eSIMs and choose Get help.

Keep the eSIM installed. Deleting it can make recovery harder; installation codes may not be reusable.

Find my eSIMConnection help & refunds

Installation questions, answered

When should I install and activate my eSIM?

Install before departure while you have reliable Wi-Fi. Keep the travel line off until you need it in a covered destination. For the live plans ShrimpToast lists, installation alone does not start validity: the first covered network connection does.

Check the activation deadline for your selected package. Other providers may use different rules.

What is the difference between validity and an activation deadline?

The activation deadline is the latest you can start using the plan after purchase. Validity is how long it lasts once it starts. For example, a 7-day plan with a 30-day activation window must first connect within 30 days of purchase, then lasts for 7 days. This is an example; your plan’s actual terms appear in Plan details.

Will a stopover start my plan? Can I pause it?

A connection in any covered destination can start validity, including an airport stopover or your home country if included. Keep the travel line off if you want to save it for later. Once started, validity continues even when you switch the eSIM off or leave coverage. Count gaps and return visits when choosing a plan.

Do I need two phones to install an eSIM?

No. Open My eSIMs on the phone you’re taking and try Install eSIM. If direct installation is not supported, use the manual details under Other install options. A second screen is useful for scanning a QR code, but it is not the only way to install.

My phone says activating or the QR code is already used. What now?

Check whether the travel eSIM already appears in your SIM settings. If it does, keep it installed; a plan may need a covered network to finish connecting. If installation failed or the code is rejected, use Get help for that eSIM in My eSIMs while connected to Wi-Fi. Do not assume the code can be scanned again or transferred to another phone.

Does this replace my phone number or include calls and SMS?

No. ShrimpToast travel plans provide mobile data, without a new number or a calls and SMS allowance. Add the travel eSIM as a separate line. Internet messaging and calling apps use data; ordinary calls and texts still need a suitable home-carrier service.