Your phone is eSIM compatible if two things are true: it has eSIM hardware, and it isn’t locked to your carrier. On an iPhone, look for “No SIM restrictions” under Settings > General > About > Carrier Lock, and remember that Apple lists the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later as eSIM phones. On Android, look for an Add eSIM option in the SIM settings, or dial *#06# and see whether an EID appears. If both checks pass, a travel eSIM will install.
Last updated 30 October 2026.
The two questions behind “is my phone eSIM compatible”
Most guides treat compatibility as one question. It’s two, and most people miss the second one.
Question one: does the phone have an eSIM chip? Not every model does, and the same model can differ by country. Airalo’s iPhone guide asks you to check that the model number “does not originate from a Chinese region,” because some models sold there use two physical SIM slots instead.
Question two: is the phone carrier-locked? A phone with a perfectly good eSIM chip can still refuse a travel eSIM if the carrier that sold it has locked it to their network. Saily’s compatibility article puts it plainly: “You won’t be able to use an eSIM on your device if it is locked by your carrier.”
When you check both, you know for sure. When you check only the first, you can buy a plan that never connects, and refunds after installation are rarely simple. Don’t skip the lock check just because the model looks right. The steps below come from Apple, Google, Samsung, Saily and Airalo, as their pages read on 30 October 2026.
How to check an iPhone
Apple’s eSIM setup page lists the requirement as “An iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, or later.” So any iPhone from 2018 onward has the hardware, with one regional exception covered further down.
Then check the lock. If you’ve bought the phone second-hand, this matters even more. Apple’s unlock article gives the path:
- Open Settings.
- Tap General, then About.
- Scroll to Carrier Lock.
- If it says No SIM restrictions, the iPhone is unlocked.
Saily’s guide adds a second test that doubles as a hardware check. Go to Settings > Mobile Service (it’s called Cellular on some iPhones), then Mobile Data. In Saily’s words: “If the add eSIM option is visible, then your iOS device is not carrier-locked.” Honestly, this is the quickest test of all, because it answers both questions on one screen.
The menu names here match iOS 26, which Apple’s setup page refers to. Older versions use the same General > About path, though the cellular menu may read “Cellular” rather than “Mobile Service” depending on your region.
How to check an Android phone
Android menus differ between brands, so use the steps for your maker. These come from Airalo’s Android compatibility guide and the makers’ own help pages.
Samsung Galaxy. Open Settings > Connections > SIM manager. Airalo says: “If Add eSIM is available, your device likely supports eSIMs.” Samsung’s own SIM page uses the same path to add one: Settings, Connections, SIM manager, Add eSIM.
Google Pixel. Open Settings > Network & internet, then tap the + beside SIMs. If the next page offers “Download a SIM instead?”, the phone is eSIM capable. Google’s dual SIM help page shows the same area as Network & internet > SIMs > Add SIM > Set up an eSIM, and notes that some of its steps “work only on Android 11 and up.”
Any other Android phone. When you can’t find either menu, open the phone dialler and type *#06#. Airalo says that if the device is eSIM compatible, “you should be able to view your device’s eSIM unique identification number (EID).” No EID on the screen usually means no eSIM chip. Nothing to install. In practice, this works on more brands than any settings menu, so it’s the one to try if your phone’s menus look nothing like Samsung’s or Google’s.
How to check the carrier lock on Android
Turns out the lock check is less tidy on Android than on iPhone. Brands vary. There’s no single “Carrier Lock” line.
Saily’s method for Samsung: go to Settings > Connections > Mobile networks > Network operators. “If your Android displays other networks and you can choose them, then it is not locked.” If you can’t see any other networks, it’s locked.
Airalo’s method works on any brand but needs a friend’s SIM card. Put a SIM from a different carrier in the phone, check that the carrier name at the top of the screen changes, then make a call. If the call connects, your phone is unlocked.
Samsung’s own page adds a hint: when you change carriers, “you may need to have your device SIM unlocked,” and if the phone asks for an unlock code, contact the phone’s original carrier. Apple says the same for iPhone: only your current carrier can unlock it.
Is the iPhone XR eSIM compatible?
Yes. Apple’s eSIM setup page names the iPhone XR alongside the XS and XS Max as the oldest supported models. The XR has one physical SIM slot and one eSIM, so it can hold your home SIM and a travel eSIM at the same time.
Two things can still stop an XR.
Where it was sold. Apple’s page says that in China mainland, only a handful of recent models (it names the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, iPhone Duo, 17e and Air) support eSIM, and that in Hong Kong and Macao “certain iPhone models feature Dual SIM with two nano-SIM cards.” An XR bought in mainland China won’t take a travel eSIM. To check, follow Airalo’s step: Settings > General > About, then tap the Model Number until it changes to a code starting with A. Compare it with Apple’s list of China mainland, Hong Kong and Macao models.
The lock. A second-hand XR bought from a carrier store, a marketplace or a relative’s drawer may still be tied to the original network, whatever the listing promised. Run the Carrier Lock check above before you buy a plan.
If you’ve had your XR for years, and many owners have, also update it to the newest iOS it can run. Apple’s troubleshooting page says your iPhone needs “the latest version of iOS” that it can use.
A worked example: checking a phone before a week in Lisbon
Rules are easier with a real case. Say you fly to Lisbon in three weeks for a work week, on a used Samsung Galaxy you bought online.
Day 1, two minutes. Honestly, the whole check takes less time than making tea. You open Settings > Connections > SIM manager. “Add eSIM” is there. The hardware question is answered.
Same day, two more minutes. You go to Connections > Mobile networks > Network operators. The phone shows several networks and lets you pick one. It isn’t locked.
Day 2. You check the plan size. You expect about 0.6 GB a day for maps, messaging, email and two short video calls home. Seven days at 0.6 GB is 4.2 GB, so a 5 GB Portugal or Europe plan leaves a little room.
Two days before the flight. You install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi, as our guide on when to install a travel eSIM explains.
Now picture the same trip on a phone that fails. The SIM manager has no Add eSIM option, and *#06# shows an IMEI but no EID. That phone has no eSIM chip. Skip the eSIM shop and look at a local physical SIM on arrival, or a different phone, instead of buying a plan you can’t install.
Common mistakes
Most people miss at least one of these, and each costs a plan or an afternoon.
Checking only the model. A supported model can still be locked. Always run both checks.
Trusting a seller’s listing. “Unlocked” in a listing is a claim, nothing more. The Carrier Lock line or the network operator test is proof.
Buying abroad without checking the region. Phones from China mainland, Hong Kong and Macao can differ from the same model elsewhere, as Apple’s page shows.
Ignoring old software. In practice, an outdated phone throws odd install errors. Saily’s install guide says to “ensure your iOS software is up to date to avoid compatibility issues,” and asks Android users to update too.
Assuming laptops and routers work. Saily says it has “limited support functionality for laptops or even fewer routers.” Check the provider’s device list first.
Don’t forget that device lists change. Saily notes its list “is subject to change as new eSIM-compatible devices are released,” and that support depends on the country.
If your phone fails the check
If the phone is locked, ask your carrier to unlock it. Don’t trust a stranger’s unlock code from a forum. Apple and Samsung both say that’s the only route; third-party unlocking services aren’t something either company points to. Many carriers unlock a phone once it’s paid off, but the rules are theirs, so ask.
If the phone has no eSIM chip, a travel eSIM won’t work on it at all. Your options are a local physical SIM or a newer phone. Airalo’s advice when in doubt: “The best way to confirm eSIM capability is still through your device manufacturer, vendor, or primary carrier.”
Once you’ve passed both checks, the next step is installing. When you get there, do it at home on Wi-Fi. Our guides on installing an eSIM on iPhone and activating an eSIM on Android walk through it, and travel eSIMs explained covers the basics if this is your first one.
FAQ: eSIM compatibility questions
How do I know if my phone supports eSIM?
Look for an Add eSIM option in your SIM or cellular settings, or dial *#06# and see whether an EID appears. On iPhone, any XS, XS Max, XR or later model has eSIM, unless it was made for China mainland. Then check it isn’t carrier-locked.
Is the iPhone XR eSIM compatible?
Yes. Apple’s eSIM setup page lists the iPhone XR among the supported models. It must be unlocked and not a China mainland model.
What does *#06# show?
It shows your phone’s IMEI and, on eSIM phones, the EID. Airalo describes the EID as the device’s eSIM unique identification number. If there’s no EID, the phone most likely has no eSIM.
My phone is locked. Can it still use a travel eSIM?
No. Saily says you can’t use an eSIM on a device locked by your carrier. Ask the carrier that sold the phone to unlock it before you buy a plan.
The short version
- eSIM compatibility is two checks: eSIM hardware and no carrier lock.
- iPhone: XS, XS Max, XR or later, and “No SIM restrictions” under Settings > General > About.
- Android: Add eSIM in SIM settings, or an EID after dialling *#06#.
- Phones from China mainland, Hong Kong and Macao can lack eSIM; check the model number.
- If the phone fails, ask the carrier to unlock it or use a local physical SIM.