How to Install & Activate an eSIM on iOS (iPhone and iPad) - The Ultimate Guide

Activating an EsimSurf eSIM card on your iPhone or iPad is a seamless process that ensures you stay connected effortlessly. This introduction will guide you through all the steps to activate your eSIM on iOS devices, making it easier than ever to enjoy the flexibility and efficiency of digital SIM cards.

So, let's get started!

Installing eSIM Card on iOS (video guide)

Installing eSIM Card on iOS (textual format)

Activating an EsimSurf eSIM card on your iPhone or iPad is a seamless process that ensures you stay connected effortlessly. This introduction will guide you through all the steps to activate your eSIM on iOS devices, making it easier than ever to enjoy the flexibility and efficiency of digital SIM cards.

So, let's get started!

There are a couple of prerequisites needed to install an eSIM card on an iOS device:

• Make sure your device is eSIM compatible.
• Make sure that your device is not carrier-locked to a specific network carrier.
• Make sure you have an active internet connection throughout the entire installation/activation process.

Installing eSIM Package on iPhone and iPad

As of iOS 17.4, there are 3 installation methods you can follow and we will explain them one by one sorted by complexity.

Installing eSIM Package on iOS with Universal eSIM Link

This is the easiest and most convenient method to install an eSIM card, however, it is only available for devices with iOS version 17.4 or higher. To check your iOS version you have to do the following:

1. Go to "Settings"
   
   
2. Tap on "General"
   
   
3. Tap on "About"
   
   

As you can see in the next image, the iOS version will be visible there.

If your iOS version is less than 17.4, the other two options are installing the eSIM with QR code or installing the eSIM manually.
If the iOS version shows 17.4 or more, continue reading as you are one step away from installing the eSIM on your device. 

After purchasing an eSIM on our website(but probably any other website too), you will receive a confirmation e-mail that looks like the following:

Open this e-mail and click on the link as in the image below:

Next, tap on the link with the label "iOS 17.4+ Quick Install" like in the image below.

In the last step, you will get a prompt that you are about to install a new eSIM from a new network operator. Just tap on the "Allow" option as in the screenshot below.

Voila! Your have successfully installed a new eSIM card!

If all the steps above were successful, it means that your new eSIM card is installed and you can skip this tutorial to labeling your newly installed eSIM card.

Installing eSIM Package on iOS with QR Code

To install an eSIM card with a QR code, you have to either have the QR code printed on paper or have it open on another device such as a phone, tablet or computer.

The process of installing eSIM with QR code is the following:

1. Go to "Settings"
   
   
2. Tap on "Mobile Service" or "Cellular" depending on your device location
   
   
3. Tap on "Add eSIM"
   
   
4. Tap on "Use QR Code"
   
   
5. Scan the QR code from another device or printed paper
   
   
6. Wait a few seconds for the plan to be recognized and confirm the installation
   
   

Congratulations, you have successfully installed a new eSIM card by using a QR code!

Manually Installing eSIM Package on iOS

This is the third and last method of installing an eSIM card on your iPhone or iPad device. This method works on any iOS device compatible with eSIM technology and doesn't have any other requirements. To manually activate an eSIM on an iOS device you have to do the following:

The process of installing eSIM with a QR code is the following:

1. Go to "Settings"
   
   
2. Tap on "Mobile Service" or "Cellular" depending on your device location
   
   
3. Tap on "Add eSIM"
   
   
4. Tap on "Use QR Code"
   
   
5. Tap on "Enter Details Manually"
   
   
6. Go to your e-mail and tap on the link we sent after the purchase
   
   
7. Copy the "SM-DP+ Address" and "Activation Code" we delivered on your e-mail
   
   
8. Paste the "SM-DP+ Address" and "Activation Code" in the settings of your device or write them manually.
   
   
9. Tap on "Next" and confirm the eSIM installation
   
   

Congratulations, you have successfully installed an eSIM card from EsimSurf!

At this point, your eSIM card should be installed on your iOS device. If none of the three methods worked for you, feel free to contact our support team.

Labeling an eSIM Card on iOS (iPhone and iPad)

Some of the reasons to always custom label your eSIM package are:

• Avoid mistakenly activating the wrong SIM/eSIM package and receiving high roaming fees.
• Better organization when multiple eSIM packages are used.
• Extensive management and knowing exactly what package is/should be active at a certain time.

To custom label your newly installed eSIM card you have to do the following:

1. Go to "Settings"
   
   
2. Tap on "Mobile Service" or "Cellular" depending on your device location
   
   
3. Select the newly installed eSIM. In our case its 'Used as "Secondary"'
   
   
4. Tap on "Mobile Plan Label"
   
   
5. Type in your label, we suggest "EsimSurf (*Destination Country*)" where "Destination Country" is replaced with the country you bought the eSIM for. When finished, tap on "Done".
   
   

At this point, your eSIM should be installed and custom-labeled for better organization and recognition. In the next chapters, we will cover the action needed in order to activate your newly installed eSIM and surf the Internet effortlessly.

Activating an eSIM card on iOS (iPhone and iPad)

Before starting this part, you should have passed the previous parts of our tutorial and you already have a newly installed and labeled eSIM card as "EsimSurf (*Destination*)". Assuming you will be traveling to another country, to avoid roaming feels we will split this tutorial into "Before Entering Destination Country" and "After Entering the Destination Country".

Before Entering the Destination Country

Before arriving in your destination country, ensure your device is set to use mobile data from the newly installed eSIM package. It is also crucial to disable the "Mobile Data Switching" option to prevent your device from automatically switching between the active SIM and eSIM cards based on the best available network coverage.
To make your newly installed eSIM card the default mobile data source do the following:

1. Go to "Settings"
   
   
2. Tap on "Mobile Service" or "Cellular" depending on your device location
   
   
3. Tap on "Mobile Data"
   
   
4. Choose the eSIM card we installed and labeled in the previous chapters as EsimSurf (*destination*). 
   
   
5. Disable the "Allow Mobile Data Switching" option to avoid roaming fees.
   
   

Once you go through the steps above your mobile data settings should look like this:

If you are on phone or tablet you can open the PDF document in another window by using this link.