# Which Phones Support eSIM?

> How to check whether your own phone supports eSIM in ten seconds — and the two cases where a supported model still will not work.

Using an eSIM · Published 2022-08-12 · Updated 2026-08-21 · 4 min read

Page: https://esimradar.com/blog/esim-phones

![Three modern smartphones lying on a wooden surface.](https://esimradar.com/blog-images/esim-phones/hero-36680542-1280.webp)

*Model number, not model name. Two phones that look identical here can differ on eSIM support by the region they were sold in.*

Almost every phone sold since around 2020 supports eSIM. Rather than scan a list that is out of date the week it is written, check the phone in your hand — it takes ten seconds and it is the only answer that accounts for your specific device and carrier.

## The ten-second check

Dial [\*#06#](https://esimradar.com/blog/ussd-gsm-codes). If [an EID appears alongside the IMEI](https://esimradar.com/blog/eid-number), the phone has eSIM hardware. That is the definitive answer, and it works on any make.

If you would rather look through settings, both manufacturers document where the same numbers live:

- iPhone: Settings → General → About. An "Available SIM" or EID entry means yes, and [Apple lists the EID among the identifiers on that screen](https://support.apple.com/en-us/108037).
- Android: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs. An "Add eSIM" or "Download a SIM" option means yes. On a Pixel, [Google puts the EID under About phone, then SIM status](https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/10402530).

> **Note:** A missing EID means the hardware is not there and nothing will change that. A present EID means the hardware is there — but see the two exceptions below before assuming you are done.

## Roughly which models have it

Useful for deciding whether a phone you do not own yet will work. Treat it as a range, not a guarantee — the check above is the guarantee.

- iPhone: XS, XR and every model since. [Apple’s list of which SIM each iPhone uses](https://support.apple.com/en-us/118569) shows how far eSIM-only has spread: US models from the iPhone 14 onward have no tray, and with the iPhone 17 line and the iPhone Air the same is true of models bought in Canada, Mexico, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman.
- Google Pixel: every Pixel 4 and later, and in the United States [Google’s dual-SIM guidance for Pixel](https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/9449293) notes that Pixel 10 models other than the Pro Fold take eSIM only. Earlier models are the reason a list like this cannot be trusted — [Google’s own compatibility notes](https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/7086887) say the Pixel 3 works only on Google Fi or Sprint in the US and Canada and not at all if bought in Australia, Taiwan or Japan, while the Pixel 2 works on Google Fi alone.
- Samsung Galaxy: S20 and later, plus recent Note, Z Fold and Z Flip models.
- Most current flagships from Motorola, Sony, Oppo and Huawei, and a growing number of mid-range models.
- Also: recent iPads, Apple Watch cellular models, and several Windows laptops with mobile broadband.

## Two ways a supported phone still will not work

Both are cases where the EID check passes and the plan still refuses to connect, which is why a compatibility list can never answer this question on its own.

### It is carrier-locked

A phone bought on contract is often locked to the carrier that sold it, and a locked phone refuses other networks whatever its hardware supports. This is the single most common reason a travel eSIM fails on a phone that passed the EID check, and on an iPhone [one settings screen rules it in or out](https://esimradar.com/blog/iphone-unlocked).

Ask your carrier to unlock it — once the contract terms are met they are generally obliged to, usually free, often within a day or two. Do it before you travel, not at the airport.

### It is a China-market variant

Several models sold in mainland China ship without eSIM support even though the identical model elsewhere has it. Apple, for one, [names only the iPhone 17e and iPhone Air as supporting eSIM in mainland China](https://support.apple.com/en-us/118569). If a phone was bought there, the EID check will tell you honestly — and no update or setting will change the answer.

## If your phone passes

You can buy a plan and [install it before you fly](https://esimradar.com/blog/install-esim). Compare on [price per GB](https://esimradar.com/faq) rather than headline price, by [destination](https://esimradar.com/country).

## Common questions

### How do I know for certain whether my phone supports eSIM?

Dial \*#06#. If an EID appears next to the IMEI, the hardware is present. That is definitive for any make and more reliable than any compatibility list.

### Can a software update add eSIM to an older phone?

No. The eUICC is a physical chip. If it was not fitted at the factory, no update adds it.

### My phone supports eSIM but the travel plan will not connect. Why?

Usually a carrier lock, or data roaming being off for the travel line. Check both — they account for most failures on hardware that passed the EID check.

### Do eSIM-only iPhones still work abroad?

Yes, and arguably better: with no tray you simply add a travel eSIM alongside your existing line. US models from iPhone 14 onward are eSIM-only, and with the iPhone 17 line and iPhone Air that now applies in Canada, Mexico, Japan and several Gulf markets too.

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