# How to Install an eSIM on Android

> The steps are the same on every Android phone; the words are not. What to look for on Pixel, Samsung and the rest, and the manual-entry difference.

Phones and networks · Published 2023-08-27 · Updated 2026-08-21 · 4 min read

Page: https://esimradar.com/blog/install-esim-android

![A hand holding an Android phone showing the system interface.](https://esimradar.com/blog-images/install-esim-android/hero-6901037-1280.webp)

*Android's wording is the hard part: the menu that adds an eSIM is called something different on almost every make.*

Installing an eSIM on Android takes about two minutes, and the sequence is identical on every phone: open the SIM settings, choose to add one, scan or type the code, then decide which line carries data.

What differs is the vocabulary. Samsung, Pixel, Xiaomi and the rest each name the same screens differently, which is why a walkthrough written against one brand reads as wrong on another. So this describes what to look for rather than what to tap.

## The path, in whatever words your phone uses

Four steps, and the labels vary at each one:

1. Open the network settings — "Network & internet" or "Connections".
2. Find the SIM screen — "SIMs", "SIM manager", or "SIM card manager".
3. Choose to add one — "Add SIM", "Add eSIM", "Download a SIM instead", or "Add mobile plan".
4. Scan the QR code, or choose the manual option, then name the line something you will recognise.

If the SIM screen offers no eSIM option at all, the phone almost certainly lacks the hardware — [dial \*#06# and look for an EID](https://esimradar.com/blog/esim-phones) to be sure. Support is not simply a matter of Android version: [Google’s compatibility notes](https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/7086887) put the clean break at the Pixel 4, from which every model works with eSIM, while the Pixel 3 and 3a varied by carrier and by the market they were sold in.

## What it is called on the common brands

Current versions, though manufacturers rename these more often than they should:

- Pixel: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Add SIM → Set up an eSIM, which is [the path Google now documents](https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/16115470). Older write-ups still say "Download a SIM instead", which was the wording before the SIM screen was reorganised.
- Samsung: Settings → Connections → SIM manager → Add eSIM.
- OnePlus and Oppo: Settings → Mobile network → SIM card and mobile data → Add eSIM.
- Xiaomi: Settings → SIM cards & mobile networks → Add eSIM.
- Motorola: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Add more.

## The manual-entry difference

If the code will not scan, every Android build offers a way to type the details in. This is where Android and iOS genuinely diverge.

> **Note:** Most Android builds want the entire activation string in one field, not the SM-DP+ address and activation code split into two boxes as iOS asks for them. Pasting only the second half fails with an unhelpful error. If your provider lists the two parts separately, join them back together in the documented order: [the GSMA’s SGP.22 specification](https://www.gsma.com/solutions-and-impact/technologies/esim/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/SGP.22-v2.6.pdf) puts a format digit first, then the SM-DP+ address, then the activation code, separated by dollar signs. [The full manual-entry walkthrough](https://esimradar.com/blog/enter-esim-qr-code-manually) covers what each part is.

## After it installs

Android does not always prompt for these, so set them yourself rather than assuming:

1. Set Mobile data to the travel SIM. Two lines, one data setting, and Android will not guess.
2. Turn Roaming on for that SIM. A travel eSIM needs it — [on for the travel line, off for the home line](https://esimradar.com/blog/turn-on-off-roaming).
3. Leave calls and SMS on your home line unless you have a reason not to.
4. Rename both lines. "Japan" and "Home" beat "SIM 1" and "SIM 2" at an airport gate.

## If it will not install

The Android-specific causes, beyond the universal ones:

- No internet connection. The install downloads the profile, so do it on wifi before travelling.
- A carrier-supplied build with eSIM disabled in firmware. Some operator-branded phones ship this way and only the carrier can change it.
- The code was already used. Activation codes install once — ask for a reissue rather than retrying.
- An older Android version. Support arrived in Android 9, and early implementations were carrier-restricted.

## Before you buy the next one

[Install at home on wifi](https://esimradar.com/blog/install-esim), set the data line, and landing becomes a single toggle. Plans by [destination](https://esimradar.com/country), ranked on [price per GB](https://esimradar.com/faq).

## Common questions

### How do I add an eSIM on Android?

Open the SIM screen in network settings — "SIMs" or "SIM manager" depending on brand — choose Add SIM or Add eSIM, and scan the code. The path is the same everywhere; only the wording changes.

### Why does the manual entry reject my activation code?

Most Android builds want the whole activation string in a single field, not the SM-DP+ address and code split in two as iOS asks. Join the parts back together in the order the specification sets: format digit, address, code, separated by dollar signs.

### My Android phone has no Add eSIM option. Why?

Either no eSIM hardware — check for an EID via \*#06# — or a carrier-branded build with the feature disabled in firmware, which only the carrier can undo.

### Which Android versions support eSIM?

Android 9 and later, though early implementations were carrier-restricted. Anything recent supports it if the hardware is present.

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