Install guide
Installed in 2 minutes
Your phone must be carrier-unlocked and eSIM-capable — check your device first (60 seconds). Then follow the steps for your phone below. check your device here
Pick your device
Step by step
Before you fly (do this at home)
- 1
Install the eSIM on Wi-Fi before your trip — it takes 2 minutes and you land ready.
- 2
Installing does NOT start the clock: validity begins when the eSIM first connects to a network at your destination.
- 3
Keep your normal SIM active for calls and SMS (banking codes!); the travel eSIM handles data only.
- 4
One QR = one install. Don't delete the eSIM from your phone until the trip is over.
The step people miss
Data Roaming must be ON for the travel eSIM. It sounds wrong — but for the eSIM, local data abroad counts as roaming. Leave it off and you'll have no internet.
Troubleshooting
Ninety percent of problems are one of these.
The QR code won't scan
The QR must be displayed on a different screen than the phone installing it. Open the email on a laptop, or skip scanning: use “Enter details manually” with the SM-DP+ address and activation code from your order page.
Installed, but no signal at the destination
1) Confirm the travel eSIM is ON and selected for mobile data. 2) Data Roaming must be ON for the eSIM — the #1 cause. 3) Toggle Airplane Mode. 4) Pick a network manually in settings. 5) Restart the phone.
Signal bars but no internet
Check you haven't hit the plan's data cap. On Android, verify no custom APN overrides the eSIM's automatic configuration. On iPhone, avoid third-party APN profiles.
“This code is no longer valid” during install
Each eSIM installs exactly once. Check your SIM list — it may already be there, just disabled. If you deleted it by accident, contact support and we'll sort it out.
It's slow
Unlimited plans reduce speed after the daily high-speed allowance. Otherwise try manually selecting a different local network — some partners are faster than the auto-selected one.
Can I hotspot / tether?
Yes — tethering works on all our plans. It shares the same data allowance, so a laptop can burn through a small plan quickly.
Will my WhatsApp / iMessage still work?
Yes. Keep your home SIM active (just disable its data). WhatsApp stays registered to your normal number; calls and SMS still reach you while data flows through the travel eSIM.
Still stuck?
Email support@arbsim.net — include your order number and phone model, we answer fast.