How to Add eSIM to iPhone & iPad

You can't transfer an installed HelloRoam eSIM from your old iPhone to a new one. Quick Start and Quick Transfer during setup don't work for it, and scanning the QR code again won't either. Your HelloRoam eSIM stays on the phone it's installed on, so don't delete it from your old iPhone. If it hasn't yet connected to a network your plan covers at your destination, email help@helloroam.com before you switch phones and we can issue a new eSIM. Installing it at home doesn't count as that first connection. Once it's connected, the code can't be used again, and we can't issue a new one just because you've changed phones.

Install your HelloRoam plan at home before you leave, while you're on Wi-Fi. When you land in Bali, Japan, New Zealand or the UK, switch on the HelloRoam line and Data Roaming, and pick HelloRoam for Mobile Data. Your plan's days start when it first connects to a supported network there. Your Telstra, Optus or Vodafone AU SIM stays in the tray for calls and texts, so there's no SIM swapping.

HelloRoam eSIM plans start from A$1.46. The price depends on the destination and the amount of data you choose. You save up to 86% compared to standard international roaming from carriers like Telstra and Optus. There are no contracts and no monthly fees.

Yes. You rename a HelloRoam plan on iPhone in Settings > Mobile. Tap the line, tap Mobile Data Plan Label, then pick a preset or type your own name. It's handy when your iPhone has two or more lines, such as your home number and a HelloRoam travel plan.

Your existing physical SIM keeps working normally when you activate an eSIM on iPhone. Both lines run side by side. Your home number (Telstra, Optus, or Vodafone AU) stays active for calls and texts on the primary line, while HelloRoam handles your data abroad on the secondary line. Nothing on your physical SIM is deleted or changed.

Only remove a HelloRoam plan from your iPhone if its eSIM has never connected, or its plan has ended. Go to Settings > Mobile and tap the HelloRoam line. Tap Delete eSIM, or Delete Plan if your iPhone holds several plans. Before its first connection, you can reinstall it with the same QR code. After that, removing it means your HelloRoam eSIM is gone for good. To stop using the eSIM without removing it, switch Turn On This Line off.

Run through the basics before resetting network settings for an eSIM problem on iPhone. At your destination, the HelloRoam line and Data Roaming need to be on, with the line picked under Mobile Data. If that's all set and it still won't work, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings, enter your passcode and confirm. You'll lose saved Wi-Fi passwords and VPN settings, but your eSIM profiles stay put. Afterwards, switch Data Roaming back on for the HelloRoam line under Settings > Mobile.

Three things usually stop a HelloRoam eSIM from activating: Data Roaming is off on its line, the line isn't selected under Mobile Data, or you haven't reached a network your plan covers. Once you've landed, open Settings > Mobile > your HelloRoam line, make sure Data Roaming is on, and pick HelloRoam under Mobile Data. If it still won't connect, restart the iPhone and choose a network manually under Network Selection.

If no eSIM shows up on your iPhone, check three things. Your model must be an iPhone XS or newer. It also can't be a model made for mainland China, where only the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, 17e and Air carry eSIM, and some Hong Kong and Macao models use two nano-SIM cards instead. Your iPhone must be unlocked: go to Settings > General > About > Carrier Lock, where an unlocked phone reads No SIM restrictions. If it doesn't, ask your carrier, such as Telstra, Optus or Vodafone AU, to unlock it. And if you've already installed the plan, look for the HelloRoam line under Settings > Mobile.

eSIM activation on an iPhone has no fixed time. The download needs a working internet connection, so if it fails, restart the phone and try another Wi-Fi network or a hotspot from a second phone. The days on your plan kick off when the eSIM first joins a supported network at your destination. After you land, switch on the HelloRoam line and Data Roaming and pick it under Mobile Data. No data yet? Restart the iPhone, turn Wi-Fi off and give it 2 to 5 minutes.

Five fixes cover most cases when a HelloRoam eSIM stops working on iPhone. See how much data and how many days are left in the HelloRoam app. At your destination, switch Data Roaming on for the HelloRoam line under Settings > Mobile, and make sure that line is picked under Mobile Data. Restart the iPhone once, then choose a network yourself under Network Selection. Don't delete or reinstall the eSIM, as its QR code only works once. If you're still stuck, email help@helloroam.com with your order ID.

Any iPhone XS or newer can hold eight or more eSIM profiles, with 2 active at a time. On the iPhone 13 and later both can be eSIMs, while older models run 1 eSIM next to 1 physical SIM. Profiles you've switched off stay in Settings > Mobile, so moving between plans for Bali, Japan or the UK doesn't mean reinstalling.

No, not on your HelloRoam line. Data Roaming must be on for your HelloRoam plan to work overseas, so when you land, go to Settings > Mobile, tap your HelloRoam line and switch Data Roaming on. Do keep it off on your home SIM (Telstra, Optus or Vodafone AU) so your home plan can't bill you for roaming. Roaming on your home SIM doesn't turn it on for the eSIM.

Yes. VPN apps run over a HelloRoam eSIM on iPhone. Install the VPN app, connect to the VPN, and your HelloRoam eSIM carries the mobile data underneath it. A VPN can also stop your eSIM data working, so if data fails overseas, turn the VPN off and reload the page. Check local laws first, because countries like China and Russia restrict VPN use.

Yes. iMessage keeps working on an iPhone with a HelloRoam eSIM. When both lines are on, set your home number for iMessage in Settings > Apps > Messages > Send & Receive. HelloRoam supplies the data iMessage runs over, and your iMessage identity stays with your Apple ID no matter which line carries the data.

Yes. The iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max all take eSIM, hold eight or more eSIMs and can run two together. US iPhone 14 and newer models come without a physical SIM tray, but most models sold elsewhere, Australian ones included, keep a nano-SIM slot as well as eSIM. iPhone 14 models sold in mainland China have no eSIM. Any unlocked iPhone 14 with eSIM runs your HelloRoam plan.

Setting up eSIM on iPhone 15 takes three steps. Open Settings > Mobile, tap Add eSIM, then Use QR Code. Scan the QR code from your HelloRoam email on another screen, or tap Enter Details Manually and type in the SM-DP+ address and activation code. Stay on Wi-Fi while the eSIM downloads. iPhone 15 stores eight or more eSIMs, so you can keep plans for a few different trips and switch between them without reinstalling anything.

No. iOS updates don't delete installed eSIM profiles on your iPhone, so your HelloRoam plan stays on the phone after any software update. After updating iOS, go to Settings > Mobile and tap your HelloRoam line. At your destination, check that Data Roaming is on and the right line is picked for Mobile Data.

Yes. HelloRoam needs your iPhone to be unlocked, with no carrier restrictions. You can check under Settings > General > About > Carrier Lock: an unlocked phone reads No SIM restrictions. If yours is locked to Telstra, Optus or Vodafone AU, get in touch with them to have the lock lifted. Only the carrier can do this, not Apple.

eSIM settings on iPhone live under Settings > Mobile (called Cellular or Mobile Service in some regions). From there you can add a plan, manage your lines, pick your default data and voice lines, or switch Data Roaming on or off for each line. Manual network selection is at Settings > Mobile: tap your line, then Network Selection.

Checking iPhone eSIM compatibility comes down to three checks. Open Settings, tap Mobile, and look for Add eSIM, or a set-up button if your iPhone has no line yet. Then open Settings, tap General, tap About, and check Carrier Lock: an unlocked phone reads No SIM restrictions. Confirm your model is an iPhone XS, XS Max, XR or newer, first released in 2018. In mainland China, only the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air support eSIM, and some Hong Kong and Macao models use two nano-SIM cards instead. Devices sold through Telstra, Optus or Vodafone AU may need unlocking first.

To get the SIM card out, push a SIM-eject tool or a thin paperclip into the small pinhole on the side of the iPhone, and the tray will pop out. US iPhone 14 and newer models are eSIM-only, so they don't have a tray. There's no need to remove your physical SIM to use a HelloRoam e-sim, because the iPhone runs both lines together and keeps calls and texts on your home line.

APN (Access Point Name) settings tell the iPhone which network gateway to use for mobile data. You don't need to add or change them for a HelloRoam eSIM. If data isn't working at your destination, go to Settings > Mobile > your HelloRoam line, switch Data Roaming on and pick that line under Mobile Data. Still no luck? Email help@helloroam.com with a screenshot of your settings.

Grab a HelloRoam plan for your destination in the app or on our website, and we'll email you a QR code with your activation details. That email is all you need: any of the install routes above will add it. Your iPhone needs to be unlocked and an iPhone XS or newer.

You turn on iPhone hotspot (Personal Hotspot) in Settings > Personal Hotspot by switching on Allow Others to Join. At your destination, set Mobile Data to your HelloRoam line at Settings > Mobile > Mobile Data, then turn on the hotspot. Laptops, tablets and other devices can then connect to your iPhone over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB and use your HelloRoam data. Hotspot sharing counts towards your data allowance.

Dual SIM means your iPhone runs two lines at once: a physical nano-SIM plus an eSIM, or two eSIM profiles on the iPhone 13 and later. Keep your home number on one for calls, and let HelloRoam handle affordable data overseas on the other. You choose which line looks after data, calls and SMS in Settings > Mobile, and every line has its own plan and Data Roaming switch.

An eSIM is a digital SIM built right into your iPhone, so there's no card to swap. You add a plan by scanning a QR code or typing in an activation code, and your iPhone downloads it over Wi-Fi. A HelloRoam eSIM runs alongside your home SIM: calls and texts stay on your home line, whether that's Telstra, Optus, Vodafone AU or another network, while HelloRoam handles your data overseas. Install it at home, then switch it on when you land. Your plan's days start once it first connects to a supported network there.

When a SIM card problem stops your eSIM on iPhone, it's usually one of four things. A carrier lock can block any outside plan, so check Settings > General > About > Carrier Lock. A line setting under Settings > Mobile might be off: once you arrive, switch the line on, let it use Data Roaming and make it your data line. Your iPhone might not have found a supported network yet, so leave automatic network selection on and only scan manually as a test. Or you might not be in the destination your plan covers yet. If all four look fine, email help@helloroam.com with screenshots, and keep the eSIM installed.