How to Add eSIM to iPhone & iPad

You cannot transfer an installed HelloRoam eSIM from your old iPhone to a new iPhone. Quick Start and Quick Transfer during iPhone setup do not work for it, and scanning the same QR code again does not work either. A HelloRoam eSIM stays on the phone you install it on, so do not delete it from your old iPhone. Before its first connection to a network your plan covers at your destination, email help@helloroam.com and HelloRoam can issue you a new eSIM. Installing it at home does not count as that first connection. Once your eSIM has connected, its code cannot be used again, and HelloRoam cannot issue a new one just because you have changed phones.

Using an eSIM for international travel from India is straightforward with HelloRoam. Buy a plan for your destination, such as the UAE, Thailand, Singapore or the US, and install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi before your trip. When you land, switch on the HelloRoam line and Data Roaming, and pick HelloRoam under Mobile Data. Your plan's days start when the eSIM first connects to a supported network there.

HelloRoam eSIM plans start from ₹98.03. The exact price depends on your destination and plan duration. You pay one fixed price for your plan, with no hidden charges and no per-MB overage fees. Compared with standard international roaming from Jio, Airtel or Vi, you can save up to 86%.

Delete a HelloRoam plan only if its eSIM has not connected yet or the plan has finished. To do it, open Settings > Mobile Service, tap the HelloRoam line and select Delete eSIM, or Delete Plan if the iPhone has more than one plan. Until the first connection, the same QR code can reinstall it. After that, a deleted HelloRoam eSIM cannot come back. If you only want to pause it, switch off Turn On This Line instead.

Your existing physical SIM card continues to work normally after an eSIM is activated. The physical SIM handles calls, SMS, and local data from your home carrier. The HelloRoam eSIM handles international data on whichever network you assign it to. Both lines run at the same time as Dual SIM Dual Standby, so you do not need to remove your home SIM card.

Yes, on any Wi-Fi + Cellular iPad that has eSIM. Apple's list covers the iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation onwards), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd to 6th generation), iPad Pro 13-inch (M4 and M5), iPad Air (3rd generation onwards), iPad (7th generation onwards) and iPad mini (5th generation onwards). Scan the QR code from your HelloRoam email with the iPad's Camera app, tap the Cellular Plan Detected notification, then tap Continue and Add Cellular Plan.

Before you reset network settings for an eSIM problem on iPhone, check the basics. At your destination, the HelloRoam line and Data Roaming should both be on, with HelloRoam selected under Mobile Data. If it still fails, open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings, enter the passcode and confirm. The reset wipes saved Wi-Fi passwords and VPN settings, but your eSIM profiles remain. Once done, switch Data Roaming on again for the HelloRoam line in Settings > Mobile Service.

Three things commonly stop an eSIM from activating on iPhone. Data Roaming may be OFF on your HelloRoam line: at your destination, go to Settings > Mobile Service > your line and turn it ON. The line may not be set for data: pick HelloRoam under Mobile Data. Or your iPhone may have carrier restrictions, which only your network provider can remove. If none of these fix it, email help@helloroam.com with your order ID, and do not delete the eSIM.

When Add eSIM does not appear under Settings > Mobile Service, check three things. Your model must be an iPhone XS or newer. It must not be a mainland China model, where only the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, 17e and Air have eSIM. And your carrier must not have locked the device, so open Settings > General > About and check the Carrier Lock status, then restart your iPhone.

There is no fixed activation time for an iPhone eSIM. The download only needs a working internet connection, and if it fails, restart the iPhone and retry on another Wi-Fi network or a mobile hotspot. Plan days begin when the eSIM first connects to a supported network at your destination. After landing, switch on the HelloRoam line and Data Roaming, and choose it under Mobile Data. No data yet? Restart the iPhone, turn Wi-Fi off and give it 2 to 5 minutes.

An iPhone 15 eSIM setup has three steps. Go to Settings > Mobile Service, tap Add eSIM and then Use QR Code. Scan the code in your HelloRoam email from a second screen, or tap Enter Details Manually and key in the SM-DP+ address and activation code. Keep the phone on Wi-Fi until the download finishes. Because the iPhone 15 holds eight or more eSIMs, you can keep separate plans for Dubai and Thailand and swap between them without a fresh install.

Five checks usually fix a HelloRoam eSIM that stops working on iPhone. Look at the data and days left in the HelloRoam app. At your destination, switch Data Roaming on for the HelloRoam line under Settings > Mobile Service, and select that line under Mobile Data. Restart the iPhone once, then choose a network manually under Network Selection. Avoid deleting or reinstalling the eSIM, since its QR code works only once. If none of this helps, email help@helloroam.com with your order ID.

HelloRoam becomes your main data line from Settings > Mobile Service > Mobile Data: once you reach your destination, select the HelloRoam line there. For calls, tap Default Voice Line and keep your home SIM, so your Jio, Airtel or Vi number stays reachable while HelloRoam carries the data abroad.

Not on your HelloRoam line. Data Roaming must be ON for your HelloRoam eSIM to work abroad, so when you land, go to Settings > Mobile Service > your HelloRoam line and switch it on. Keep Data Roaming OFF on your home Jio, Airtel or Vi SIM to avoid roaming charges from your home carrier. Roaming on your home SIM does not turn it on for the eSIM.

Yes, a VPN works on top of a HelloRoam eSIM on iPhone. Once the VPN app is installed and connected, the eSIM supplies the mobile data underneath. A VPN can also be what stops eSIM data from working, so if nothing loads at your destination, switch the VPN off and reload. Check the local law before you travel, because China and Russia, among others, restrict VPN use.

Yes, it does. When both SIMs are active, go to Settings > Apps > Messages > Send & Receive and select your home number for iMessage. HelloRoam supplies the data that iMessage runs on, while your iMessage identity remains tied to your Apple ID, whichever line provides the data.

Yes. You can add an eSIM to iPhone without a QR code by typing in the details from your HelloRoam email. Open Settings > Mobile Service, tap Add eSIM, then Use QR Code, and tap Enter Details Manually under the camera box. Paste the SM-DP+ address and the activation code into their fields. If your iPhone has no line yet, it shows a set-up button in the same place. Tap that button instead of Add eSIM.

Three checks tell you whether your iPhone is eSIM compatible. Under Settings > Mobile Service, look for Add eSIM, or a set-up button if the iPhone has no line yet. Under Settings > General > About, Carrier Lock should say No SIM restrictions. Your model should be an iPhone XS, XS Max, XR or a later one, launched in 2018 or after. Models for China mainland are the exception: there, only the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, 17e and Air support eSIM, and some Hong Kong and Macao iPhones take two nano-SIM cards instead.

iPhone XS and newer store eight or more eSIM profiles, but only 2 can be active at the same time. iPhone 13 and later can run 2 eSIMs, while older models run 1 eSIM plus 1 physical SIM. Stored profiles stay in Settings > Mobile Service even when they are off, so you can switch between a plan for Dubai, Thailand or the US without reinstalling each time.

Five fixes clear most QR code scanning problems on iPhone. Clean your camera lens. Display the QR code on a bright screen and hold your iPhone so the whole code fits in the frame. Improve the room lighting. Close and reopen the Settings app. If none of these work, tap Enter Details Manually and type in the SM-DP+ address and activation code from your HelloRoam email.

Your iPhone must be unlocked (free of carrier restrictions) to use HelloRoam. Check your status at Settings > General > About > Carrier Lock: an unlocked phone shows No SIM restrictions. If you see a carrier restriction, contact your network provider to have it removed. Only your carrier can unlock your iPhone, and Apple cannot do it for you.

A SIM-eject tool or a thin paperclip is all you need to remove the SIM card. Press it straight into the small pinhole on the side of the iPhone and the tray comes out. US iPhone 14 and later models have no physical tray, as they are eSIM-only. For a HelloRoam e-sim you can keep your physical SIM in place: the iPhone runs both lines together, and your home line keeps handling calls and SMS.

APN (Access Point Name) settings tell the iPhone which network gateway carries mobile data. For a HelloRoam eSIM, there is no need to add or change them yourself. If data is not working at your destination, open Settings > Mobile Service > your HelloRoam line and turn on Data Roaming, then select the line under Mobile Data. If that does not fix it, email help@helloroam.com with a screenshot of these settings.

Purchase a plan for your destination in the HelloRoam app or on the website, and a QR code with activation details reaches your email. Use it with any of the install methods shown above. The iPhone has to be unlocked and an iPhone XS or newer.

Turning on iPhone hotspot (Personal Hotspot) works through Settings > Personal Hotspot, where you switch Allow Others to Join ON. At your destination, set Mobile Data to your HelloRoam line at Settings > Mobile Service > 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 plan. Hotspot sharing counts towards your data allowance.

With Dual SIM, an iPhone runs two lines together: one physical nano-SIM and one eSIM, and from the iPhone 13 onwards, two eSIM profiles as well. That lets you keep your Jio, Airtel or Vi number for calls while HelloRoam provides affordable data abroad. Choose which line handles data, calls and SMS in Settings > Mobile Service. Every line has its own plan and its own Data Roaming switch.

An eSIM is a digital SIM built into your iPhone, so there is no physical card to swap. You add a plan by scanning a QR code or entering an activation code, and your iPhone downloads it over Wi-Fi. A HelloRoam eSIM runs alongside your home SIM, such as Jio, Airtel or Vi: calls and texts stay on your home number, while HelloRoam carries your data abroad. Install it at home, then turn it on only after you land. Your plan's days begin the moment it first connects to a supported network at your destination.

Four common SIM card issues on iPhone can block your eSIM. One is a carrier lock, which stops outside plans, so check Settings > General > About > Carrier Lock. Two is a line switched off at Settings > Mobile Service: on arrival, turn the line on, enable its Data Roaming and select it as the data line. Three is no supported network found yet, so keep automatic network selection on and try a manual scan only as a test. Four is not yet being in the destination your plan covers. If all four are fine, email help@helloroam.com with screenshots and do not delete the eSIM.