How to Add eSIM to iPhone & iPad

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

Install your HelloRoam eSIM at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. When you land in London, Dubai, Sydney or any other covered destination, switch on the HelloRoam line and Data Roaming, and choose HelloRoam under Mobile Data. Your plan's days start when it first connects to a supported network there. Keep your Vodacom, MTN or Cell C SIM in for calls, with Data Roaming off on that line.

HelloRoam eSIM plans start from R 16,79. The exact cost depends on your destination and how much data you choose, and you pay one price upfront, with no contract. That one prepaid price helps you save on standard international roaming from Vodacom or MTN.

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

Your physical SIM stays active and unchanged when you add an eSIM on iPhone. Both lines run at the same time: your Vodacom, MTN or Cell C number keeps getting calls and texts, while the HelloRoam eSIM becomes your data line abroad. You choose which line handles what in Settings > Mobile Service.

Take a HelloRoam plan off your iPhone only when its plan is finished, or if its eSIM has never connected. Open Settings > Mobile Service, tap the HelloRoam line and choose Delete eSIM, or Delete Plan if there are several plans on the phone. Before the first connection, the same QR code reinstalls it, but once it has connected, deleting it loses the HelloRoam eSIM for good. If you only want it off for now, switch Turn On This Line off and leave it installed.

Rule out the simple things before resetting network settings for an eSIM problem on iPhone. At your destination, the HelloRoam line and Data Roaming must both be on, with the line chosen under Mobile Data. If it's still not sorted, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings, enter your passcode and confirm. The reset clears saved Wi-Fi passwords and VPN settings but leaves your eSIM profiles in place. Afterwards, switch Data Roaming on again for the HelloRoam line in Settings > Mobile Service.

An installed eSIM that won't activate usually comes down to one of four things. Data Roaming is off on the HelloRoam line, the line isn't chosen under Mobile Data, you haven't reached a network your plan covers yet, or the iPhone is carrier-locked. At your destination, go to Settings > Mobile Service > your HelloRoam line and switch Data Roaming on, then choose HelloRoam under Mobile Data. Still stuck? Restart your iPhone, then message HelloRoam on WhatsApp or email help@helloroam.com.

If Add eSIM isn't showing under Settings > Mobile Service, check three things. Your iPhone must be an iPhone XS or newer and not a mainland China model. It also can't be locked to a carrier, so check Carrier Lock at Settings > General > About. If you've already installed the plan and can't see it, look for the HelloRoam line under Settings > Mobile Service and switch on Turn On This Line.

There's no fixed time for eSIM activation on iPhone, because the download depends on a working internet connection. If the install fails, restart your iPhone and try again on a different Wi-Fi network or a phone hotspot. Your plan's days start when the eSIM first connects to a supported network at your destination. When you land, turn on the HelloRoam line and Data Roaming, and choose it under Mobile Data. If data doesn't start, restart your iPhone, turn Wi-Fi off and wait 2 to 5 minutes.

An iPhone 15 needs three steps for an eSIM. In Settings > Mobile Service, tap Add eSIM, then Use QR Code. Scan the code in your HelloRoam email from a second screen, or tap Enter Details Manually and type the SM-DP+ address and activation code. Keep the phone on Wi-Fi until the eSIM has downloaded. Because the iPhone 15 holds eight or more eSIMs, one plan for a UK trip and another for Dubai can both stay on it, and you switch between them without reinstalling.

When your HelloRoam eSIM isn't working on iPhone, these 5 fixes usually sort it out. Check the data and days you've got left in the HelloRoam app. At your destination, turn Data Roaming on for the HelloRoam line in Settings > Mobile Service, and make that line your choice under Mobile Data. Restart the iPhone once, then choose a network yourself under Network Selection. Keep the eSIM installed, because its QR code can't be used a second time. If you're still offline, email help@helloroam.com with your order ID.

Make HelloRoam your data line under Settings > Mobile Service > Mobile Data by choosing the HelloRoam line once you've arrived. For calls, tap Default Voice Line and keep your home SIM, so your Vodacom, MTN or Cell C number still rings while HelloRoam carries your data abroad.

Not on your HelloRoam line. Data Roaming must stay on for your HelloRoam eSIM to work abroad, so switch it on for that line at Settings > Mobile Service when you land. Keep it off on your Vodacom, MTN or Cell C SIM to avoid roaming charges from your home network. Turning roaming on for your home SIM doesn't switch it on for the eSIM.

Yes. A VPN app works over a HelloRoam eSIM on iPhone: once it's installed and connected, the eSIM provides the mobile data beneath it. A VPN can also be the thing blocking your eSIM data, though, so if nothing loads at your destination, switch the VPN off and reload. Check the local laws first, since China, Russia and other countries restrict VPN use.

Yes. iMessage carries on with a HelloRoam eSIM in your iPhone. With both lines switched on, set your home number for iMessage in Settings > Apps > Messages > Send & Receive. HelloRoam supplies the data that iMessage uses, and your iMessage identity stays linked to your Apple ID whichever line is carrying that data.

iPhone XS and newer can store eight or more eSIM profiles, but only two can be active at once. iPhone 13 and later can run two eSIMs, while older models run one eSIM next to one physical SIM. Stored profiles stay in Settings > Mobile Service even when they're off, so you can switch between a HelloRoam UK plan and a HelloRoam UAE plan without reinstalling.

Checking your iPhone's eSIM compatibility takes three quick steps. Open Settings, tap Mobile Service, and look for Add eSIM, or the set-up button your iPhone shows when it has no line yet. Then open Settings, tap General, tap About, and check Carrier Lock: an unlocked phone shows No SIM restrictions. Confirm your model is an iPhone XS, XS Max, XR or newer. In mainland China, only the iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, 17e and Air support eSIM, and some Hong Kong and Macao models use two nano-SIM cards instead.

Open Settings > Mobile Service to see your HelloRoam eSIM data usage. With Dual SIM, your iPhone shows the data used on the line chosen under Mobile Data, so choose the HelloRoam line there once you land in the UK, the UAE or Australia. For the data your plan has left, open the HelloRoam app and check the My eSIM tab.

Yes. iPhone XS and newer models with a SIM tray can run a physical nano-SIM and an eSIM at the same time. Your Vodacom, MTN or Cell C number stays active while HelloRoam handles your data abroad. You choose which line handles data, calls and messages in Settings > Mobile Service. iPhone 13 and later can also run two eSIMs at once, with no physical SIM needed.

Selecting a network manually on iPhone goes through Settings > Mobile Service. Tap your HelloRoam line, then Network Selection, and turn Automatic off. Wait for the full list of networks to load, then tap your preferred carrier. If data is slow on one network, try another. Turn Automatic back on when you're done, because it's the normal setting.

Use a SIM-eject tool or a thin paperclip to eject the SIM card from an iPhone. Push it straight into the small pinhole on the side of the phone and the tray pops out. US models of iPhone 14 and newer have no physical SIM tray, because they're eSIM-only. You don't need to remove your Vodacom, MTN or Cell C SIM to use a HelloRoam eSIM: your iPhone runs both lines at once, with your home line for calls and texts.

APN (Access Point Name) settings tell your iPhone which network gateway to use for mobile data. No, you shouldn't add or edit APN settings for your HelloRoam eSIM yourself, because the eSIM sets them up automatically. If data doesn't work at your destination, switch on Data Roaming at Settings > Mobile Service > your HelloRoam line, then choose that line under Mobile Data. If it still won't connect, email help@helloroam.com with a screenshot of your settings.

Choose a plan for your trip in the HelloRoam app or on our website, and your QR code and activation details arrive by email. The install steps higher up this page show what to do with them. Your iPhone needs to be unlocked and an iPhone XS or later.

To turn on Personal Hotspot, go to Settings > Personal Hotspot and switch on Allow Others to Join. At your destination, set Mobile Data to your HelloRoam line at Settings > Mobile Service > Mobile Data first, then turn on the hotspot. Laptops, tablets and other devices can connect to your iPhone over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB and use your HelloRoam data. Hotspot use counts towards your data allowance.

Dual SIM on iPhone lets you run two lines at once, one physical nano-SIM and one eSIM, and iPhone 13 and later can also use two eSIM profiles. With dual SIM, your home number stays on for calls while HelloRoam handles affordable data abroad. Manage which line is used for data, calls and SMS at Settings > Mobile Service. Each line has its own plan and its own Data Roaming switch.

An eSIM is a SIM built into the iPhone itself, so there's no card to pop in or out. You add a plan by scanning a QR code or entering an activation code, and the phone downloads it over Wi-Fi. A HelloRoam eSIM works beside your home SIM: calls and SMS stay on your Vodacom, MTN or Cell C number while HelloRoam handles data abroad. Set it up at home, then switch it on when you land. The plan's days only start when it first connects to a supported network at your destination.

SIM card issues on iPhone that stop your eSIM from working come in four kinds. First, a carrier lock stops any outside plan from activating, so check Settings > General > About > Carrier Lock. Second, a line setting under Settings > Mobile Service is switched off. When you arrive, switch the line on, allow its Data Roaming and make it your data line. Third, your iPhone hasn't found a supported network yet. Leave automatic network selection on and use a manual network scan only as a test. Fourth, you may not have reached the destination your plan covers. If all four check out, email help@helloroam.com with screenshots, and don't delete the eSIM.