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Install your eSIM before you travel, then switch it on when you land

Short answer

Install your HelloRoam eSIM before the trip, at home, over Wi-Fi. Buying and installing it use no plan days. A HelloRoam plan's days start only at the eSIM's first connection to a supported network in your destination. On landing, turn on the HelloRoam line and its data roaming, then choose it for mobile data.

Your place in the trip sets the step

What you seeWhat to do
You installed the eSIM at home and the HelloRoam line shows no service.Nothing is wrong. Leave the line off until you land, then turn it on.
You just landed and the HelloRoam line is still switched off.Turn the line on, turn on its data roaming, and pick it for mobile data.
You landed, the line is on, and data still has not started.Restart your phone, turn Wi-Fi off, and wait 2 to 5 minutes.
The install stops or fails on the Wi-Fi you are using.Restart your phone, then try again on a different Wi-Fi or a phone hotspot.
The HelloRoam app on your iPhone still shows an install button.Ignore that button. Look for the HelloRoam line in your phone's list of mobile lines.

The first connection in your destination starts the days

Your HelloRoam eSIM is in use from its first connection to a supported network in your destination. Before that connection it is not in use yet, even when it is already installed on your phone. To check, sign in on our website, open My eSIMs, and open the plan details. Activated On with a date, or Active on the card, means you should treat it as in use. Not Activated with a Purchase Date is not proof of the opposite. The website reads a stamp the system adds when the eSIM is enabled or first connects, so it can lag behind your phone. The HelloRoam app has no matching label at all. Its Current tab lists every eSIM that has not expired and was not refunded or cancelled, used or not. On iPhone the app can show an install button either way. This boundary decides one thing: while the eSIM is not in use yet, the same QR code or activation code still installs it. If you remove it in that time, put it back straight away. An unused HelloRoam eSIM does not stay available forever, and one left off your phone has less time. From its first connection onward that code cannot be used again, so don't delete it. If you are not sure, email help@helloroam.com.

Install at home, then wait to switch on

iPhoneSamsungPixelOther Android

iPhone

Install at home over Wi-Fi, keep the line off, then switch it on after you land.

  1. Install the eSIM at home while your phone is on Wi-Fi.

  2. Open Settings > Cellular and tap the HelloRoam line.

  3. Turn off Turn On This Line so the line stays off while you travel.

  4. After you land, tap the HelloRoam line and turn on Turn On This Line.

    Clip

  5. Turn on Data Roaming for that line.

    Clip

  6. Under Cellular Data, pick the HelloRoam line.

    Clip

  7. Then turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching, so your data stays on the HelloRoam line.

Illustration

Illustration. Menu names can differ by model and software version.
Step 1 of 7
Install an eSIM on iPhone

Samsung

Install at home over Wi-Fi, then leave the HelloRoam eSIM switched off until you arrive.

  1. Install the eSIM at home while your phone is on Wi-Fi.

  2. Open Settings > Connections > SIM manager.

  3. Switch off the HelloRoam eSIM so it stays off while you travel.

  4. After you land, switch the HelloRoam eSIM back on.

  5. Set Mobile data to the HelloRoam eSIM.

  6. Turn off the switch that moves mobile data to another SIM by itself.

  7. Open Settings > Connections > Mobile networks, then turn on Data roaming.

Illustration

Illustration. Menu names can differ by model and software version.
Step 1 of 7
Install an eSIM on Samsung

Pixel

Install at home over Wi-Fi, then keep the HelloRoam line off until you land. After landing, turn on Use this SIM and Roaming on the line's own page. Then, on the SIMs screen, set Mobile data to the HelloRoam line.

  1. Install the eSIM at home while your phone is on Wi-Fi.

  2. Open Settings > Network & internet > SIMs.

  3. Tap the HelloRoam line and turn off Use this SIM.

  4. After you land, tap the same line and turn on Use this SIM.

  5. Turn on Roaming for that line.

  6. Go back to SIMs, tap Mobile data, and choose the HelloRoam line.

  7. On that screen, turn off Automatic data switching if you see it.

Illustration

Illustration. Menu names can differ by model and software version.
Step 1 of 7
Install an eSIM on Pixel

Other Android

Menu names change by brand and Android version, so look for the closest match.

  1. Install the eSIM at home while your phone is on Wi-Fi.

  2. Open Settings > Network & internet > SIMs, or Mobile network on older phones.

  3. Find the HelloRoam line there and switch it off while you travel.

  4. After you land, switch the HelloRoam line back on.

  5. Turn on Roaming for that line.

  6. Set the HelloRoam line as your mobile data line.

  7. Turn off Automatic data switching if your phone shows it.

Illustration

Illustration. Menu names can differ by model and software version.
Step 1 of 7
Install an eSIM on Android

If you already landed without it

  1. 1

    You can still install after you land. Your phone needs a working internet connection to download the eSIM.

  2. 2

    Use hotel Wi-Fi, or a hotspot from a phone that already has data in your destination.

  3. 3

    Airport, hotel and other public Wi-Fi can block the download, so move to another network and retry.

  4. 4

    If the install stops, restart your phone and try again on a different Wi-Fi or a phone hotspot.

  5. 5

    Once it installs, turn on the HelloRoam line, turn on its data roaming, and pick it for mobile data.

  6. 6

    If data still does not start, restart your phone, turn Wi-Fi off, and wait 2 to 5 minutes.

Don't delete the eSIM to make it work. Deleting fixes nothing, and the settings above come first.

While your eSIM has never connected

  • This window ends at the eSIM's first connection to a supported network in your destination.
  • Inside it, you can remove the eSIM and install it again with the same QR code or activation code. Put it back straight away, because an unused HelloRoam eSIM left off your phone does not stay available forever.
  • From that first connection onward the code cannot be used again, so leave the eSIM where it is.
  • Installing early is not a reason to remove it. Keep it on your phone until you travel. An unused HelloRoam eSIM does not stay available forever, even on your phone, so don't buy it far ahead of your trip.

Ask us before you fly, with these details

Email help@helloroam.com and tell us where you are in the trip. These details let us read your setup instead of guessing. Crop any QR code out of a screenshot before you send it.

  • Your order number.
  • Your phone brand and model.
  • Whether your eSIM has ever connected, as far as you know. If My eSIMs shows Activated On, treat it as in use. Ready, Not Activated and Purchase Date tell you nothing either way, so a best guess is all we ask for.
  • A screenshot of your phone's Cellular or SIM settings that shows the HelloRoam line.
  • If the install failed: the exact error message, or a screenshot of it.
  • If the install failed: the kind of Wi-Fi you used, such as home, hotel, airport or other public Wi-Fi.
  • If you have already traveled: the country and city you are in now.
help@helloroam.com

Timing questions before your trip

How do I know if my eSIM is activated on iPhone?

On iPhone, a HelloRoam line under Settings > Cellular means the eSIM is installed, not that it is activated. To check activation, sign in on our website and open My eSIMs. Active on the card, or an Activated On date, means treat it as in use. Ready or Not Activated tells you nothing yet, because the website can lag behind your phone. The HelloRoam app's install button can show either way. Read our fixes if the install stops with an error.

When does my eSIM plan start?

A HelloRoam plan's days start at the eSIM's first connection to a supported network in your destination. Buying the eSIM does not start them. Neither does installing it, leaving its line on at home, or a layover on a network your plan does not cover. Install on the 25th, land and connect on the 27th, and your plan counts from the 27th. The two days it sat installed at home cost you nothing.

How do I install a travel eSIM on an iPhone before arriving in the USA?

Install the e SIM on your iPhone at home, over your own Wi-Fi, before you leave for the USA. Some airport and hotel Wi-Fi can block the download, so don't leave it until you land. Installing a HelloRoam eSIM uses no plan days. Keep its line switched off on the way, then turn it on after you arrive. The days start at its first connection to a supported network in the USA.

Does an eSIM work right after I buy it?

No. A HelloRoam eSIM works only after 2 things happen. First you install it, which saves it on your phone. Then it connects to a supported network in your destination, once its line, data roaming and mobile data are set. Buying early costs no plan days, because the days start at that first connection. Your unused e-sim does not stay available forever, though, so don't buy far ahead of your trip.

Will my eSIM start working as soon as I land?

A HelloRoam eSIM starts working in your destination only once 3 settings are on. After you land, turn on the HelloRoam line, turn on data roaming for it, and choose it for mobile data. A line you kept off at home stays off until you do. If data still does not start, restart your phone, turn Wi-Fi off, and wait 2 to 5 minutes. You don't need to scan the QR code again.

Sources for this guide

The steps and menu names for your phone's settings follow these pages. Each entry shows the date we read it.

  1. Use eSIM while traveling internationally with your iPhone, Apple. Retrieved
  2. If you can't set up an eSIM on your iPhone, Apple. Retrieved
  3. Use Airplane Mode on your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro, Apple. Retrieved
  4. If you can't connect to Wi-Fi on your iPhone or iPad, Apple. Retrieved
  5. Use cellular data on your iPhone or iPad, Apple. Retrieved
  6. Use Dual SIM on iPhone, Apple. Retrieved
  7. Using Dual SIM with an eSIM, Apple. Retrieved
  8. If you see SOS, No Service, or Searching on your iPhone or iPad, Apple. Retrieved
  9. Connect iPhone to the internet, Apple. Retrieved
  10. Connection options for your Galaxy phone or tablet, Samsung. Retrieved
  11. Samsung Galaxy S25, S25+, S25 Edge and S25 Ultra User Guide, Samsung. Retrieved
  12. SIM cards for your Galaxy phone or tablet, Samsung. Retrieved
  13. Set up a new eSIM, Google. Retrieved
  14. How to use dual SIMs on your Google Pixel phone, Google. Retrieved
  15. Connect to mobile networks on a Pixel phone, Google. Retrieved
  16. Control airplane mode, private DNS & other network settings, Google. Retrieved
  17. Android Settings app strings, res/values/strings.xml (android16-release), Android Open Source Project. Retrieved
  18. Android Settings app strings, res/values/strings.xml (android-16.0.0_r4), Android Open Source Project. Retrieved

About this guide

Covers
This guide covers when to install a HelloRoam eSIM, when to turn its line on and when its plan starts, and nothing else. Steps cover iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel and other Android phones.
Written by
HelloRoam Editorial Team

The HelloRoam team that writes every help guide, working from the HelloRoam app and the phone makers' own help pages.

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From the HelloRoam app's own tutorials, recorded on iPhone
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