Does a travel eSIM come with a phone number?
A data-only travel eSIM does not. It gives the phone mobile internet and nothing else, so there is no number to call, to text or to give out. Your own number stays on your usual line, which is where your bank's texts keep arriving, and WhatsApp carries on with that same number over the eSIM's data. A local number only matters in a few specific situations.
See data packsWhat data-only means in practice
A phone line can carry three services: voice calls, text messages and data. A data-only eSIM carries the third. You can browse, use maps, stream, make internet calls and share the connection with another device through the hotspot, but the line cannot place or receive an ordinary phone call or an SMS.
That is how Snoozim's packs work: no number, no calls and no SMS, only data, installed from a QR code that arrives by email. Whichever plan you look at, the description should say plainly whether it is data only. If you need calls or texts at the destination, check that before buying rather than after, because a data plan does not turn into a phone line later.
One eSIM for 33 European countries
Several countries on one trip? Same eSIM, same data, no swapping lines at the border.
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For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Buy up to 180 days before you fly: the plan only starts when the eSIM connects at your destination.
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Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
What you will see in Settings
Once installed, the travel eSIM appears as a second line next to your usual one, in Settings, Cellular on an iPhone or Settings, Network and internet, SIMs on a Pixel. Giving each line a clear label, such as Travel and Personal, avoids mistakes later, as shown in how to rename SIM lines.
The roles are then split. Apple's Dual SIM guide has you choose a default number for calls and messages, and separately which number uses mobile data, noting that only one number at a time can use cellular data. On a Pixel, Google lets you set the SIM for calls and texts, and under your primary SIMs, the one for data. The usual pattern for a trip: calls and texts on your own line, data on the travel eSIM.
Bank codes keep going to your own number
Verification texts are sent to the number your bank has on file, so they can only arrive on the line that holds that number. A data-only eSIM never receives them. That is why switching off your usual line completely is the mistake to avoid: leave the line on, turn off its data roaming, and let the eSIM handle the internet.
Inside the EU, receiving a text while roaming costs nothing extra under the roaming rules. Outside it, what your operator charges depends on your contract. The full setup, including approving payments in your bank's app so that an SMS is not your only way in, is in how to get bank SMS codes abroad.
WhatsApp stays on your number
WhatsApp is registered to your phone number, not to whichever line gives the phone internet. WhatsApp's help centre says that if you use a local SIM while travelling, you can still use WhatsApp with your home number, and a data-only eSIM is the same situation: chats, calls and groups carry on over its data.
The catch is verification. WhatsApp says that to verify or re-verify a number, the SIM for that number has to be in the phone with phone or SMS service working. So do not reinstall WhatsApp or move it to another phone mid-trip, and if you have to, keep your usual line switched on so the code can reach it. Our guide to keeping your WhatsApp number covers the settings, and iMessage and FaceTime with a travel eSIM does the same for Apple's apps.
Calls: over the internet yes, phone calls no
Without a number, the eSIM cannot make an ordinary phone call, but it carries internet calls: WhatsApp, FaceTime audio and similar apps work over it just as they do on Wi-Fi. What those apps cannot reach is a phone without the same app, such as a landline. For those, call from your usual number at your operator's roaming price, or over Wi-Fi Calling if your operator supports it abroad.
Emergencies are the exception that matters. WhatsApp's own terms say it does not connect to emergency services, so in an emergency use the phone's own dialler. What works and what does not, and how to test it before you go, is in how to call home with a data-only eSIM.
When you really need a local number
A local number earns its place when people in that country need to call you and a foreign number puts them off: a landlord or flatmates on a long stay, a school, an employer or a courier. It also helps if you call local landlines often, and with services that only accept a number from that country for their own text verification.
Getting one usually means a local SIM, and many countries register SIMs to the buyer's identity. On a dual SIM phone you can keep both lines. The details, with country examples, are in do you need a local phone number when travelling. For a holiday or a short work trip, though, a data-only eSIM plus your own number covers what most travellers actually use: maps, messaging, bookings and the bank's app.
Can I receive texts on a data-only travel eSIM?
No. It has no number, so texts, including bank codes, keep arriving on your usual line as long as that line is switched on.
Will people still be able to call my normal number?
Yes, if your usual line stays on. Calls reach you through your own operator, at whatever your contract charges for roaming.
Do I need to change my WhatsApp number?
No. WhatsApp keeps working with your registered number over the eSIM's data. Avoid reinstalling it during the trip, because re-verifying needs your usual SIM with calls or SMS working.
Can I share the travel eSIM's data with another device?
Yes, through the hotspot. The other device gets internet, not a phone number.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
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