Does an eSIM work on an iPad or tablet?
Yes, if it is a Wi-Fi + Cellular model. Apple supports eSIM on the cellular versions of iPad, iPad Air, iPad mini and iPad Pro, and the newest of them have no physical SIM slot at all. Wi-Fi-only models have no mobile radio, so no eSIM can make them connect.
See the Europe packCellular or Wi-Fi only decides everything
Every iPad that Apple lists as eSIM-capable is a Wi-Fi + Cellular version: iPad Pro, iPad Air, the standard iPad and iPad mini, across several generations. Apple adds that the latest models, starting with iPad (A16), iPad Pro (M4), iPad Air (M2) and iPad mini (A17 Pro) in their Wi-Fi + Cellular versions, are activated with an eSIM and do not have a physical SIM card.
A Wi-Fi-only iPad looks almost identical but has no cellular hardware inside. No plan, card or setting changes that. On a trip it can still get online through Wi-Fi or through a phone's hotspot, which is often the simpler answer anyway.
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.
Three ways to tell which iPad you have
- Open Settings. Cellular models have a Cellular Data section; it is where plans are added. Wi-Fi-only models do not show it.
- Go to Settings, General, About and tap the model line to see the model number, which starts with A. Compare it with Apple's Identify your iPad model page, where Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular versions have different numbers.
- Look at the edge for a SIM tray. A tray means cellular, but the absence of one proves nothing on the newest models, which are eSIM only.
The model number is the most reliable of the three, because it identifies the exact version, not just the family.
An iPad is a natural fit for a data-only plan
An iPad uses its cellular connection for data, which is exactly what a data-only travel eSIM provides. Apple describes the setup in Settings, Cellular Data: tap Add a New Plan, then Other, and scan the QR code from the provider or enter the details by hand. Scanning the code with the Camera app also works; a Cellular Plan Detected notice appears and you follow it to Add Cellular Plan.
Apple says an iPad can manage eight or more eSIMs but use only one at a time. You switch between them in Settings, Cellular Data. The roaming switch sits under Cellular Data Options, the same place as on an iPhone, and a travel line needs it on to connect abroad.
Android tablets: check the same two things
On Android tablets the rule is the same: only versions with a mobile connection, usually sold as LTE or 5G models, can use an eSIM, and not all of those have one. The quickest check is to look for an EID under Settings, About tablet, or to type EID into the settings search box. If it is there, the tablet has an eSIM chip.
The second check is the same as on any phone: the tablet must not be locked to an operator. One bought from a mobile operator may be, and that operator can confirm it from the serial number or IMEI. Our compatibility page explains the lock check.
Tablet eSIM or phone hotspot?
Before buying a second plan for the tablet, consider sharing the phone's. A travel eSIM on the phone can feed the iPad through the personal hotspot, and Snoozim packs allow it. One plan, one bill, and the tablet gets online wherever the phone does. The hotspot guide covers the battery and data side of that.
A separate eSIM in the iPad makes sense when the tablet travels on its own: a child's iPad on a long journey, or a work tablet that leaves the hotel without your phone. Keep in mind that an installed eSIM stays on the device where it was installed, so decide which device gets the plan before you scan the QR code.
Can a Wi-Fi-only iPad use an eSIM?
No. Only Wi-Fi + Cellular iPads have the hardware for mobile data. A Wi-Fi-only model can get online through a phone's hotspot instead.
How many eSIMs can an iPad hold?
Apple says an iPad can manage eight or more eSIMs, but it uses only one at a time. You choose which one in Settings, Cellular Data.
Where is data roaming on an iPad?
In Settings, Cellular Data, Cellular Data Options. A travel eSIM needs it switched on to connect abroad.
Do I need a separate plan for my iPad if my phone has one?
Not necessarily. The phone's travel eSIM can share its data with the iPad through the personal hotspot.
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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