How to check data usage on your travel eSIM
Make sure the travel eSIM is the line set for mobile data, then reset the phone’s counter when you land. On iPhone that is Settings > Cellular > Reset Statistics; on a Pixel, Settings > Network & internet > SIMs; on a Samsung, Settings > Connections > Data usage. From then on, the figure at the top is your trip.
See plans and top-upsFirst, make sure you are reading the right line
With your home SIM and a travel eSIM on the same phone, the data counter can be showing either one. Apple says that on a dual SIM iPhone, the usage you see is for your selected cellular data number. On Android, each SIM has its own entry. So before you read anything, check that mobile data is assigned to the travel eSIM; if it is not, you are both reading the wrong number and spending from the wrong plan.
Where that switch lives, and how to keep calls and SMS on your home number at the same time, is covered in the dual SIM setup guide. Once data is on the travel line, everything below applies to it.
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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.
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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.
On iPhone
- Open Settings and tap Cellular (Mobile Data on some phones).
- Check that Cellular Data is set to the travel eSIM.
- Read the usage figure, and scroll down for the per-app list.
- To start over, scroll to the very bottom and tap Reset Statistics.
The iPhone does not know your plan’s size, and it counts from the last time the statistics were reset, not from when the plan began. That is why resetting at the start of the trip is the trick that makes the number meaningful. Each line also has its own settings under SIMs on the same screen, including Low Data Mode if you want to slow consumption down.
On a Pixel or stock Android
Go to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs and choose the travel eSIM if you have more than one. The total data used is at the top. Tap App data usage for a graph and details, use the arrow to pick the period you want, and see the per-app figures below the graph.
In the same place, Data warning & limit lets you set an alert. Turn on Set data warning, enter an amount and tap Set, and the phone notifies you when usage reaches it. Set data limit goes further: when the limit is reached, mobile data turns off. On a prepaid travel eSIM a warning a little below the plan size is usually more useful than a hard limit, because it tells you it is time to top up while you still have data to do it.
On a Samsung Galaxy
Go to Settings > Connections > Data usage and tap Mobile data usage for the breakdown by app. Samsung does not have a reset button as such, but it lets you choose when the counting period starts: tap the gear icon on the Mobile data usage screen, choose Start billing cycle on, pick the day you arrive and tap Set. The count then runs from your first day abroad.
Under Data usage > Billing cycle and data warning you can also turn on Set data warning and Set data limit, which work like the Pixel ones. If your phone has two lines, check the screen is showing the travel one; Samsung notes that menu names vary by model and operator.
Why the phone and the plan may not agree
Both Apple and Google say the same thing: the phone measures usage its own way, and the operator’s count can differ. Apple adds that the most accurate figure for a period comes from the carrier. In practice the gap is small, but the provider’s count is the one that decides when the data runs out, so leave yourself a margin rather than aiming to finish at zero.
When the plan does run low, you top up. With a data eSIM the new data goes onto the profile already installed, with nothing to reinstall. What you should not do is delete the eSIM to try again: once installed it stays on that phone, and removing it does not bring it back.
Does Reset Statistics on iPhone affect my data plan?
No. It only resets the counter on the phone; the data you have left on the plan does not change.
Why does my phone show different usage from my provider?
The phone measures usage itself, and Apple and Google both say the operator’s figure can differ. The provider’s count is the one that matters for your balance.
Can I get a warning before the data runs out?
On Android, yes: set a data warning in the SIM or data usage settings. On iPhone, reset the counter on arrival and check it every day or two.
Do I need to reinstall the eSIM to add data?
No. A top-up goes onto the eSIM already on the phone, so there is no new QR code to scan.
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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