Turn On Travel eSIM: what each option does to your two lines
From iOS 26, an iPhone that already has a travel eSIM can offer to switch it on when you arrive. Pick Travel eSIM Only if you do not need calls or texts on your number during the trip, or Travel eSIM and Current eSIM if you do; Apple warns that the second option can still bring roaming charges on your home line. The next question, Low Data Mode, is about saving data, not about the eSIM working.
See eSIM packsWhere the prompt comes from
Apple describes the sequence like this: if you already have a travel eSIM when you arrive and get a notification, tap Turn On Travel eSIM, choose Travel eSIM Only or Travel eSIM and Current eSIM, then answer the Low Data Mode question with Turn On or Not Now. After that, the travel eSIM activates. Apple also says you might be asked the same choice when you buy a travel eSIM before leaving.
The prompt does not install anything. The eSIM has to be on the phone already, which is why it is worth installing it at home on Wi-Fi. If no notification appears, nothing is wrong: you can pick the data line yourself in Settings, Cellular, Cellular Data. The switches to check after landing, including data roaming on the travel line, are in our guide to an eSIM with no internet.
One eSIM for 33 European countries
Several countries on one trip? Same eSIM, same data, no swapping lines at the border.
Black Friday −25 % Ends in 31d 21:43:47Choose your data
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.
Write the email where we should send the QR code.
We send the QR code and your receipt here. No spam.
QR in your inbox in minutes · If it does not connect, we fix it · Secure payment with Stripe
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.
Travel eSIM Only: your number goes quiet
This option leaves the travel eSIM as the only active line. Your home line is switched off for the trip, so it cannot roam and cannot run up a bill, but it also cannot receive calls or text messages while it is off. Apple notes that FaceTime and iMessage keep working on your home line in this mode, since they travel over data, and WhatsApp keeps your number because it belongs to the account, not to the line.
What you lose are ordinary calls and SMS, and for many people that means bank codes. Before choosing this option, check how your bank sends its codes; our guide on getting bank SMS codes abroad covers the alternatives. It is the simplest choice if your bank uses its app and nobody needs to ring your number.
Travel eSIM and Current eSIM: both lines on
Here both lines stay active. Apple says the travel eSIM is used for data, but you may still pay roaming fees on your home eSIM. That is the trade-off: calls and SMS reach your number as usual, and whatever your operator charges for them where you are applies. Inside the EU that usually means your normal tariff, as explained in roam like at home; outside it, check your operator's prices before you go.
If you pick this option, make sure your home line is not carrying data in the background. Settings, Cellular, Cellular Data should point to the travel line, and switching off data roaming on your own line removes the risk entirely. Our guide on turning off roaming on your home line shows the switches.
The Low Data Mode question
Low Data Mode is optional and does not affect whether the eSIM connects. Apple lists what it does: it stops apps using data when you are not actively using them, turns off Background App Refresh, reduces the quality of streaming, turns off automatic downloads and backups, and pauses updates for services such as iCloud Photos.
On a small data pack that is useful, and it is one of the reasons to say Turn On. The side effect is that photos stop syncing and apps do not refresh in the background, which can look like a fault if you forget you chose it. You can change it later for each line: Settings, Cellular, tap the travel line, Low Data Mode. Our guide to reducing mobile data on iPhone has the rest of the settings.
When you get home
Apple says the iPhone should automatically turn off the travel eSIM and turn your home SIM back on, depending on your country or region. If you do not get a notification that it happened, go to Settings, Cellular, make sure Turn On This Line is enabled for your main line, and turn off any travel lines you no longer use.
Turning a line off is not the same as deleting it. A Snoozim eSIM stays on the phone where it was installed, and top-ups are added to that same profile without a new QR code, so an eSIM you may use again within its validity is better left switched off than removed.
Which option should I choose if I need bank SMS codes?
Travel eSIM and Current eSIM, because your home line has to be on to receive SMS. Keep data on the travel line so the home line only handles calls and texts.
My iPhone did not show the Turn On Travel eSIM prompt. Is my eSIM broken?
No. You can choose the data line yourself in Settings, Cellular, Cellular Data and switch on data roaming for the travel line.
Does Low Data Mode slow down my eSIM?
It does not limit the connection itself. Apple says it pauses background activity, automatic downloads and backups and reduces streaming quality.
Can I change my choice after the prompt?
Yes. Lines can be turned on or off in Settings, Cellular, and the data line can be changed in Cellular Data at any time.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
See eSIM packs