Does my phone support eSIM? A two-minute check before your trip (and why "has eSIM" isn't enough)

Disclosure: I work on NXTL eSIM, a pay-as-you-go travel data eSIM. The checker described below is our own free, open-source tool. Facts were checked on 1 November 2026 against the linked manufacturer and nxtlsim.com pages.

Every week someone buys a travel eSIM, lands, and finds out their phone can't install it. Usually the phone does have eSIM hardware. The problem is one of three other things: the phone is carrier-locked, it's a regional version without eSIM, or the menu they were told to look for doesn't exist on their software version.

Here's the check I'd do before paying for any eSIM, from any provider. It takes about two minutes.

Step 1: The 10-second hardware test (*#06#)

Open the phone dialler and type *#06#.

• If you see an EID (a long 32-digit number) alongside your IMEI, the device has an eSIM chip.
• If you only see IMEI numbers, treat that as a strong sign the phone has no eSIM, and check the exact model (step 3).

This is the fastest test because it doesn't depend on menus, which move around between Android skins and iOS versions.

A note on "IMEI eSIM checkers": an IMEI identifies your device (its first 8 digits, the Type Allocation Code, identify the model), but it doesn't tell you whether your carrier locked the phone. That's step 2, and it's the one people skip.

Step 2: Is the phone carrier-unlocked?

Having eSIM hardware is not enough. To install another provider's eSIM, the phone must accept third-party profiles, which means it must be network-unlocked.

• iPhone: Settings → General → About. Under Carrier Lock, "No SIM restrictions" means it's unlocked.
• Samsung Galaxy / Google Pixel: there's no single universal screen for this. If a carrier supplied the phone (contract, financing, "free phone" deals), ask that carrier whether it's unlocked before you travel.

Step 3: Check the exact model and where it was sold

Model names hide regional versions. Two examples from manufacturer pages:

• Samsung Galaxy A54: Samsung's eSIM support page lists eSIM for the Galaxy A54 in "Europe, North America, Korea, and Japan only". The Galaxy A35 and A36 are listed for "Europe, North America, and Korea only". So "does the Samsung A54 have eSIM?" really means "does my A54 have eSIM?", and the answer depends on where it was sold. (Samsung eSIM support page)
• iPhone bought in mainland China, Hong Kong or Macao: several iPhone generations were sold there in dual-physical-SIM versions with no eSIM. For example, the iPhone 15's mainland China model A3092 has two physical SIM slots and no eSIM. Check the model number (Settings → General → About), not just the name.

Then confirm the option actually exists in settings:

• iPhone: Settings → Mobile Data (or Cellular) → Add eSIM
• Samsung Galaxy: Settings → Connections → SIM manager → Add eSIM
• Google Pixel: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → add an eSIM
• Windows laptop: Settings → Network & internet → Cellular, look for eSIM profiles (a Wi-Fi-only laptop can't install one)
• Tablets: you need the cellular version; Wi-Fi-only tablets can't install an eSIM

Two things not to do: don't delete an existing eSIM "to test" compatibility (you may not be able to reinstall it), and don't assume 5G means eSIM. 5G is a network technology; eSIM is a separate device feature.

Step 4 (optional): Look it up in a checker

We built a small, free eSIM compatibility checker because most checkers either live behind a provider's checkout or only list marketing model names.

How it works, for the curious:

• It's a static page plus one JSON file (devices.json, currently 407 devices: phones, tablets, laptops, routers and vehicle equipment). No backend, no sign-up, no trackers. Source on GitHub.
• Each device has a status rather than a yes/no: supports eSIM, depends on region/version, cellular version needed, depends on configuration, needs an eSIM adapter, or no eSIM. The Galaxy A54, for instance, comes back as "depends on region / version".
• You can search by model number, not only name. Samsung SM-xxxx codes are matched on their base code, and Apple Axxxx numbers map to the right model, including notes on mainland-China variants. Model codes come from Google Play's public supported-devices list and Apple's model-identification pages.
• Every result is a shareable URL, so you can send "check this" to a travel companion and they see the same result.
• Each entry links the manufacturer source it was taken from. The device list mirrors the compatible devices page on nxtlsim.com, last reviewed 9 September 2026.

It's not authoritative over your phone's own settings screen. If the checker says yes but Add eSIM isn't there, trust the phone.

What about routers and hotspots?

If you want one connection for a laptop, tablet and a partner's phone, a travel router can be simpler than hotspotting from your phone. Check that the exact router model accepts third-party eSIM profiles, not just a physical SIM or the vendor's own plans. Some routers need an eSIM adapter. Devices that join a hotspot over Wi-Fi don't each need their own eSIM.

The short version

1. Dial *#06#: EID shown means eSIM hardware.
2. Confirm the phone is carrier-unlocked.
3. Check the exact model number and where it was sold (Galaxy A54/A35/A36, China/HK/Macao iPhones).
4. Confirm Add eSIM appears in settings, or look the model up in the free checker.

Once your phone passes, then compare eSIMs. If you travel more than once a year, a reusable pay-as-you-go eSIM like ours avoids re-checking and re-installing for every trip: NXTL Global eSIM is a data-only eSIM for 180+ countries where you pay per GB used, and your balance stays while your account is active. Setup steps are on the eSIM setup guide.

Checked 1 November 2026. Menu names vary by software version; if something differs on your device, the manufacturer's guidance wins.