How a travel eSIM works: the full guide (devices, install, activate)

Checkout to connected, in four steps

No store, no plastic, no account. Check your phone once — the rest is a few taps.

1. 1 · Choose
   Destination + days. Everything's on the card.
2. 2 · Receive
   In your inbox within 5 minutes.
3. 3 · Install
   One QR scan, on your travel phone.
4. 4 · Land & connect
   Data on. Number live.

Part 1 of 4

What an eSIM is

An eSIM is a digital mobile profile installed on compatible device hardware. It can add travel data and, when the selected plan supports them, a temporary phone number, ordinary calls or SMS without inserting a physical SIM card.

What an eSIM changes

An eSIM replaces the removable card for that mobile plan with a downloadable profile. Many devices can store several profiles, though the number of lines that can be active simultaneously varies by model, region and carrier.

eSIM describes the delivery technology, not the included service. A plan can be data-only or can include a number, calls or SMS.

What an eSIM does not guarantee

• Compatibility with every model or regional version.
• Network-unlocked status.
• A local phone number.
• Ordinary calls or SMS.
• Verification-code delivery.
• The same activation timing on every product.

How do you receive it?

The delivery method and timing are stated in the selected product or order information. Common methods include a QR code or manual activation details. Keep them private and do not scan them with the wrong device.

A QR code is generally intended for one installation and should not be posted, forwarded casually or scanned by another device. Do not assume every product is delivered or activated at the same moment — if delivery timing is essential, verify it before purchase rather than relying on an unstated instant-delivery assumption.

Part 2 of 4

Device compatibility

The list below names the phones that two independent eSIM providers both report as eSIM-capable. It is a starting point, not a guarantee: the same model name can ship with or without working eSIM depending on where it was bought and which carrier sold it. Always confirm on the phone itself before you buy.

Three things the list cannot tell you

Check your own phone in one minute

• iPhone or iPad: Settings → Cellular (or Mobile Service) → look for “Add eSIM” or “Add Cellular Plan”.
• Samsung Galaxy: Settings → Connections → SIM Manager → look for “Add eSIM” or “Add mobile plan”.
• Pixel and other Android: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → look for “Download a SIM instead?”. Menu names vary by manufacturer and Android version.
• Any phone: dial *#06# — if an EID number appears, the phone has eSIM hardware.

If the option is missing, the phone cannot use any travel eSIM, ours included. If you are unsure, ask us before you buy.

Reported eSIM-capable phones

217 models, grouped by manufacturer. A model is listed here only when both sources report it — anything named by just one source was left out on purpose.

Tablets, laptops and watches

Taro plans are sold for phones. eSIM also exists on iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular models (iPad mini 5th generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad Pro 11-inch and 12.9-inch 3rd generation and later), on some Windows laptops, and on some smartwatches. Those devices can install an eSIM, but a plan bought for a phone number may behave differently on them — ask us first.

How this list is maintained

Reviewed monthly. Compiled from two independent eSIM provider device lists and cross-checked against the manufacturers’ own eSIM documentation for Apple and Google. Models named by only one source are excluded. Manufacturers add models continuously and regional rules change without notice, so treat the review date shown at the top of this page as the accuracy boundary and treat the on-phone check above as authoritative.

Part 3 of 4

The complete journey

End to end, a Taro trip runs in four stages: pick the destination, compare the exact plan facts, install at the correct time, then use the travel data and any supported trip-number features until the plan expires.

1. Start with the destination and itinerary

Search the All plans collection for the country or region you will visit. For a multi-country trip, check every country in the coverage list rather than assuming that a regional name covers the complete itinerary.

Choose the communication job before comparing price: data for apps, a temporary travel number for forms and supported callbacks, incoming calls, outgoing calls, or SMS.

2. Compare the product facts

3. Install at the correct time

Installation adds the eSIM profile to the device. Activation starts the plan under its stated conditions. These are not always the same event: validity may begin at installation, redemption or the first eligible network connection, so follow the timing instructions supplied with the selected plan.

Install and activate below has the prerequisites, the iPhone and Android menu paths, the connection checklist and what to do when the eSIM does not connect.

4. Use the trip number according to the plan

If the plan includes a number, confirm which SIM line is selected before placing a call or sending a message. Ordinary mobile calls are different from calls made inside an app. Incoming, local outgoing and international allowances may differ.

SMS support does not guarantee bank codes, platform verification messages or short-code texts. Rely on a message only when the product information and the sender’s own rules support that use.

What happens when the plan expires?

Data, calls, SMS and the temporary number stop according to the plan’s validity rules. Later calls or messages to an expired travel number no longer reach you. Do not present the number as a permanent contact after the active period.

Part 4 of 4

Install and activate

Install and activate your travel eSIM with the right timing and settings. The exact trigger can differ by plan, so read the selected product instructions before scanning, installing or connecting.

Before you install

Installation and activation are different

Installation adds the eSIM profile to your device. Activation makes the plan usable under its stated conditions. Installing a profile does not always start the plan, but some products can have installation or redemption deadlines.

Use the installation details supplied for the selected plan as the final source for timing, network and APN requirements.

Typical iPhone installation path

1. Open Settings, then Cellular or Mobile Service.
2. Select Add eSIM or Add Cellular Plan.
3. Tap “Add eSIM” → “Use QR Code” and scan the code from our email, or use the manual-entry option provided in the plan instructions.
4. Label the new line “Taro Travel”.
5. Keep your existing primary line and travel line settings separate.
6. Turn on the travel line only when the plan instructions and your travel timing allow it.

Typical Android installation path

Menu names vary by manufacturer and Android version. Look under Network & internet, Connections, SIM manager or a similar mobile-network menu.

1. Open the SIM or mobile-network settings.
2. Select Add eSIM, Add mobile plan or the equivalent option.
3. Scan or enter the installation details supplied for the selected plan.
4. Label the new eSIM so it is easy to distinguish from your home line.
5. Choose the travel eSIM for mobile data when you are ready to use it.

When you are ready to connect

• Turn on the travel eSIM line.
• Select it as the mobile-data line.
• Enable data roaming only when the selected plan instructions require it.
• Leave network selection on automatic unless the plan specifies a network.
• Enter an APN only when exact APN details are provided.
• Check your home-line roaming settings to avoid unintended carrier charges. Dual-SIM behaviour varies by device and carrier.

Using a local number, calls or SMS

If the selected plan includes a number, calling or SMS, confirm which line is selected before placing a call or sending a message. Incoming and outgoing allowances can differ, and international dialling may require the full country code.

Not connecting?

Five fixes solve almost every case.

1. Confirm you are inside the covered area for the plan you bought.
2. Confirm the travel line is enabled and selected for mobile data.
3. Recheck the data-roaming, APN and network-selection instructions for the plan.
4. Toggle airplane mode or restart the device once.
5. Still stuck? Email us your destination, exact device model, order number when applicable, and the error shown on screen at support@taromobile.com.

Frequently asked questions

Step 01 — Choose the destination and days.

Every card shows the same facts. Not on the card = not in the plan.

• Data — Total or daily, hotspot rules — and what "unlimited" does after its fair-use cap.
• Number — Every plan has one; country shown.
• Calls & SMS — In / out shown separately, never a vague "voice".
• When it starts — Install, first connection, or delivery email.

Step 02 — Pay once, get an email.

The QR code arrives by email within five minutes. No app, no shipping.

Phone checked? You're two minutes from done.

Pick a destination — capabilities are on every card.

Browse plans →