Travel guide
How to Check If Your Phone Supports eSIM (No Device List Needed)
Noa Regev4 min read
Quick answer: the most reliable check is on your phone itself, not on an external device list. On iPhone: Settings > General > About, and look for a field called EID — if it's there, your phone supports eSIM. On Android the exact path varies by manufacturer, but it's almost always somewhere in Settings, under the SIM card menu, with an option called "Add eSIM" or "Download a SIM instead." If that option exists, your phone supports it. This check is most useful for phones so new they haven't made it onto any official compatibility list yet.
Key Takeaways
- iPhone: Settings > General > About > scroll down to the EID field. If it's there, your phone supports eSIM at the hardware level.
- Android: the exact path varies by brand, but it's usually Settings > SIM cards (or Connections/Network) > look for an "Add eSIM" option.
- On either OS, you can also dial *#06# to show the EID directly on screen, no menu digging required.
- If none of the above shows up, it may be a regional or carrier-locked variant where eSIM support is disabled in software even though the hardware supports it.
The iPhone Check
The EID (eUICC ID) is a unique identifier for the eSIM chip inside your device, defined by the GSMA's international standard. If an EID field shows up in your settings, your phone has a physical eSIM chip — hardware-level support, regardless of whether the model has shown up on any compatibility list yet.
How to check:
- Settings > General > About.
- Scroll down, past the serial number and IMEI, and look for a line labeled EID.
- If that line is there (you can tap and hold to copy it), your phone supports eSIM. If it isn't there at all, according to Apple your device either doesn't support eSIM, or support is restricted by carrier or region.
A faster route: dial *#06# from the phone app — the EID appears directly on screen alongside the IMEI numbers. Both methods are documented in Apple's official guide to finding your serial number, EID, and IMEI.
Once the EID confirms support, the next step is the install itself — walked through step by step in our iPhone eSIM installation guide.
The Android Check (and Why It Varies by Brand)
Android has no single settings layout — every manufacturer puts SIM management somewhere slightly different. That's why there's no one "correct" path, just several versions of the same idea:
Google Pixel: Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Add SIM > Set up an eSIM, per Google's official support guide.
Samsung: Settings > Connections > SIM manager > Add eSIM.
Other brands (Xiaomi, OnePlus, and others): usually under Settings > SIM cards & mobile networks, though the exact spot can shift between OS versions.
A shortcut that works on any brand:
- Tap the search bar at the top of the Settings app and type "eSIM." That skips having to guess which menu your manufacturer buried the option in.
- If a result like "Add eSIM" or "Download a SIM instead" turns up, your phone supports it.
One thing worth knowing if you bought your phone through a carrier plan, secondhand, or imported from another region: the exact same model, with the exact same chipset, can support eSIM in one regional or carrier variant and not in another — the restriction lives in software, not hardware. That's why generic compatibility lists sometimes disagree with what you actually see on your phone, and why checking your specific device directly is more reliable than checking a list by model name alone.
What If You're Still Not Sure
This manual check is most useful in two situations: your phone is new enough that it barely shows up on any compatibility list yet, or you bought it through a channel where you're not sure the specific variant supports eSIM. In both cases, the EID or the "Add eSIM" option in your settings is the most accurate answer available — more reliable than any general list.
If you'd rather just look your model up instead of touching your settings at all, our device compatibility tool lists the common, confirmed-supported models — a fast starting point before falling back on the manual check for newer or less common devices.
And once support is confirmed and the eSIM is installed: if "SOS" shows up instead of a carrier name after landing, that's almost never a compatibility problem — it's a setting. The fix is covered in our guide to the SOS-after-landing issue.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is an EID, and why does it indicate eSIM support?
An EID (eUICC ID) is a unique identifier for the eSIM chip (eUICC) inside your device, defined by the GSMA standard. Its presence in your phone's settings means there's a physical eSIM chip in the hardware — regardless of whether the model appears on any external compatibility list.
If my phone has an EID, does that guarantee I can activate an eSIM?
Almost always, but not always. Some manufacturers or carriers disable the feature in software on regional models or carrier-locked devices, even when the hardware supports it. If there's an EID but the "Add eSIM" option doesn't appear in Settings, it's worth checking with the manufacturer or carrier about a software restriction.
What if my Android phone doesn't have an "Add eSIM" option anywhere in Settings?
First, search "eSIM" directly in the Settings app's search bar — this skips navigating different menus across manufacturers. If that still turns up nothing, it likely means the device doesn't support eSIM in hardware, or it's a regional variant where support has been disabled.
Is there a way to check without digging through settings menus at all?
Yes. Dial *#06# and see if an EID number appears on screen next to the IMEI numbers. It's the fastest method, and it works the same way on iPhone and Android.
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