eSIM on iPhone: which models support it, how many you can add, and using a travel eSIM

Q: Where is my eSIM on my iPhone?

In Settings → Cellular. Each eSIM is listed there as a plan, by its label once you have two or more. Menus can differ by model and software version.

In short

Apple says eSIM works on “An iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, or later” (Apple). An iPhone 14 or later bought in the US “can only be activated with an eSIM” (checked on October 29, 2026, Apple).

On this page

This site is not affiliated with any carrier named on this page; we sell eSIMs. How we compare

Your own line may already cover the trip: many US plans include Mexico and Canada, so check your plan first. If you do need an eSIM, run two checks before buying: Is my phone unlocked? and Does my phone support eSIM?.

Which iPhones support eSIM?

Apple lists eSIM from the iPhone XS and later, so the iPhone 11, 12 and 13 qualify; the iPhone X does not. What changes by model is how many eSIMs run at once and whether a SIM tray exists (checked on October 29, 2026, Apple).

The table sets out eSIM support by model, in Apple’s model names.

iPhone	eSIM	Two eSIMs active at once	SIM tray
X, 8 and older	No	No	Yes, physical SIM only
XS, XS Max, XR, 11, 12	Yes	No: one eSIM next to a nano-SIM	Yes, nano-SIM
13	Yes	Yes	Yes, nano-SIM
14 and later, bought in the US	eSIM only	Yes	No
Air, Duo	eSIM only, wherever bought	Yes	No
14 and later (not Air or Duo), bought outside Apple’s eSIM-only places	Yes	Yes	Yes, nano-SIM

Dual SIM with eSIM on both lines, per Apple: “iPhone 13 models and later also support Dual SIM with two eSIMs” (Apple). The iPhone SE (3rd generation) takes an eSIM and a nano-SIM, per Apple’s SIM page. For the iPhone SE (2nd generation), Apple’s pages disagree, so check with Apple.

Apple adds an exception for China. “In China mainland, only iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone 17e, and iPhone Air support eSIM.” Certain models sold in China mainland, Hong Kong and Macao take two nano-SIM cards instead.

The iPhone 17 line and the 18 Pro models have a longer list of eSIM-only places, set out on do iPhones have SIM cards. The phone is also only half the answer: Apple asks for “A wireless carrier or worldwide service provider that supports eSIM”.

How many eSIMs can an iPhone hold?

Apple says you can “manage up to eight or more eSIMs” on an iPhone (Apple). Only one carries data: “Your iPhone can use one cellular data network at a time” (checked on October 29, 2026, Apple).

Installed and active are two different counts. An installed eSIM does nothing until you turn it on. An iPhone 13 or later keeps two eSIMs active together; an iPhone XS to 12 keeps one eSIM active next to its nano-SIM.

One trip needs one extra line. The travel plan sits next to your home plan, and you choose which of the two carries cellular data.

For two carriers on one iPhone, Apple sets a condition: “your carrier must unlock your iPhone, or both plans must be from the same carrier.” That is why the carrier lock check comes first.

Where to find your eSIMs in Settings

Your eSIMs sit in the Cellular settings, under Settings → Cellular. With two or more plans, each one is listed by its label. You tap a number to change its settings (checked on October 29, 2026, Apple).

Adding a travel eSIM depends on how the plan arrives: a QR code, a link or details you type in. Apple’s labels differ by route (Apple: eSIM support).

Scanning a code or typing the details in leads to Add Cellular Plan. With a QR code in Mail or a browser on iOS 17.4 or later, you tap and hold it, then tap Add eSIM. The full steps are on how to install an eSIM.

To see the carrier lock, open Settings → General → About. Apple says: “If ‘No SIM restrictions’ appears next to Carrier Lock, your iPhone is unlocked.” If you don’t see that message, Apple says to contact your carrier (Apple); what to do next is on Is my phone unlocked?.

Deleting starts on the same Cellular screen: Delete eSIM with one plan, or tap the plan and then Delete Plan with several. Apple warns: “If you erase an eSIM, you’ll need to contact your carrier to get a new one” (Apple: erase an eSIM). A deleted travel eSIM is gone, so delete it after the trip: delete an eSIM.

Menus can differ by model and software version.

Using a travel eSIM on iPhone next to your US line

Apple says: “You can have two eSIMs active at the same time on supported iPhone models” (checked on October 29, 2026, Apple: travel eSIM). Your US number stays on your home line, and most of our plans are data only; check the plan’s calls/SMS fields.

That leaves three setups for a trip.

Setup	What Apple’s page says	It fits when (our view)
Both lines on	“your travel eSIM will be used for data”; “the capabilities on your primary line will continue to work”	your US number should stay reachable; roaming fees can still apply
Travel eSIM only	“FaceTime and iMessage will continue to work on your home line”	you don’t need calls or texts on the US line
Home line only	Back home: “Turn On this Line” next to the primary eSIM, other travel lines off	your carrier’s plan already covers the trip

On iOS 26 or later, the prompt comes when you arrive and a travel eSIM is already on the phone. Tap Turn On Travel eSIM, then pick Travel eSIM Only or Travel eSIM and Current eSIM. On the second choice, Apple warns: “You might still incur roaming fees from your home eSIM.”

Apple says Data Roaming “permits internet access over a cellular data network in regions that are not covered by your carrier’s network” (Apple: Data Roaming). With two lines, you set it per line. On your home line it is your call: read your carrier’s roaming rules first, then see how to turn data roaming on or off.

To pick the data line by hand, Apple’s steps are on dual SIM on iPhone.

Back home, iOS 26 or later turns the travel eSIM off and your home SIM back on by itself, “depending on your country or region”. If it doesn’t, make sure Turn On this Line is enabled next to your primary eSIM, Apple says. Then turn off travel lines you no longer use.

Menus can differ by model and software version.

Changing phones? See how to transfer an eSIM. Then pick your destination in our country guides.

Frequently asked questions

Where is my eSIM on my iPhone?

In Settings → Cellular. Each eSIM is listed there as a plan, by its label once you have two or more. Menus can differ by model and software version.

Do eSIMs work internationally on iPhone?

Yes, if your iPhone is unlocked and the plan covers the country. Apple says that to use another carrier abroad, “your iPhone cannot be locked to a carrier.” A travel eSIM covers only the countries its plan lists, so check the plan page before you buy.

Does the iPhone 11 have eSIM?

Yes. Apple lists eSIM on the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR “or later”, and the iPhone 11 came after them. It takes one eSIM next to a nano-SIM; two eSIMs at once need an iPhone 13 or later.

How many eSIMs can an iPhone hold?

Up to eight or more, Apple says, but only one line carries cellular data at a time. An iPhone 13 or later can keep two eSIMs active together, an iPhone XS to 12 one eSIM next to a nano-SIM. The others stay installed but off.