How to delete an eSIM from your iPhone or Android after a trip — and when to turn it off instead
In short
To delete an eSIM on iPhone, open Settings → Cellular and tap Delete eSIM, or the plan and then Delete Plan if you have several. Apple warns that you then need your carrier “to get a new one” (checked on October 29, 2026, Apple). After a trip, switch the travel eSIM off first; delete it only when you are done.
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You may not need to do anything today. If another trip is coming, leave the eSIM installed and switched off. Don’t delete it to fix a signal problem either; the checks are in eSIM not working abroad.
Turn it off or delete it?
Turn the eSIM off if you may use it again; Google calls that turning a SIM off “temporarily” (checked on October 29, 2026, Google). After your trip, delete travel eSIMs only once the plan is used up or over.
Our terms say a QR code installs once and on one phone only, so you can’t reinstall a deleted eSIM from our QR code. If your order page still shows data or days left, ask us on our contact page first.
Changing phones? Ask us too, and keep the travel eSIM on the old phone meanwhile, as the transfer guide explains.
Delete an eSIM on iPhone
Apple’s four steps below start in Settings → Cellular (checked on October 29, 2026, Apple: erase an eSIM). Canceling is a separate step: “If you want to cancel your cellular plan, contact your carrier.”
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Cellular.
- If you have a single plan, tap Delete eSIM.
- If you have multiple plans, tap the plan that you want to erase. Then tap Delete Plan.
Menus can differ by model and software version.
Apple says to erase an eSIM once its plan or number moves to another device. The same goes before you sell, trade in or give away the phone.
On a device using iPhone Handoff, “you must contact your carrier to turn off iPhone Handoff for that eSIM.” Until you do, Apple warns, the carrier “may continue to charge you.”
With iOS 26 and later, the iPhone switches back to your home SIM when you return, “depending on your country or region” (Apple: travel eSIM). With no notice that the travel eSIM is off, make sure Turn On this Line is enabled next to your primary eSIM. Then turn off travel lines you no longer use; Dual SIM explains which line does what.
Turn off or delete an eSIM on Pixel
On a Pixel, switching off Use this SIM turns a SIM off “temporarily”, and Erase eSIM deletes it. Both sit under Network & internet → Mobile network (checked on October 29, 2026, Google).
To turn it off, open Settings, tap Network & internet → Mobile network, tap the SIM and turn off Use this SIM. To delete it, select the eSIM there and tap Erase eSIM.
To require a password before an eSIM is deleted, open Settings and tap Security → Advanced → Confirm SIM deletion. Google notes that some of these steps work only on Android 11 and up. Menus can differ by model and software version.
Turn off an eSIM on Samsung Galaxy
On a Galaxy, the off switch sits in Settings → Connections → SIM manager, next to each activated eSIM (checked on October 29, 2026, Samsung). Samsung’s page gives no delete path, so we give none.
To remove it, ask Samsung support. Samsung adds: “Available screens and settings may vary by wireless service provider, software version, and device model.”
Frequently asked questions
How can I delete an eSIM on iPhone?
Open Settings, tap Cellular, then tap Delete eSIM. With multiple plans, tap the plan first, then Delete Plan. Apple warns that you’ll then need your carrier to get a new one.
Should I keep or delete the eSIM on my old iPhone?
Keep it until the line works on the new phone. Apple says to erase an eSIM after its plan or number moves to another device. For a travel eSIM, ask us before you change phones.
Can I convert an eSIM back to a physical SIM?
Ask the carrier that owns the line. The Apple and Google pages we checked give no steps for turning an eSIM back into a physical SIM, so we give none. Keep the eSIM until the carrier confirms.
Can I reinstall an eSIM I deleted?
No, not by yourself. After an erase, Apple says, you’ll need your carrier to get a new one, and our QR codes install once. Ask us before you delete a travel eSIM with data left.
More answers are on eSIM help. For your next trip, see how to install an eSIM.
Sources checked: Apple: How to erase an eSIM on your iPhone or iPad · Apple: Use eSIM while traveling internationally with your iPhone · Google: How to use dual SIMs on your Google Pixel phone · Samsung: SIM cards for your Galaxy phone or tablet.
Sources are linked in the text. Carrier terms change: for the terms of your own plan, check with your carrier.
Unfamiliar term? See the eSIM glossary.
Not sure how much data to take? Work it out from your trip length and how you use your phone.