How to Install an eSIM on Android: Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo & More

Installing an eSIM on Android works the same way on almost every brand: open Settings, find the SIM or mobile network menu, choose to add an eSIM, and scan the QR code your provider sent you. A co:sim eSIM, for instance, arrives as a QR code by email within seconds of checkout, ready to scan straight from your inbox. The exact menu wording differs between Samsung, Pixel, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Oppo, and Motorola, which is the part that actually trips people up, not the process itself. This guide covers the general steps plus where the option hides on the Android brands that don't already have their own dedicated walkthrough.

#Before you start

• Confirm your phone supports eSIM. Most Android flagships from the last few years do, but budget and mid-range models often don't — check by dialing *#06#; if an EID (Embedded Identity Document) number shows up alongside your IMEI, eSIM is supported and enabled.
• Use Wi-Fi, not mobile data, for the install itself — downloading a new eSIM profile over a weak cellular signal is the most common cause of a stuck install.
• Have the QR code ready on a second device or printed out — you'll be scanning it with the same phone you're installing the eSIM onto, so pulling it up in email on the same screen you're setting up doesn't work.
• Make sure your phone is unlocked or confirmed by your carrier to accept other providers' eSIMs — a carrier-locked phone can refuse a third-party eSIM profile even if the hardware supports eSIM in general.

#Step-by-step: install an eSIM on Android

The core path is nearly identical across brands — only the exact menu labels change:

1. Open Settings and look for Network & internet, Connections, or SIM cards & mobile networks, depending on your brand.
2. Find the option to add a SIM or eSIM — usually a + icon or an "Add SIM" / "Add eSIM" button.
3. Choose Set up eSIM or Scan QR code, then point your camera at the QR code your provider emailed you.
4. Confirm the download when prompted, and wait for the profile to install — this normally takes under a minute on Wi-Fi.
5. Set your data preferences: choose which line handles mobile data, and turn on data roaming for the new eSIM if you're using it for travel.

Every co:sim plan page lists the exact network the eSIM runs on, the install deadline, and whether billing starts at purchase or first connection, so step 3 above never involves guessing which QR code or provider details to use.

Menu paths by brand, confirmed against each manufacturer's own guidance where available:

• Google Pixel: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Add SIM → Set up an eSIM (Google, Pixel Phone Help).
• Xiaomi (HyperOS/MIUI): Settings → Mobile networks → Turn on eSIM → Add eSIM → scan the QR code (Xiaomi official support).
• Samsung: Settings → Connections → SIM manager → Add eSIM.
• OnePlus (OxygenOS): Settings → Wi-Fi & network (or SIM cards & mobile networks) → Add SIM → Add eSIM. Menu wording shifts between OxygenOS versions, so search "eSIM" in the Settings search bar if you can't find it by browsing.
• Oppo, Realme, Motorola, and others: typically Settings → SIM cards & mobile networks, or Settings → Wi-Fi & network → SIM & network. If browsing doesn't turn it up, the Settings search bar is the fastest way to locate it — every Android brand indexes "eSIM" as a searchable settings term even when the menu itself is buried.

Not every model in these lineups supports eSIM — it's typically limited to flagship and upper-mid-range devices, and availability sometimes varies by region even within the same model. If step 2 above doesn't turn up an eSIM option at all, your device or its regional variant most likely doesn't support one.

#If it doesn't work

#The QR code won't scan

Clean the camera lens, increase screen brightness on the device showing the code, and make sure you're not trying to scan a code displayed on the same phone you're installing it on. If scanning still fails, most providers offer a manual entry option — look for an "Enter details manually" link near the QR scanner, which asks for an SM-DP+ address and an activation code instead.

#The eSIM installs but shows no signal

Confirm mobile data and roaming are both turned on for the new eSIM line specifically, not just enabled globally. Toggling airplane mode on and off for a few seconds often forces the phone to re-register with the network. If that doesn't help, double-check the eSIM plan is actually valid for the country you're in — a plan for one region won't connect in another.

#There's no "Add eSIM" option anywhere in Settings

This almost always means the specific device or regional variant doesn't have eSIM hardware, even if other markets' version of the same model does — this is common with OnePlus and some Xiaomi models, where the China and India variants often ship without eSIM support that the US or European variant includes. Dialing *#06# and checking for an EID number is the fastest way to confirm one way or the other before assuming it's a settings problem.

A co:sim eSIM ships as an emailed QR code the moment checkout completes, so there's no separate "request an eSIM from your carrier" step — the code above is the entire process, whether you're installing it for a trip to Vietnam or anywhere else co:sim covers. The plan page also lists the network it runs on and the install deadline, so there's nothing to guess before you start.

#FAQ

#Can I install an eSIM on Android without Wi-Fi?

It's technically possible over mobile data, but Wi-Fi is strongly recommended. Downloading an eSIM profile is a larger data transfer than typical browsing, and an unstable mobile connection is the most common reason installs get stuck partway through, time out, or fail with a vague error rather than a clear one. If you're setting up a travel eSIM like co:sim's before a trip, install it at home on a strong Wi-Fi connection rather than waiting until you land and are relying on unfamiliar airport or hotel networks. That approach also means the eSIM is ready to connect automatically the moment your phone finds a local network abroad, without needing a working data connection just to finish the install step first — which defeats the point of buying it in advance.

#Why doesn't my Android phone show an "Add eSIM" option?

The most common reason is that your specific device or regional variant doesn't include eSIM hardware at all — this varies more than most people expect, since the exact same phone model sometimes ships with eSIM support in the US or Europe but without it in India or China, depending on local carrier agreements. Dial *#06# and check whether an EID (Embedded Identity Document) number appears alongside your IMEI; if no EID shows up, the phone genuinely doesn't support eSIM, regardless of how the settings menu is organized or what any generic guide claims. A carrier lock can also hide or block the option even on eSIM-capable hardware, since some carriers restrict third-party eSIM profiles until the device is confirmed unlocked.

#Is installing an eSIM on Android different from iPhone?

The underlying technology is identical on both platforms: each downloads a profile via QR code or manual entry, using the same GSMA remote-provisioning standard that governs eSIM globally (GSMA, "What is an eSIM?") — but the settings menu path differs. iPhone uses a single consistent path, Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM, across every recent model, while Android's path varies meaningfully by brand: Samsung uses Connections → SIM Manager, Xiaomi uses Mobile networks → Turn on eSIM, and other brands land somewhere in between. Anyone who has installed an eSIM once on any Android brand will recognize the same basic flow on another device, just tucked under a slightly different menu label and a different number of taps to reach it.

#Does installing an eSIM remove my existing SIM or plan?

No. eSIM support is designed to run alongside a physical SIM card or another eSIM profile, not replace either one — most modern Android phones can store several eSIM profiles at the same time, switching between them without re-scanning a QR code, though only one line is active for mobile data at any given moment (GSMA, "What is an eSIM?"). Installing a travel eSIM like co:sim's alongside your existing line leaves your home SIM, phone number, and any calling or texting plan completely untouched. You simply switch which line handles mobile data while abroad, then switch back to your home SIM's data once you're back home, with both profiles still saved on the phone ready to reuse on the next trip without repeating the install process.

Once the profile is installed, an Android eSIM behaves exactly like a physical SIM: it shows up as its own line for calls, texts, or data, and can be renamed, toggled, or deleted from the same SIM menu used to install it.