What Is an EID Number?

An EID, short for eUICC identifier, is a permanent 32-digit number built into an eSIM chip at the factory. It identifies the physical eSIM hardware inside your device, not any specific mobile plan. Every eSIM-capable phone has exactly one EID, and it never changes, even after you install, delete, or switch between different eSIM profiles.

#The longer answer

The EID is defined by the GSMA, the mobile industry's standards body, in its SGP.29 specification, which sets the format and assignment rules that every eSIM chip manufacturer must follow. Each eUICC maker burns the number in during production, so it exists before you ever buy the phone. Because the EID lives on the chip itself rather than on a downloaded profile, it survives a factory reset, a carrier switch, or even deleting every eSIM profile on the device.

That permanence is exactly why an eSIM provider occasionally references it. A co:sim eSIM, for example, installs from a QR code emailed within seconds of checkout, and the standard travel-eSIM flow never asks for your EID at all — you scan the code or tap the download link, and the profile provisions itself. Some enterprise or device-locked eSIM programs work differently, binding a profile to one specific EID at issuance for fraud control, but that is not how consumer travel eSIMs like co:sim's are sold.

#How Is an EID Different From an IMEI or ICCID?

An EID identifies the eSIM chip itself and never changes; an IMEI identifies the phone's radio hardware; an ICCID identifies one downloaded eSIM profile and changes with every new plan installed. A single phone has one EID for life but can carry many different ICCIDs over time, one per stored profile.

The IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is a separate 15-digit number tied to the phone's cellular radio, used mainly to block a stolen handset from networks. It has nothing to do with which eSIM profiles are installed. The ICCID (Integrated Circuit Card Identifier), by contrast, belongs to a specific eSIM profile: buy a co:sim eSIM for Japan for a trip, and that plan's ICCID is unique to it. Delete it after your trip and install a different plan next month, and the new profile gets its own ICCID, while your phone's EID stays exactly the same.

#How Do I Find My Phone's EID Number?

Dial *#06# on your phone's keypad and your EID appears on screen alongside your IMEI, with no call actually placed. On iPhone, it also shows under Settings → General → About; on most Android phones, under Settings → About phone → SIM status (Pixel devices use the same "SIM status" path under About phone).

Apple documents the Settings route directly: open Settings, tap General, then About, and scroll down to find the EID alongside the IMEI/MEID and ICCID. Google's own Pixel support page gives the Android equivalent: tap About phone, then SIM status, to find the "EID" entry (support.google.com). If neither method shows an EID, the device most likely isn't eSIM-capable.

#FAQ

#Does every phone have an EID?

No. Only eSIM-capable devices have an EID, because it's a property of the eUICC chip itself, and older or budget phones that use only a removable physical SIM don't contain that chip at all. If you dial *#06# and no EID appears alongside your IMEI, your phone almost certainly can't run an eSIM, and you'd need a physical SIM card for that device instead. Most flagship phones released from around 2018 onward include eSIM support, but many budget and region-specific models still ship SIM-only, so it's worth checking before assuming a phone can install a co:sim eSIM or any other digital plan. Checking is free and takes seconds: the dial code or the Settings path both work without an internet connection, so you can confirm compatibility before you buy a travel eSIM plan.

#Can my EID number change?

No. The EID is permanently assigned to the eUICC chip during manufacturing and stays fixed for the entire life of the device, regardless of how many eSIM profiles you install, delete, or switch between afterward. This is what makes it fundamentally different from an ICCID, which changes with every new profile. Factory-resetting the phone, changing carriers, or updating the operating system has no effect on the EID either, because it's a hardware-level identifier rather than software configuration. If you ever see two different EID values on what should be the same device, you're most likely looking at a stale cache in one app versus a fresh read in another (rare, and usually resolved by rechecking via *#06#) rather than an actual change on the chip.

#Why would an eSIM provider ask for my EID?

Most travel eSIM providers, including co:sim, don't need your EID at all for a standard purchase, since delivery is a QR code you scan yourself to install the profile. A provider might ask for it in narrower cases: some enterprise device fleets or carrier-branded phone bundles lock a profile to one specific EID at the point of sale, so it can only ever activate on that exact chip, which is a fraud-prevention measure rather than a standard consumer step. Some operators also log the EID after installation purely for support records, so they can identify which device a plan is active on if you contact them later. If a seller requests your EID before checkout for an ordinary travel plan, that's unusual enough to be worth double-checking the request actually makes sense for what you're buying.

#Do I need my EID to buy or install a co:sim eSIM?

No. Buying a co:sim eSIM only requires selecting a destination and a data plan; the QR code and installation instructions arrive by email within seconds of checkout, and each plan page shows the underlying network, the install deadline, and whether the plan supports top-ups. You install by scanning that QR code or tapping the emailed link on the phone you want to use, and the eSIM profile provisions itself onto your device's eUICC chip automatically. Your EID never enters the process, because co:sim doesn't lock profiles to a specific chip identifier for standard travel plans. The only device requirement is that the phone itself supports eSIM and is carrier-unlocked, which you can confirm with the *#06# check described above before you buy.

#Is it safe to share my EID number?

Sharing your EID with a legitimate carrier or eSIM provider during a support call or activation step is standard practice and not a meaningful security risk on its own, since the number only identifies your eSIM hardware, not your identity, location, or account credentials. It can't be used by itself to install a profile onto your device or hijack an existing plan, because GSMA's remote provisioning protocol requires cryptographic authentication between the eSIM chip and the carrier's server before any profile is added or removed, not just knowledge of the EID. A 2024 independent security analysis of that protocol, welcomed by GSMA, found it adequately secured against network-based attacks between legitimate parties. Treat it the way you'd treat a phone's serial number: fine to give a support agent you contacted, not something to post publicly for no reason.

#What's the difference between an EID and an eSIM QR code?

An eSIM QR code isn't a device identifier at all; it's an activation code that points your phone to a specific downloadable eSIM profile, and it's only used once, at install time. The EID, by contrast, is a permanent number that already exists on your phone before you ever buy a plan. When you buy a co:sim eSIM, co:sim generates and emails you a QR code tied to the plan you purchased; scanning it tells your phone's eUICC chip (identified by its own EID) to download that specific profile from the network. The QR code is consumed and becomes inactive after one successful install, while the EID underneath stays the same for every plan you ever install on that device, past or future.

A co:sim eSIM installs from that emailed QR code in minutes, without ever needing your phone's EID.