eSIM on Android: step by step

Android doesn't have one eSIM menu; it has a family of them, all doing the same job under slightly different names depending on who built your phone. The good news is the underlying steps are identical everywhere - only the signposting changes. Here's the walk-through, detours marked.

Before you start

You'll need an Android phone from roughly the last four years with eSIM support (most Samsung Galaxy S and Z models, Google Pixels from the 3 onward, and a growing list from Xiaomi, Oppo and others), unlocked from your home network, plus Wi-Fi for the install. If you're not sure your specific model qualifies, check our compatibility checker rather than assume - eSIM support on Android is closer to a checklist than a rule.

Finding the menu, and installing

On stock Android and most Pixels, go to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs, then tap "Add eSIM" or the "+" next to your existing SIM. On Samsung's One UI, the same destination is Settings > Connections > SIM manager > Add eSIM. On Xiaomi's MIUI or HyperOS, look under Settings > SIM cards & mobile networks. Different names, same drawer.

From here, the routes converge. Scan the QR code you were sent, or, if your plan supports it, confirm the one-tap prompt that appears once you're signed in on the account page. Either way, your phone downloads a profile onto its built-in eSIM chip - the process usually finishes in under two minutes on Wi-Fi, and the new line appears in your SIM list once it's done, sitting alongside your home SIM rather than replacing it.