The Airalo app: what it does, and whether you need it

Do you need the Airalo app?

Yes, in practice. Airalo's help centre says you can buy an eSIM without the app, but you must download the app to install, activate and use one. So the Airalo app is not optional extra software. It is where the install steps, the connection settings and the plan details live. We read Airalo's pages on 8 October 2026. This is desk research, not a test of the app.

Where do you download the Airalo app?

Airalo lists the Apple App Store for iPhone, where the listing is called Airalo eSIM & Travel Internet, and Google Play for Android. The app is free to download. The page gives no device requirements or step-by-step setup beyond that, and sends compatibility questions to its article on supported devices. Our Airalo compatible devices page summarises that.

What does airalo.com do compared with the app?

Airalo.com is the store and your account on the web. You can log in there, open the eSIM store, choose a plan for your destination and pay. The top-up screen is also reachable from My eSIMs on the website. What the website cannot do, according to Airalo, is install and run the eSIM on your phone. That is the app's job. Anyone who searches for airalo com is usually after the store, and the Airalo app is where the plan ends up.

What can you do inside the Airalo app?

From Airalo's help articles, the app covers these jobs:

• Install. My eSIMs, then your plan, then View details, then Install or share. Direct install, QR code and manual entry are all there. See how to install on an iPhone.
• Connect. A How to connect section lists the settings for your plan, including any APN. See Airalo APN settings.
• Check status. Installed means the profile is on the phone. In Use means it has connected and started a data session.
• Track data. Airalo says most plans show usage in My eSIMs, and the app sends low-data notifications at 25 percent and 10 percent remaining.
• Top up or renew. Where a plan allows it. See Airalo eSIM top up.
• Refunds and support. The Request Refund button sits in the package history, and chat is in the app. See Airalo refund and Airalo customer service.

Does the app need a login?

Buying does. Airalo's purchase steps start with Login in the top right corner of the site or app, where a new customer signs up and enters a verification code sent by email. Airalo also lists account help, including currencies and the Airmoney balance, in a separate part of its help centre that we did not summarise here.

What if the app will not show the eSIM?

Airalo lists a separate troubleshooting article for an eSIM that the app says is installed but the phone does not show. We have not summarised it. For connection trouble, Airalo's own checklist is the better start.

What Airalo does not say

The pages we read do not give the app's size, its rating or the minimum iOS or Android version needed to run it. We would rather say so than guess. For how the app fits into a whole trip, see how an Airalo eSIM works, our Airalo review, and cheapest eSIM for price comparisons across providers.