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eSIM iPhone guide: which models have it, and how to travel with one

Every iPhone from the 2018 XR onward has an eSIM, and every iPhone 14 or later sold in the US has nothing else. From the iPhone 13, two eSIMs can run at once.

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Which iPhones support eSIM?

Every eSIM iPhone traces back to 2018. Apple's Dual SIM page puts the line at the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, "or later", and everything Apple has released since has an eSIM inside, including the iPhone SE (2nd generation) and the 3rd generation. Nothing before that trio has one.

The trap is the iPhone X. It looks almost exactly like an XS and has no eSIM at all. Nor do the iPhone 8, 8 Plus, iPhone 7, 7 Plus or the original SE. No iOS update changes this, because the missing part is hardware.

iPhoneeSIM?What it means for you
X, 8, 8 Plus, 7, 7 Plus, SE (1st gen)NoPhysical SIM only
XR, XS, XS MaxYesOne eSIM plus one physical SIM
11, 12, SE (2nd gen)YesOne eSIM plus one physical SIM
13, SE (3rd gen)YesTwo eSIMs can be active at once
14 and laterYesUS models have no SIM tray at all

So the quick answers to the questions people actually type: the iPhone 11 is eSIM compatible, so are the iPhone 12 and 12 mini, and the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro Max go one better with dual eSIM. Our eSIM compatible phones checker has a page for every model, plus Pixel and Galaxy.

Which iPhones are eSIM-only in the US?

Apple's deployment guide is blunt: "All iPhone 14 or later models sold in the United States" are eSIM only. There's no slot in the side of the case. Not a hidden one, not a disabled one. None.

That covers the iPhone 14, iPhone 15, iPhone 16 and iPhone 17 families. The same models sold in Europe, the UK and most of Asia kept a nano-SIM tray. Apple also says the iPhone Air "does not support a physical SIM", full stop, wherever it was bought.

To tell which one you have, look at the edge of the phone. A slot with a pinhole means a tray; a blank edge means a US model. That beats guessing from where you bought it, since phones get imported and resold.

Why it matters: on a US iPhone 14 or later you can't buy a plastic SIM at the airport and drop it in. Your options abroad are your home carrier's roaming, a travel eSIM bought in advance, or a local carrier's eSIM where one is sold to visitors. If you own a model with a tray, removing the SIM card is still an option, and a cheap local SIM stays on the table.

How many eSIMs can an iPhone hold?

More than you'll use. Apple's setup page says you can "manage up to eight or more eSIMs". It doesn't promise a fixed number, and we wouldn't quote one either.

The figure that matters is how many run at once, and that's two. Apple's Dual SIM page describes two active lines, both able to make and receive calls, while the iPhone uses "one cellular data network at a time". From the iPhone 13 onward both of those lines can be eSIMs. On an XR, XS, 11 or 12, one has to be the physical SIM.

In practice: a US iPhone 15 can keep your home number on one eSIM and a travel data plan on the other, both switched on. An iPhone 12 does the same job with the home SIM in the tray.

Stored profiles you no longer need can go. In Settings, tap Cellular (Mobile Data in the UK), choose the plan and tap Delete Plan. Be sure first. Apple says deleting doesn't cancel the plan, and it doesn't offer a way to restore an erased eSIM; you'd need a new one from the provider. If you're moving to a new phone instead, see how to transfer an eSIM.

Does the iPhone need to be carrier-unlocked?

For a travel eSIM, yes. Apple's travel page says that for local or worldwide prepaid plans "your iPhone must not be carrier-locked". Its Dual SIM page makes the same point from the other side: to use two carriers, your carrier must unlock the phone.

Checking takes ten seconds. Go to Settings, General, About and find Carrier Lock. "No SIM Restrictions" means you're clear.

If it says anything else, ask your carrier to unlock it a week before you fly, not the night before. A locked iPhone often rejects a travel eSIM with an error that never mentions the lock, which is why so many people conclude, wrongly, that their phone doesn't support eSIM.

Using an eSIM iPhone abroad

The setup itself is short. Install the travel plan at home over Wi-Fi; Apple says the phone should be on Wi-Fi or a hotspot to set one up, and a profile is much harder to download once you've landed with no data. Then:

  1. Keep your home line on for calls and texts, and turn its data roaming off.
  2. In Settings, Cellular, Cellular Data, pick the travel eSIM as the data line.
  3. Turn the travel line on when you arrive.

On iOS 26 and later Apple says you may be prompted to turn on a travel eSIM and choose "Travel eSIM Only" or both lines. Using both, Apple warns, may still run up roaming fees from your home carrier. We'd pick Travel eSIM Only unless you're expecting calls. Apple also says the phone may switch back to your home SIM by itself when you get home, depending on the country.

Each brand has its own install screens. Ours are written up for installing an Airalo eSIM on iPhone and activating a Holafly eSIM. Which plan to buy is a separate question, and the cheapest eSIM ranking answers it by price per gigabyte.

One opinion, for what it's worth. For most iPhone owners the brand matters less than two checks that cost nothing: is the phone an XR or newer, and does Carrier Lock say No SIM Restrictions? Get those right and almost any travel eSIM will install. If you're new to all this, start with what an eSIM is.

Common questions

Is the iPhone 11 eSIM compatible?

Yes. Apple's Dual SIM page lists the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later as supporting eSIM, and the iPhone 11 came a year after those. It runs one eSIM alongside the physical SIM in its tray. Two active eSIMs at once arrived with the iPhone 13.

Does the iPhone X or iPhone 8 have eSIM?

No. Neither has eSIM hardware, and no software update adds it. The first iPhones with eSIM were the XR, XS and XS Max in 2018. If you have an iPhone X, 8, 8 Plus, 7 or the first SE, you need a physical SIM for travel data.

How many eSIMs can an iPhone 15 have?

Apple says iPhones can manage up to eight or more eSIMs, without giving a fixed limit. Two lines can be active at the same time, and from the iPhone 13 onward both can be eSIMs, so a US iPhone 15 can run a home eSIM and a travel eSIM together. Only one line carries data at a time.

Can I add an eSIM to an iPhone that already has a SIM card?

Yes, on an XR or newer. The physical SIM keeps your home number and the eSIM becomes a second line, usually set as the data line abroad. The phone must be carrier-unlocked to use a travel eSIM from a different provider; check Settings, General, About, Carrier Lock for No SIM Restrictions.

Why does my iPhone say eSIM is not supported?

Three likely causes. The model predates eSIM (iPhone X or older). The phone is carrier-locked, which can produce an error that doesn't mention the lock. Or it is a model sold in mainland China, where Apple says only certain recent models support eSIM. Check Carrier Lock first, because it is the one you can fix.

Sources and further reading