How to install Airalo eSIM on iPhone, step by step

What do you need before you install?

Before you learn how to install Airalo eSIM on iPhone, check two things. The iPhone must support eSIM, and it must be network unlocked. Airalo also asks for a stable connection, ideally Wi-Fi, because the eSIM profile has to download in full. We read Airalo's iPhone guide on 8 October 2026. This is desk research, not a test on our own handset.

To check unlocking, go to Settings, General, About and look at the Carrier Lock field. "No SIM restrictions" means the phone is unlocked. Airalo also notes that iPhones sold in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao are the stated exclusions for eSIM.

Where are the Airalo setup instructions?

In the Airalo app, open My eSIMs, pick your eSIM and tap View details. Under "Ready to use your eSIM?", choose Install or share. Start installation does the direct install. Share and more shows the QR code and the manual details. Once the eSIM is installed, the app may swap these instructions for a How to connect section, so Airalo points to the PDF in your order email if you need them again.

How to install Airalo eSIM on iPhone, method 1: direct

This is the quickest. Tap Start installation, then Continue, and allow activation if asked. Stay on the screen while it works, which can take a few minutes. Tap Done. If a pop-up asks you to turn on data roaming, do so. When the app asks whether you are at your destination, tap Get Connected if you are, or Connect Later if not.

If it fails, you may see "Something went wrong". Tap View options for an automated replacement, an automated refund or escalation to Airalo support.

How to install Airalo eSIM on iPhone, method 2: QR code

Go to Settings, Cellular (or Mobile Data), Add eSIM, then Use QR code. Scan the code from your eSIM details. It can be printed, or shown on another device. Enter the 4-digit confirmation code only if you were given one, tap Continue and let it activate.

How to install Airalo eSIM on iPhone, method 3: manual entry

Same menu, but choose Enter Details Manually. Type in the SM-DP+ address and activation code from the app, and a confirmation code only if one is shown. Tap Next, then Continue.

Airalo eSIM activation: what has to happen after install

Installing is not connecting, and the Airalo setup is only half done until these are set. Airalo's connection steps are:

1. In Settings, Cellular, select the eSIM, turn on "Turn On This Line", and set it as your data line.
2. Enter the APN if the app lists one. If none is listed it sets itself. See Airalo APN settings.
3. Turn data roaming on or off as the app instructs for your plan.
4. If your plan includes calls and texts, select the eSIM under Default Voice Line.
5. Under Cellular Data, turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching so the phone does not drift back to your home line.
6. Optionally label the eSIM. If it still will not connect, switch Network Selection to manual and choose the network named in the app.

In the app, "Installed" means the profile is on the phone, and "In Use" means it has connected and started a data session.

When does Airalo eSIM activation start the plan clock?

For most plans, validity starts when the eSIM first connects in its coverage area, so installing before your trip normally wastes no days. In rare cases it starts at installation. The package details in the app say which. If an installed eSIM shows activating at home, it is often waiting for you to land, as covered on the Airalo eSIM not working page.

For the bigger picture, see how an Airalo eSIM works, the Airalo app page, our Airalo review, and cheapest eSIM for comparisons.