URL: https://esimgo.in/how-to-install-esim/android/
Source: eSIM Go (esimgo.in)
Author: Nadezhda Semenova, entrepreneur, co-founder of the Trippy travel service, https://esimgo.in/author/
Updated: 12 Oct 2026

# How to add a travel eSIM on Android: Samsung, Pixel, OnePlus, Motorola

## Short answer: Settings, SIM manager, add eSIM, scan the QR

How to add eSIM on Android: open Settings, find the SIM manager, choose Add eSIM and scan the QR code from your order page. Install the eSIM in India; it connects when you land abroad. Install before departure, on home Wi-Fi. For almost every destination we sell, the plan days start at that first connection abroad.

1. Check that your phone has an eSIM in its Indian version and is carrier-unlocked.
2. Open the SIM menu, add the eSIM and scan the eSIM QR code. Show the code on a laptop or second device; a phone cannot scan its own screen.
3. Label the new line "Travel"; the Indian SIM stays in the phone.

How to add eSIM on Android differs by maker only in the menu names. The sections below give the path for each brand only where the maker's own page states it, with the date we checked that page. The "already used" fix is in the [main install guide](/how-to-install-esim/); iPhone users need the [iPhone steps](/how-to-install-esim/iphone/).

## Samsung Galaxy

Samsung India gives one path for a QR code: Settings, Connections, SIM manager, Add eSIM, then Scan QR code. The profile then downloads to the phone. The path works only on a Galaxy that has eSIM in its Indian version, and an Indian A35 or A36 does not. We read Samsung's page on 12 Oct 2026.

For a manual install, Samsung's page adds one more tap after Scan QR code: Enter activation code. On your order page, tap Copy activation code and paste the whole string into that field. Some phones ask for two fields. For them, the order page also lists the SM-DP+ address and the activation code separately.

Check the Indian version of your model first. Samsung India lists the Galaxy S24 and S25 families and the A55 and A56 for eSIM with no region limit. It lists the A35 and A36 for Europe, North America and Korea only, so an Indian A35 or A36 has no eSIM. Samsung also warns that eSIM "may not be supported even if your device is listed", depending on the country of origin. The [Samsung eSIM page](/esim-samsung/) has the model rows.

## Google Pixel

Google's Pixel help names one route: Settings, Network and internet, SIMs, Add SIM, then Set up an eSIM. Pixel 3a and later phones take one physical SIM and one eSIM. Google says US Pixel 10 phones take eSIM only; the Pixel 10 on Google Store India has a nano-SIM and an eSIM. Both pages checked 12 Oct 2026.

The next screen asks you to choose the network provider of your eSIM. Google's page does not describe the QR branch for a travel eSIM. Use the QR code or the activation code from your order page and follow the prompts.

Google's page also gives the data-line path: Settings, Network and internet, SIMs, then under "Your primary SIMs" tap Mobile data and pick the travel eSIM. Google states: "Only one SIM can be the default for data."

Google says two eSIM profiles at once need a Pixel 7 or later and an operator that allows it. If your Indian number is already an eSIM, ask your operator before you add a second profile. The [Pixel page](/esim-google-pixel/) lists models.

## OnePlus

We found no OnePlus page that states the add-eSIM path, so we print none. The OnePlus India help pages we opened on 12 Oct 2026 showed no readable steps. Look for the SIM or mobile network entry in Settings and follow OnePlus's own prompts. First confirm that your model has an eSIM in India. For Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO phones, the [Xiaomi eSIM page](/esim-xiaomi/) lists which Indian models have eSIM.

OnePlus sells different SIM setups for the same model name in different markets. OnePlus India's spec page for the OnePlus 12 reads "eSIM: Not supported", so the OnePlus 12 sold in India cannot take a travel eSIM. Model answers from OnePlus India spec pages are on the [OnePlus eSIM page](/esim-oneplus/).

## Motorola

We found no Motorola page that states the add-eSIM path, so we print none. The motorola.in pages we opened on 12 Oct 2026 give the SIM type, not the install menu. Look for the SIM entry in Settings, but first confirm your model has an eSIM: the Edge 60 Fusion sold in India does not. OPPO India prints an eSIM line for seven of the 11 models we checked; see the [OPPO eSIM page](/esim-oppo/).

The "SIM Card" line on Motorola India's store page decides the question. For the Edge 60 Fusion it reads "Dual SIM (pSIM + pSIM)", two physical SIMs and no eSIM. Read that line for your exact model before you buy a plan. The [Motorola eSIM page](/esim-motorola/) lists the checked models.

## Choose the data line and turn data roaming on for the eSIM

Select the travel eSIM as the line for mobile data and turn data roaming on for that line only. Keep mobile data and data roaming off on your Indian SIM. Your Jio, Airtel or Vi line then bills no roaming data. It stays free for calls and OTP SMS.

| Setting | Travel eSIM | Your Jio, Airtel or Vi line |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile data | On, chosen as the data line | Off |
| Data roaming | On | Off |
| Use | Maps, WhatsApp, browsing, ride apps | Calls and OTP SMS, if your operator supports them abroad |

Turn the travel eSIM on when you land, not at home. Data roaming sits under the mobile network options of each line. No maker page we read gives a fixed path for it, so we print none. If your [eSIM is not working abroad](/help/esim-no-signal/), check this setting first. If your order page lists an APN, enter it in the same mobile network options.

Full refund within 30 days of purchase, as long as the eSIM has not connected to any network. If the eSIM doesn't work and it isn't your phone's fault, we refund the payment whether or not it was installed. Do not delete eSIM profiles to retry: a deleted profile usually cannot be installed again from the same code. Your card is charged in US dollars. Your bank converts the amount at its own rate and may add a foreign-transaction (forex markup) fee. [How card payments work](/how-to-pay/).

The eSIM carries data only, so it cannot receive bank OTPs. No page can promise that every OTP will reach you abroad. The [guide to keeping your Indian SIM for OTPs](/help/keep-indian-sim-for-otp/) explains the dual-SIM settings.

## Sources

Checked on 12 Oct 2026 (IST).

1. [Samsung India: Galaxy eSIM and supported network carriers](https://www.samsung.com/in/support/mobile-devices/galaxy-esim-and-supported-network-carriers/)
2. [Google Pixel Help: How to use dual SIMs on your Google Pixel phone](https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/9449293?hl=en-IN)
3. [Google Store India: Pixel 10 tech specs](https://store.google.com/in/product/pixel_10_specs?hl=en-GB)
4. [OnePlus India: OnePlus 12 specs](https://www.oneplus.in/12/specs) (SIM type only; the OnePlus India help pages showed no readable install steps on 12 Oct 2026)
5. [Motorola India: Motorola Edge 60 Fusion](https://www.motorola.in/smartphones-motorola-edge-60-fusion/p) (SIM type only, no install path)

## FAQ

### How do I activate an eSIM?

On Android, open the SIM menu in Settings: SIM manager on a Samsung, SIMs on a Pixel. Add the eSIM and scan the QR code from your order page on home Wi-Fi. After landing, choose the eSIM as the mobile data line and turn its data roaming on. That first connection abroad activates the plan.

### Can I install an eSIM without a QR code?

Yes. On a Samsung, tap Add eSIM, then Scan QR code, then Enter activation code, and paste the code you copied from your order page. Other Android phones may ask for the SM-DP+ address and the activation code in two fields; both are on the order page. Follow the maker's own prompts.

### How long does eSIM activation take?

Neither Samsung nor Google states an activation time for the install. Nor do we. The download depends on your Wi-Fi and the phone. For almost every destination we sell, the plan activates on first connection to a network abroad, and its days start then, not at install.

### Should I install the travel eSIM in India or after landing?

In India, on home Wi-Fi, before you fly. The phone needs a data connection to download the profile, and on arrival you may have none. Keep the eSIM switched off until you land. For almost every destination, installing early uses no plan days; the exceptions say so on their country page.

### Why is my eSIM not working abroad?

On Android, check four settings. The eSIM is the mobile data line, data roaming is on for the eSIM, mobile data is off on the Indian SIM, and you are in a covered country. Restart the phone once. If the eSIM doesn't work and it isn't your phone's fault, we refund the payment whether or not it was installed.

### Can I reuse the QR code if I delete the eSIM?

Do not count on it. Erasing the eSIM (Erase eSIM on a Pixel) removes the profile. A deleted profile usually cannot be installed again from the same code. Keep the travel eSIM in the phone until the trip ends. If you deleted it by mistake, write to us with your order number before you buy another plan.

### When does the plan validity start?

For almost every destination we sell, at the first connection to a network abroad; the country page states the rule for each destination. That first connection also ends the 30-day refund window. Installing on your Android phone at home is not a connection.