Travel eSIM help

Install your HelloMates travel eSIM and get it connected. Last updated: 2026-10-14.

Before you start

• Your phone must support eSIM. The list in the app is the one to trust. In short: iPhone XS, XS Max, XR or newer; Google Pixel 3 or newer (Google notes a few exceptions, such as some Pixel 3 and 3a versions); Samsung Galaxy S20 or newer (with some regional exceptions); and a few Xiaomi models.
• Your phone must be carrier-unlocked. A phone locked to a carrier will often refuse an eSIM from anyone else.
• You need internet while you install. Wi-Fi is best.

Install on iPhone

iOS 17.4 or later: one tap

1. Open HelloMates and go to your eSIM.
2. Tap the install button and follow the prompts from iOS.
3. When iOS asks, finish adding the plan. Keep Wi-Fi on until it says the plan is added.

Older iOS: scan the QR code or enter the details

1. Show the QR code from the app on another screen (a laptop or a second device works).
2. On the iPhone, open Settings → Cellular (some regions say Mobile Data) and tap Add Cellular Plan (on some versions it is called Add eSIM).
3. Choose Use QR Code and scan it. If you cannot scan it, choose Enter Details Manually and type the code shown in the app.
4. Follow the prompts and label the new line, for example "Travel".

"eSIM not supported" or "not compatible with this iPhone, contact your carrier"

Most often the iPhone is locked to a carrier. To check:

1. Open Settings → General → About.
2. Find Carrier Lock. It needs to say No SIM restrictions.

• If it names a carrier, ask that carrier to unlock the iPhone. If the phone is on a payment plan, they must unlock it once the plan allows.
• Or install on another unlocked, eSIM-capable phone.
• An iPhone managed by your employer or school can also block eSIMs. Ask whoever manages it, or use a personal phone.

Install on Android

Menu names differ a little between phones and versions. These are the usual paths.

1. Open the phone's settings and find the SIM section.
   • Google Pixel: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs, then add an eSIM.
   • Samsung Galaxy: Settings → Connections → SIM manager, then Add eSIM.
   • Xiaomi and others: look under SIM cards or mobile network settings for an option to add or download an eSIM. The wording and place vary by model.
2. Choose to scan a QR code, and scan the code from the app on another screen.
3. If you cannot scan it, choose to enter the code manually and paste the activation code from the app. It looks like this (an example, not a real code):
   LPA:1$address$code
4. Follow the prompts to finish. Keep Wi-Fi on until the phone says the eSIM is added.

Installed, but no data

Once you have landed, work through these in order:

1. Turn on the travel eSIM line in your phone's SIM or cellular settings.
2. Set the travel eSIM line as the one used for mobile data.
3. Turn on Data Roaming for the travel eSIM line only. Turn mobile data off on your home line, so your home plan does not roam.
4. Set network selection for the travel line to Automatic.
5. Switch Airplane Mode on for ten seconds and off again, or restart the phone.
6. Wait a minute or two for a signal. Coverage can take a moment to appear after landing.

Do not delete the eSIM while troubleshooting. Deleting it usually cannot be undone.

Still stuck?

Contact HelloMates support. In the app, go to Me → Settings → Contact support, or email hello@hellomates.app. Please include:

• the order reference shown in the app;
• the exact wording of any error message.

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