How do I install a travel eSIM?

Open the private order link we email you, tap the install button for your phone, and confirm when the phone asks. It takes under a minute. If you'd rather scan a QR code, the same page shows one, but you'll need a second device to scan it from: a phone can't scan a code on its own screen.

Should I install it before I fly or after I land?

Before you fly, on wifi. Installing needs a working internet connection, and hunting for airport wifi with no data is the exact situation you bought the eSIM to avoid. Installing doesn't start your plan, so there's no cost to doing it early.

When do my days start counting?

When the eSIM first connects to a network, not when you buy it and not when you install it. You have 30 days from purchase to start it, so buying a fortnight ahead of the trip is fine.

Do I have to take my normal SIM out?

No. Your usual SIM stays where it is and your number keeps working for calls and texts. The Talisim line sits alongside it and carries the data. Phones have handled two lines at once for years.

Can I install the same eSIM on a second phone?

No. An eSIM profile installs once. If you delete it from your phone it's gone for good, and the QR code won't work a second time. Decide which phone is carrying the data before you install it.

What is the APN and do I need to set it?

It’s "globaldata". The one-tap install sets it for you. If you enter the details by hand instead, set it yourself in the Talisim line’s settings, or data won’t flow even though the line looks connected.

How do I check if my phone supports eSIM?

Dial *#06# on the keypad. If the list that comes up includes an EID, your phone has eSIM hardware. No EID means no eSIM, whatever a spec sheet says. On a tablet, look for the EID under About or Cellular in settings instead.

Which iPhones support eSIM?

The iPhone XR, XS and XS Max onwards, plus both the 2020 and 2022 SE. Two things to know: iPhones bought in mainland China have no eSIM hardware at all, and the iPhone 14 and later sold in the US have no SIM tray, so eSIM is the only option there.

Which Android phones support eSIM?

Google Pixel 3 and later, Samsung Galaxy S20 and later, the Note 20, and every Fold and Flip. Recent Motorola, Oppo, Huawei, Sony and Honor models have it too. The list changes every year, so the *#06# check is quicker and more reliable than looking it up.

My phone supports eSIM but the install still fails.

Nearly always a carrier lock. A phone locked to your home network refuses profiles from anyone else. Your carrier is obliged to unlock it once the contract is paid off, and it usually takes a day. If you bought a plan and could never install it, email us: an eSIM that was never activated is refundable in full.

Does it work on an iPad or a laptop?

If the device has eSIM and is unlocked, yes. That covers iPads from the 2018 Pro onwards and most Windows laptops with mobile broadband built in. It works the same way: install the profile, turn data roaming on for it.

How much data will I actually need?

It depends on what you do, not where you go. Maps and messaging barely register, at roughly 5MB an hour. Scrolling social with autoplay on runs 200 to 400MB an hour. A video call is 500MB to 1GB an hour. Streaming is the one that bites: about 1.5GB an hour at 1080p on YouTube, and up to 3GB an hour on Netflix in HD. If you're navigating, messaging and posting photos, 5GB covers a fortnight comfortably. If you stream on the train, double it.

What happens when I run out?

Data stops. Nothing throttles you down to a useless speed, and nothing bills you for going over. Wifi still works, and you can buy another plan and install it as a second eSIM.

Can I top up an eSIM I have already?

Not yet. Today you buy another plan and install it alongside the first one. Adding data to a live eSIM is something we want to offer and haven't built.

Does tethering use my data faster?

A tethered laptop uses the same gigabytes at the same rate, but it's a far hungrier device than your phone. Background updates, cloud sync and twenty browser tabs will get through a plan much quicker. Turn automatic updates off before you tether.

Can I make calls and send texts on it?

Not on the Talisim line, which is data only. WhatsApp, FaceTime, Signal and the rest all work over it. Your normal number still rings if you leave your usual line switched on, but check what your carrier charges for that first: incoming calls abroad are often billed.

Does unused data roll over?

No. It expires with the plan and isn't refunded. Buy the size you'll use rather than the biggest one, because a 20GB plan is no bargain if you come home with 12GB left on it.

I've landed and there's no data.

Work through these in order. Turn data roaming on for the Talisim line. Check the line is switched on and selected for mobile data. Turn airplane mode on and off again. Restart the phone. That clears almost everything; if you are still dark afterwards, email us with your order code.

Why do I have to turn roaming on? Isn’t that the thing I’m avoiding?

The roaming you're avoiding is your home carrier billing you by the megabyte. This is a different thing with the same name. The Talisim line is a foreign profile using a local network, and every phone calls that roaming. Your home carrier isn't involved and can't charge you for it. Leave it off and the eSIM simply won't connect.

The QR code won't scan.

A phone can't scan a code displayed on its own screen. Either use the one-tap install button on the same phone, which skips the camera entirely, or open your order link on a laptop and scan it from there.

It says the eSIM cannot be added.

Usually it's already installed. Look through your phone's mobile plans for a line you added and forgot to label. If it genuinely isn't there, the phone is probably carrier-locked, or the profile has already been used on another device.

Data works but it's slow.

Check how much you have left first, because an empty plan looks exactly like a broken one. If there's data remaining you're likely on a congested cell or a 3G fallback. Turning airplane mode on and off forces the phone to pick a network again, which often lands somewhere better.

My phone keeps using the wrong line.

Set the data line explicitly instead of leaving it automatic. On iPhone: Settings, then Cellular, then Cellular Data, and pick Talisim. On Android: Settings, then Network & internet, then SIMs, and pick Talisim for mobile data.

I've lost the link to my eSIM.

Search your inbox for Talisim, then check spam, because the email carries both your order code and the link. If it has genuinely gone, email support@talisim.com from the address you bought with and we will send it again.

Do I need an account to buy one?

No. It's guest checkout, and your eSIM lives on a private link rather than behind a password. That link is the credential, so treat it like one: don't post it anywhere public.

An eSIM that hasn't been activated is refundable in full. Once it's been activated it isn't, because we've paid the network for the data by then. Unused data at the end of a plan isn't refunded either. The terms page has the detail.

Can I buy one for someone else?

Yes. Nothing is tied to your name, so buy it and forward the link to whoever is travelling. They install it on their own phone and it works exactly the same.

How do the multi-eSIM discounts work?

Two or more in one order takes 10% off, and four or more takes 15%. It's applied automatically at checkout, and they don't have to be for the same destination, so a family splitting across Europe and the US still qualifies.

What card details do you keep?

None. Payment runs through Stripe and your card never touches our servers. What we hold is your email address, the order, and the eSIM details attached to it.

Questions, answered

Installing an eSIM, whether yours will take one, how much data a trip really uses, and what to do when you land and the bars stay empty.

Installing, in four steps

1
Buy your plan. The eSIM lands on a private link, and the same link is emailed to you.
2
Open that link on your phone while you still have wifi, before you fly.
3
Tap the install button for your phone and confirm. The phone does the rest.
4
Label the new line "Talisim" so you can find it, and leave it switched off until you land.

Installing your eSIM

How do I install a travel eSIM?: Open the private order link we email you, tap the install button for your phone, and confirm when the phone asks. It takes under a minute. If you'd rather scan a QR code, the same page shows one, but you'll need a second device to scan it from: a phone can't scan a code on its own screen.
Should I install it before I fly or after I land?: Before you fly, on wifi. Installing needs a working internet connection, and hunting for airport wifi with no data is the exact situation you bought the eSIM to avoid. Installing doesn't start your plan, so there's no cost to doing it early.
When do my days start counting?: When the eSIM first connects to a network, not when you buy it and not when you install it. You have 30 days from purchase to start it, so buying a fortnight ahead of the trip is fine.
Do I have to take my normal SIM out?: No. Your usual SIM stays where it is and your number keeps working for calls and texts. The Talisim line sits alongside it and carries the data. Phones have handled two lines at once for years.
Can I install the same eSIM on a second phone?: No. An eSIM profile installs once. If you delete it from your phone it's gone for good, and the QR code won't work a second time. Decide which phone is carrying the data before you install it.
What is the APN and do I need to set it?: It’s "globaldata". The one-tap install sets it for you. If you enter the details by hand instead, set it yourself in the Talisim line’s settings, or data won’t flow even though the line looks connected.

Will it work on my phone?

How do I check if my phone supports eSIM?: Dial *#06# on the keypad. If the list that comes up includes an EID, your phone has eSIM hardware. No EID means no eSIM, whatever a spec sheet says. On a tablet, look for the EID under About or Cellular in settings instead.
Which iPhones support eSIM?: The iPhone XR, XS and XS Max onwards, plus both the 2020 and 2022 SE. Two things to know: iPhones bought in mainland China have no eSIM hardware at all, and the iPhone 14 and later sold in the US have no SIM tray, so eSIM is the only option there.
Which Android phones support eSIM?: Google Pixel 3 and later, Samsung Galaxy S20 and later, the Note 20, and every Fold and Flip. Recent Motorola, Oppo, Huawei, Sony and Honor models have it too. The list changes every year, so the *#06# check is quicker and more reliable than looking it up.
My phone supports eSIM but the install still fails.: Nearly always a carrier lock. A phone locked to your home network refuses profiles from anyone else. Your carrier is obliged to unlock it once the contract is paid off, and it usually takes a day. If you bought a plan and could never install it, email us: an eSIM that was never activated is refundable in full.
Does it work on an iPad or a laptop?: If the device has eSIM and is unlocked, yes. That covers iPads from the 2018 Pro onwards and most Windows laptops with mobile broadband built in. It works the same way: install the profile, turn data roaming on for it.

Using your data

How much data will I actually need?: It depends on what you do, not where you go. Maps and messaging barely register, at roughly 5MB an hour. Scrolling social with autoplay on runs 200 to 400MB an hour. A video call is 500MB to 1GB an hour. Streaming is the one that bites: about 1.5GB an hour at 1080p on YouTube, and up to 3GB an hour on Netflix in HD. If you're navigating, messaging and posting photos, 5GB covers a fortnight comfortably. If you stream on the train, double it.
What happens when I run out?: Data stops. Nothing throttles you down to a useless speed, and nothing bills you for going over. Wifi still works, and you can buy another plan and install it as a second eSIM.
Can I top up an eSIM I have already?: Not yet. Today you buy another plan and install it alongside the first one. Adding data to a live eSIM is something we want to offer and haven't built.
Does tethering use my data faster?: A tethered laptop uses the same gigabytes at the same rate, but it's a far hungrier device than your phone. Background updates, cloud sync and twenty browser tabs will get through a plan much quicker. Turn automatic updates off before you tether.
Can I make calls and send texts on it?: Not on the Talisim line, which is data only. WhatsApp, FaceTime, Signal and the rest all work over it. Your normal number still rings if you leave your usual line switched on, but check what your carrier charges for that first: incoming calls abroad are often billed.
Does unused data roll over?: No. It expires with the plan and isn't refunded. Buy the size you'll use rather than the biggest one, because a 20GB plan is no bargain if you come home with 12GB left on it.

When something goes wrong

I've landed and there's no data.: Work through these in order. Turn data roaming on for the Talisim line. Check the line is switched on and selected for mobile data. Turn airplane mode on and off again. Restart the phone. That clears almost everything; if you are still dark afterwards, email us with your order code.
Why do I have to turn roaming on? Isn’t that the thing I’m avoiding?: The roaming you're avoiding is your home carrier billing you by the megabyte. This is a different thing with the same name. The Talisim line is a foreign profile using a local network, and every phone calls that roaming. Your home carrier isn't involved and can't charge you for it. Leave it off and the eSIM simply won't connect.
The QR code won't scan.: A phone can't scan a code displayed on its own screen. Either use the one-tap install button on the same phone, which skips the camera entirely, or open your order link on a laptop and scan it from there.
It says the eSIM cannot be added.: Usually it's already installed. Look through your phone's mobile plans for a line you added and forgot to label. If it genuinely isn't there, the phone is probably carrier-locked, or the profile has already been used on another device.
Data works but it's slow.: Check how much you have left first, because an empty plan looks exactly like a broken one. If there's data remaining you're likely on a congested cell or a 3G fallback. Turning airplane mode on and off forces the phone to pick a network again, which often lands somewhere better.
My phone keeps using the wrong line.: Set the data line explicitly instead of leaving it automatic. On iPhone: Settings, then Cellular, then Cellular Data, and pick Talisim. On Android: Settings, then Network & internet, then SIMs, and pick Talisim for mobile data.

Orders, payment and refunds

I've lost the link to my eSIM.: Search your inbox for Talisim, then check spam, because the email carries both your order code and the link. If it has genuinely gone, email support@talisim.com from the address you bought with and we will send it again.
Do I need an account to buy one?: No. It's guest checkout, and your eSIM lives on a private link rather than behind a password. That link is the credential, so treat it like one: don't post it anywhere public.
Can I get a refund?: An eSIM that hasn't been activated is refundable in full. Once it's been activated it isn't, because we've paid the network for the data by then. Unused data at the end of a plan isn't refunded either. The terms page has the detail.
Can I buy one for someone else?: Yes. Nothing is tied to your name, so buy it and forward the link to whoever is travelling. They install it on their own phone and it works exactly the same.
How do the multi-eSIM discounts work?: Two or more in one order takes 10% off, and four or more takes 15%. It's applied automatically at checkout, and they don't have to be for the same destination, so a family splitting across Europe and the US still qualifies.
What card details do you keep?: None. Payment runs through Stripe and your card never touches our servers. What we hold is your email address, the order, and the eSIM details attached to it.

Still stuck?

Email us with your order code and we'll dig into it. A real person reads it.

support@talisim.com