In short: to activate an eSIM on an iPhone, you need an XS model or later, updated iOS, and stable WiFi. Go to Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM, scan the QR code sent by PuraSIM, and confirm the new line. The process takes between 3 and 10 minutes and you can do it from home, before traveling, without waiting to land.
If this is your first time activating an eSIM on your iPhone, it's normal to have two questions: whether your model is compatible and whether you'll mess up scanning the QR code. Both are resolved in less than ten minutes if you follow the correct order. This guide covers the three activation methods available on iOS, what to do when something goes wrong, and the details most tutorials skip — like why it's a good idea to activate the eSIM before leaving home and not at the airport.
What is eSIM and why it's good to activate it before traveling
An eSIM is a digital SIM embedded in the iPhone's chip. There's no card to insert or tray to open with a paperclip: the entire process — from receiving the profile to starting data — happens through Settings. For travel, it has an advantage that physical SIMs don't: you can buy and activate it from your couch, with fiber optic WiFi, instead of wrestling with it in an airport line with flaky public WiFi.
This is precisely what we recommend at PuraSIM: install the eSIM profile before you travel. It doesn't need to be "on" — you can leave it installed and inactive and activate data roaming only when you land. This way, you avoid the worst possible time to rely on bad WiFi.
Which iPhone models are compatible with eSIM
All iPhones from iPhone XS and XR (2018) onwards support eSIM. The important difference is whether they also retain a physical SIM tray, because that changes how you can combine lines:
| Model | eSIM | Physical SIM Tray | Possible Combination |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone XS / XS Max / XR | Yes | Yes | 1 physical + 1 eSIM |
| iPhone 11 / 12 / 13 (all) | Yes | Yes | 1 physical + 1 eSIM |
| iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd gen) | Yes | Yes | 1 physical + 1 eSIM |
| iPhone 14 / 15 / 16 (purchased in US) | Yes, eSIM only | None | 2 simultaneous eSIMs |
| iPhone 14 / 15 / 16 (rest of the world, incl. Spain) | Yes | Yes | 1 physical + 1 eSIM, or 2 eSIMs |
The nuance almost no one explains well: if your iPhone 14, 15, or 16 was bought in the United States — or someone brought it from there — it won't have a physical tray, even if that version exists in Spain. Before buying an eSIM, check where yours was manufactured and sold, not just the model. If you are traveling specifically to the United States and your iPhone is from there, here is the eSIM for the United States designed for that case.
Before activating: what you need to have ready
- Stable WiFi, not mobile data: the eSIM profile download is done over WiFi. 4G is blocked by some operators.
- Updated iOS. Settings → General → Software Update. An old iOS version is a common reason why the "Add eSIM" option doesn't even appear.
- iPhone unlocked by the carrier or, at minimum, accepting third-party eSIMs. Check in Settings → General → About → Carrier Lock section; it should say "No SIM restrictions".
- The QR code or PuraSIM activation data open in your email, on the iPhone itself, or on another device (computer, another mobile) if you're going to scan it from the screen.
- Airplane mode off. With airplane mode on, the eSIM QR scanner sometimes gets stuck loading without any notification.
How to activate eSIM on iPhone, step by step
Method 1: QR code (the most common)
- Connect your iPhone to WiFi.
- Go to Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM (on slightly older models it appears as "Add Cellular Plan").
- Choose Use QR Code.
- Point the camera at the PuraSIM QR code. If you have it on another device, even better: scanning a QR from your own iPhone screen sometimes fails due to brightness or reflection.
- Confirm the installation when the iPhone shows you the plan details.
- Give the line a name — "PuraSIM travel" is clearer than leaving the default name — and choose whether you want it to be your default data line or only when you're away.
One detail often overlooked: the QR code is for one-time use. If you scan it and for whatever reason the installation is interrupted halfway, attempting a second time with the same code will result in a "code already used" error, and you'll have to request a new one. That's why it's best to activate it calmly, at home, and not on your way to the boarding gate.
Method 2: Manual activation code
If the QR code doesn't load, or you're activating it on an iPhone without a camera available at that moment, you can enter the details manually:
- Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM → Enter Details Manually.
- Enter the SM-DP+ address and activation code provided by PuraSIM (format like
LPA:1$smdp.example.com$CODE). - Confirm and wait for the profile to download.
Method 3: Direct transfer between two iPhones
If you are switching from an old iPhone to a new one (both with iOS 16 or higher), Apple allows you to transfer the eSIM without rescanning anything: the data transfer system itself, when setting up the new iPhone, detects the eSIM from the old one and offers to move it. This is the most convenient way when you get a new device in the middle of a long trip, but it doesn't work to install a new eSIM that you didn't already have: for that, you need the QR or the manual code.
Activation from the operator's app
Some operators have their own app to manage eSIMs without going through Settings. With PuraSIM, it's not necessary: the entire process goes via QR or manual code directly from iOS, without installing anything additional.
How long it takes and when to activate it
With home WiFi, profile installation usually completes in a few minutes. With slow public WiFi — that of a crowded cafe or a busy airport — it can take much longer, and that's precisely the scenario you want to avoid. The practical recommendation: install the eSIM as soon as you receive it by email, even if your trip is two weeks away. Installing the profile does not consume data or activate anything by itself; only when you manually activate the line and data roaming does it start counting.
Configure iPhone for travel: roaming, default line, and Dual SIM
Having the eSIM installed is not the same as having it working. These are the three settings that make the difference between arriving with data or having to dive into Settings at the airport terminal:
- Data roaming: Settings → Cellular → tap the eSIM line → activate "Data Roaming". Without this, the eSIM is installed but won't browse, even with plenty of coverage.
- Default data line: Settings → Cellular → Cellular Data → select the travel eSIM. This way, the iPhone uses the eSIM for internet and doesn't try to use your Spanish line (which, in roaming outside the EU, can get very expensive as soon as you use it).
- Default line for calls and SMS: leave it on your Spanish SIM if you want to remain reachable on your usual number. The travel eSIM, in the vast majority of data plans like PuraSIM's, is only for data — not for calls.
With this combination, you get the best of both worlds: your usual number for anyone who needs to call you, and local data without roaming for everything else. If you want to understand why your Spanish operator's roaming costs skyrocket outside the EU while the eSIM doesn't, we explain it in detail in what data roaming is and in the comparison eSIM versus roaming.
Most common eSIM activation errors on iPhone
| Error | Probable Cause | How to Resolve |
|---|---|---|
| "Add eSIM" doesn't appear in Settings | Outdated iOS or iPhone locked to a carrier | Update iOS; if it still doesn't appear, check carrier lock in Settings → General → About |
| QR code doesn't scan | Low brightness, screen reflection, or incorrect distance | Increase brightness of the screen with the QR code, move about 20-25 cm away, and avoid direct light reflections |
| "Activation could not be completed" / download interrupted | Unstable WiFi or active VPN during installation | Change WiFi network, disable VPN while installing the profile, and try again |
| Profile installed but no data | "Data Roaming" disabled for that line | Settings → Cellular → select eSIM → activate Data Roaming |
| "Invalid activation code" | QR code was already used (even by mistake) | Write to PuraSIM to regenerate the code; there's no way to reactivate the same QR |
Myths and what almost no one tells you about eSIM on iPhone
"If my iPhone is unlocked, the eSIM will definitely work." Not always. An iPhone can be "unlocked" from your Spanish carrier and still have a factory lock if it was purchased subsidized in another country (typical for US devices financed by a carrier). Check in Settings → General → About before buying, not after.
"The more eSIMs, the better, so I don't run out of data." An iPhone can store up to eight eSIM profiles, but that doesn't mean all eight are providing data simultaneously. Except for "eSIM only" models with dual active lines, usually only one data line is active at a time — the others are installed but dormant, ready to activate when you change countries.
"It's better to activate the eSIM at the airport, so I don't spend data prematurely." Installing the profile doesn't use anything; activating data roaming doesn't use anything either if you don't browse. The only thing you "spend" by installing it beforehand is time, and you'd rather spend that time at home with fiber than in a queue with congested public WiFi.
When it's NOT worth buying a travel eSIM: if you're going to a European Union country with a Spanish plan that includes roaming without surcharges — a weekend in Paris or Rome, for example — your usual plan already covers you at no extra cost. Buying an eSIM there is spending extra. Where it does make sense is outside the EU, where your operator's roaming costs skyrocket as soon as you activate it.
A factory reset deletes eSIMs. If you restore your iPhone to factory settings, installed eSIM profiles disappear and must be reinstalled from scratch with a new QR code. It's common to forget this just before selling or giving away an old iPhone with a travel eSIM still inside.
Digital eSIM versus other ways to get data outside of Spain
Not all international data solutions are equal, and it's helpful to know how they differ before deciding:
| Option | Installation | Keeps your Spanish number | When it's suitable |
|---|---|---|---|
| PuraSIM eSIM | QR, from home, minutes | Yes, on a separate line | Travel outside the EU, long stays, multiple countries |
| Local physical chip | Buy upon arrival, sometimes with registration | No, while inserted | Phones without eSIM or very long trips to a single destination |
| Spanish operator's roaming | None, already active | Yes | Within the EU, short trips |
If you're unsure between eSIM and a physical chip because your iPhone is old or you're going to a country with complicated coverage, the comparison international chip versus eSIM goes into more detail. And if your destination is several countries in a row across Europe, the eSIM for Europe covers multiple countries with a single profile, without having to buy one for each border you cross.
How to save data once your eSIM is active
Once installed and working, data consumption while roaming depends mainly on which apps are running in the background. Disabling automatic app updates and lowering streaming quality in Settings saves a lot without you noticing it in everyday use. We review specific tricks — including what the biggest data hogs are without you realizing it — in how to save data with eSIM on your travels.
And if what you need is a backup data line for when you're in Spain — for example, if your main operator leaves you stranded in areas with poor coverage, or you want a cheap secondary line for testing — there's also the eSIM for Spain.
Frequently asked questions
Can I activate the eSIM before I travel?
Yes, and it is recommended. Installing the profile does not activate roaming by itself: you can have the eSIM ready days in advance and activate data roaming only when you land at your destination.
What happens if I accidentally scan the QR code twice?
The QR code is for one-time use. If it was already installed correctly the first time, a second scan will result in a "code already used" error — no need to do anything, the line is already installed. If the first attempt failed halfway, contact PuraSIM to have a new code regenerated.
Do I need to unlock my iPhone to use an eSIM from another carrier?
Your iPhone needs to accept SIMs from carriers other than the one that sold it to you. Check this in Settings → General → About, in the carrier lock section: it should indicate that there are no restrictions.
Can I have my PuraSIM eSIM and my Spanish SIM active at the same time?
Yes, on any iPhone with Dual SIM (all models from the XS with a physical tray, or two eSIMs on "eSIM only" models). You can keep your Spanish SIM for calls and SMS, and the PuraSIM eSIM as your data line.
Does the eSIM work as soon as I land, without prior internet connection?
Yes. Once the profile is installed and activated, the eSIM connects directly to the destination country's mobile network, without needing WiFi or prior connection. You only needed WiFi for the installation process.
Will the eSIM be deleted if I restart my iPhone or do a factory reset?
A normal restart does not affect the eSIM. A factory reset does delete it completely, along with the rest of the phone's configuration; you would have to reinstall it with a new QR code.
Which operators or destinations does the PuraSIM eSIM cover?
PuraSIM has eSIM plans for a wide catalog of destinations, with email and WhatsApp support if something goes wrong during activation or while traveling.
