Skip to content
eSIM Mate
Menu
Setup

How to set up a travel eSIM before you fly

Install the eSIM at home over Wi-Fi, switch it on when you land, and make sure your Australian line doesn't use data abroad.

Updated 29 Oct 2026 · 4 min read · Menus vary by phone model and software version
A traveller holding a phone up to a plane window
At home · Wi-FiInstall the eSIMLabel both linesBefore take-offLeave the travel eSIM offWhen you landTravel eSIM on · set for dataTravel eSIM: data roaming onAustralian line: data roaming off
Diagram: what to do when, from home to arrival.

Before you leave Australia

  1. Check your phone first. It needs to support eSIM and be unlocked; see how to check.
  2. Buy the plan a few days before you fly. Check when its validity starts: on many plans it starts when the eSIM first connects at your destination, but on some it starts when you install it.
  3. Install it at home over Wi-Fi. You need an internet connection to download an eSIM. Most providers give you a QR code to scan, or install the eSIM for you in their app.
  4. Label the lines. Your phone asks you to name each line. "Personal" for your Australian number and "Travel" for the eSIM keeps the next steps clear.
  5. Leave the travel eSIM switched off for now, unless the provider tells you otherwise. Don't delete it: many eSIMs can't be reinstalled once removed.

When you land

  1. Turn on the travel eSIM.
    • iPhone: Settings › Mobile Service (or Mobile Data on older versions), tap the travel line and turn it on.
    • Android: the SIM settings where you added the eSIM (for example Settings › Connections › SIM manager on Samsung).
  2. Choose the travel eSIM for mobile data. In the same settings, set the travel line as the line used for mobile data.
  3. Turn on data roaming for the travel eSIM. Most travel eSIMs are roaming eSIMs, so they won't connect with roaming off.
  4. Turn off data roaming for your Australian line, so it can't use data abroad. On iPhone, also turn off Allow Mobile Data Switching, so the phone never falls back to your Australian line for data. Calls and texts on your Australian line can still start a roaming charge; see the guide linked below.

If it won't connect

  • Restart the phone, then wait a minute for it to find a network.
  • Check that the travel line is on, is the mobile data line, and has data roaming on.
  • Try choosing the network by hand: turn off automatic network selection for the travel line and pick one of the networks the provider lists for your destination.
  • Some eSIMs need an APN setting. The provider's setup instructions give it.
  • Still stuck? Contact the provider. eSIM Mate doesn't sell eSIMs, so the provider is the one who can fix your plan.

Keeping your Australian number for texts and calls? Read how to keep it without roaming charges.