What is an eSIM?
An eSIM — short for "embedded SIM" — is a small chip built directly into most modern phones. It does everything a traditional plastic SIM does, but instead of slotting a card into your device, you download a mobile plan onto the chip over the internet. One phone can hold several eSIM profiles at once, so you can keep multiple carriers and numbers ready and switch between them in a couple of taps.
eSIMs aren't just for phones — they're built into many tablets, smartwatches and even some cars. For travellers they're the easiest way to grab affordable mobile data abroad: buy a plan, install it before you fly, and you're online the moment you land.
How does an eSIM work?
An eSIM uses software already on your device to behave exactly like a physical SIM. Once you install and activate a plan, your phone connects to a local mobile network so you can use data (and, where supported, calls and texts). There's nothing to insert and nothing to remove — and your existing SIM can stay right where it is, so you keep your home number live for calls and texts while the eSIM handles your travel data.
With Flylo there's no app to download: you install your eSIM straight from your browser, and the plan activates automatically when you arrive at your destination.
How to set up an eSIM
Getting connected takes about 60 seconds. Set it up before you fly, while you still have WiFi:
- Pick a data plan for your trip. Choose your destination and the number of days you need, then check out — your eSIM is delivered instantly.
- Install the eSIM. On a modern iPhone (iOS 17.4+) or Android, tap to add it straight from your browser, or scan the QR code we email you. Prefer to do it by hand? On iPhone go to Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM → Enter details manually and paste the SM-DP+ address and activation code we provide; on Android it's Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Add eSIM.
- Turn on data roaming for the Flylo line. This lets the eSIM connect to the local network abroad — it doesn't cost extra, it just tells your phone to use the travel plan.
- Land and connect. Your plan activates automatically when you reach your destination. No further setup needed.
The advantages of an eSIM
Connect to a local network at a fixed, upfront price instead of your carrier's eye-watering roaming rates.
Keep several eSIMs on one device and switch between carriers and numbers in settings.
Off to Tokyo for a week? Grab a 7-day plan instead of a whole month.
There's no tiny plastic card to misplace, damage, or have stolen — it's all digital.
No SIM tray means room for a bigger battery and other hardware in newer phones.
Skip a freshly-packaged SIM card for every trip — an eSIM is reusable and waste-free.
Any downsides?
We'll be honest — eSIMs aren't perfect for everyone:
eSIM support generally starts with 2019-and-later flagships, so older phones can't use one.
You can't pop the chip out and into another handset — you re-install or transfer the profile digitally instead.
The one-time install is slightly less familiar than sliding in a card — but it's a 60-second job, and we walk you through it.
eSIM vs physical SIM
The core difference is simple: an eSIM is digital, while a SIM card is a physical chip you insert. Here's how they compare.
| eSIM | Physical SIM | |
|---|---|---|
| Phone numbers | Up to two* | Up to two |
| Network operators | As many as you like | Up to two |
| Removal | Deactivate the profile | Eject the card |
| Activation | Manual or automatic — activates at your destination | Manual — insert the card |
| Compatibility | Newer devices only | Old and most new devices |
| Using abroad | Affordable — easy local data plans | Often expensive due to roaming |
*Flylo eSIMs are data-only for now — you keep your phone number on your home SIM.
Does your phone support eSIM?
Most phones from 2019 onward support eSIM — iPhone XS and newer, Google Pixel 3 and newer, Samsung Galaxy S20 and newer, and many others. Check the full list on our compatibility page.
Check eSIM compatibility →eSIM FAQs
What does an eSIM card do?
An eSIM does everything a physical SIM does — it connects your phone to a mobile network so you can get online (and, on supported plans, make calls and send texts). The only difference is that it's a chip already built into your phone, programmed digitally, so you download a plan instead of slotting in a plastic card.
What does eSIM stand for?
eSIM stands for 'embedded SIM'. It's a small chip built into your phone that does the same job as a physical SIM card, but it's programmed digitally — so you can download a mobile plan instead of inserting a plastic card.
How can I get an eSIM?
Pick your destination on Flylo, choose a data plan and pay. Your eSIM is delivered instantly — install it straight from your browser (a QR code or one-tap setup) before you fly, and it activates the moment you land.
Is an eSIM better than a physical SIM?
For travel, yes. You can buy and install an eSIM before you leave home, keep your normal number active on your physical SIM, and switch between them in settings. No airport queues, no swapping tiny cards, no risk of losing your home SIM.
Why would I want an eSIM?
To skip roaming bill shock. A Flylo eSIM connects you to a local network at a fixed, upfront price instead of your home carrier's per-MB roaming rates — and you keep your normal number live the whole time.
Is an eSIM safer than a SIM?
Arguably yes. eSIM profiles are encrypted to the GSMA standard and can't be physically pulled from your phone or cloned the way a plastic SIM can, which closes off a common route for SIM-swap fraud.
Does an eSIM give you a phone number?
Flylo eSIMs are data-only, so they don't add a new phone number — you keep your existing number on your home SIM for calls and texts, and use the eSIM for data (plus apps like WhatsApp, iMessage and FaceTime). Some carrier eSIMs do come with a number.
Does an eSIM work without an internet connection?
Once it's installed and activated, an eSIM IS your internet connection abroad — it connects to a local mobile network just like a physical SIM. You only need WiFi or data the one time you install it, which is why we recommend setting it up before you fly.
Does an eSIM drain your phone battery?
No more than a physical SIM. An eSIM uses the same cellular radio your phone already has, so there's no extra battery cost.
Can I have more than one eSIM on my phone?
Yes. Modern phones store multiple eSIMs and let you keep several installed at once, switching the active one in settings. Most also let you run one eSIM plus your physical SIM at the same time (dual SIM).
Can you convert an eSIM back to a physical SIM?
You can't turn an eSIM into a plastic card, but you can always keep using your physical SIM alongside it. If you change phones, you re-install or transfer the eSIM digitally rather than moving a card across.
Ready to try one?
Pick your destination and you'll be online minutes after you land — typically cheaper per day than Holafly and Airalo on the routes we track (verified from their public prices).
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