Frequently asked questions
What to expect from a UK eSIM plan at each stage — booking it, installing it before departure, using it around Britain, and once you are back.
What is an eSIM?
A SIM built into the phone's own hardware rather than a card in a tray. You install a plan by scanning a QR code, and whatever plastic SIM you already carry does not move.
Does my phone support eSIM?
Most phones sold since 2018: iPhone XS and newer, Samsung Galaxy S20 and newer, Google Pixel 3 and newer, and most current Android models. The phone also has to be carrier-unlocked. Every iPhone sold in the United States since the 14 has no SIM tray at all — worth knowing if you are flying in from the States — which says how ordinary this has become. Our setup guides show where to check on your model.
When should I install it?
At home, over Wi-Fi, a day or two before you fly. Installing it does not start the clock — validity only begins once the eSIM makes its first connection to a UK network. Do it early and you skip fumbling with airport Wi-Fi and a luggage trolley at the same time.
Do I keep my own number?
Yes. The eSIM is data-only, so your home line stays active for your number, your SMS codes and your messaging accounts. Point mobile data at the eSIM and leave the rest alone. What you do not get is a UK number — see below for the handful of situations where that matters.
How fast is it?
It runs on a UK-wide network: LTE across most of its footprint, 5G in the cities and larger towns. That covers maps, video calls, an evening of streaming when the hotel Wi-Fi drops out, and tethering a laptop for work.
Do I have to take my physical SIM out?
No — both lines stay live together. The setting that actually matters is which line handles mobile data: point that at the eSIM, then turn data roaming off on your home line so it does not quietly rack up charges in the background.
What if I run out of data?
Add more data from inside the app. It lands on the eSIM you already installed, so there is no second QR code to scan and nothing to set up again.
Can I use it as a hotspot?
Yes — tethering comes included, not sold separately. One plan can cover a laptop, a tablet and the rest of the car on a motorway run.
Do I need internet to install it?
Yes — the install itself needs a working connection, which is exactly why you do it on home Wi-Fi. Once it is on the phone, it switches itself on when you land, with no connection of its own required.
Can I make calls and send texts?
Not on this plan. It carries internet, not a phone line, so ordinary calls and texts stay on your home SIM, as does your number. Calling over the internet works as usual, and most British services are happy with a foreign mobile number. The occasional one — a delivery app, some restaurant booking systems — prefers a UK number for its verification texts, and a data eSIM cannot give you one; an email login is usually the fallback.
How long is a plan valid?
Every plan shows its own validity before you buy, and the range covers everything from a city break to a month-long stay. The countdown starts when the eSIM first connects in the UK, not on the day you paid.
Does it work everywhere in the UK?
It is sold for the United Kingdom as a whole — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, one plan, no internal borders. Signal is a separate question: cities, motorways and towns are well covered, while the Highlands, the islands, rural Wales and parts of the Lake District have thin coverage or none, and deep Underground sections are still being wired. Two neighbours to know about: the Republic of Ireland is a different country and is not on this plan — our Europe eSIM at europeesim.app covers it, alongside the rest of the EU — and near the Irish border a phone can quietly latch onto a network from the Republic, so keep an eye on which network it shows.
How does payment work, and can I get a refund?
Payment goes through the App Store or Google Play, so we never see your card details. If an eSIM refuses to install or activate on a phone that should support it, message support in the app — we will sort it out, refunding when that is the fair outcome.
Is this better than buying a SIM when I arrive?
For a visit, usually. A British prepaid SIM is genuinely easy to buy — supermarkets sell them, no ID required — but it is still an errand on your first morning, a top-up in a currency you may never use again, and a piece of plastic to keep track of. The eSIM is installed before you leave and working at the gate, at a price you saw in advance. A local SIM does give you one thing this does not: a UK phone number. If you need one — a long stay, a UK bank account, a flat to rent — buy the local SIM as well.