Dual SIM lets you keep your home number active for calls and texts while a travel eSIM handles all your data abroad, and a plan from £2.59 makes the switch cheap and instant. The setup takes about two minutes: add the eSIM, label the two lines, point mobile data at the eSIM, and turn off the two settings that would otherwise let your phone fall back to your expensive home network. Get those toggles right and you will never see a roaming charge again.
eSIMpass sells data eSIMs for 200+ destinations; the examples below use a US plan, but the exact same steps apply whichever country you are travelling to. A travel eSIM is data-only - it has no phone number of its own - which is precisely why you pair it with your home SIM rather than replacing it.
This guide covers the most common travel setup: your home SIM plus one travel eSIM. If instead you want to run two eSIM profiles at the same time - two travel plans, or an eSIM-only phone with no physical SIM - see using two eSIMs at once.
Why Dual SIM Is the Right Setup for Travel
Modern phones hold two lines at once: your physical home SIM (or its eSIM) and a second eSIM for your trip. That combination gives you the best of both worlds:
- Your home line stays reachable. Calls, SMS, two-factor authentication codes, and your bank's fraud texts all keep arriving on the number everyone already has for you.
- The travel eSIM carries the data. Maps, WhatsApp, email, and photo backups run over the local eSIM at local rates instead of roaming rates.
- No SIM swapping. You do not remove your home SIM, so there is nothing to lose at the bottom of a bag and no need to remember a PIN when you get home.
The whole point is to route data through the cheap eSIM while blocking data on the pricey home line. That is what the steps below do.
eSIMpass Plans (US Example)
| Data | Duration | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 3GB Data | 15 Days | £3.60 |
| 5GB Data | 30 Days | £5.39 |
| 10GB Data | 30 Days | £9.71 |
| 20GB Data | 30 Days | £17.47 |
| 50GB Data | 30 Days | £39.32 |
| 1 Day | 1 Day | £2.59 |
| 2 Days | 2 Days | £5.19 |
| 3 Days | 3 Days | £7.78 |
| 4 Days | 4 Days | £10.20 |
| 5 Days | 5 Days | £12.93 |
| 6 Days | 6 Days | £15.67 |
| 7 Days | 7 Days | £18.41 |
| 8 Days | 8 Days | £19.78 |
| 9 Days | 9 Days | £21.83 |
| 10 Days | 10 Days | £23.20 |
| 11 Days | 11 Days | £25.25 |
| 12 Days | 12 Days | £27.30 |
| 13 Days | 13 Days | £28.67 |
| 14 Days | 14 Days | £30.04 |
| 15 Days | 15 Days | £32.09 |
| 16 Days | 16 Days | £33.46 |
| 17 Days | 17 Days | £34.15 |
| 18 Days | 18 Days | £35.51 |
| 19 Days | 19 Days | £37.57 |
| 20 Days | 20 Days | £38.94 |
| 21 Days | 21 Days | £40.30 |
| 22 Days | 22 Days | £40.99 |
| 23 Days | 23 Days | £41.67 |
| 24 Days | 24 Days | £42.36 |
| 25 Days | 25 Days | £43.04 |
| 26 Days | 26 Days | £43.73 |
| 27 Days | 27 Days | £44.41 |
| 28 Days | 28 Days | £45.09 |
| 29 Days | 29 Days | £45.78 |
| 30 Days | 30 Days | £47.15 |
Prices shown are for the United States as an example. Every eSIMpass plan works the same way in a dual SIM setup, and installing the eSIM does not use any of the plan's data - the QR install runs over Wi-Fi before your trip even starts.
Step 1: Add the eSIM to Your Phone
Do this at home over Wi-Fi, a day or two before you fly. Your phone must be network-unlocked, and it needs to support eSIM (iPhone XR/XS and newer, Samsung Galaxy S20 and newer, Google Pixel 3 and newer). If you are unsure, dial *#06# and look for an EID number, or check our eSIM compatible devices list.
iPhone (iOS):
- Open Settings > Mobile Service (called Mobile Data in some regions).
- Tap Add eSIM (or Add Mobile Plan).
- Choose Use QR Code and scan the code from your eSIMpass email, or tap Enter Details Manually.
- Follow the prompts until the plan finishes installing.
Samsung Galaxy:
- Open Settings > Connections > SIM manager.
- Tap Add eSIM.
- Scan your QR code, or enter the details manually.
Google Pixel:
- Open Settings > Network & internet > SIMs.
- Tap Download a SIM (or the + next to SIMs).
- Scan your QR code and follow the prompts.
A note that saves people a lot of grief: an eSIM profile can normally only be installed once. Re-scanning the same QR code after it is already on a phone usually fails, and you would need a fresh profile from support. Install it once, on the phone you are travelling with. Our full eSIM installation and activation guide walks through this in more detail.
Step 2: Label Your Two Lines
Labelling stops you from confusing the two lines later. Right after install, your phone offers to name the plans - or you can change them any time.
- iPhone: Settings > Mobile Service > tap the plan > Mobile Plan Label. Name your home SIM Home and the travel eSIM Travel (or the country name).
- Samsung / Pixel: In SIM manager (Samsung) or SIMs (Pixel), tap each SIM and rename it.
Clear names like "Home" and "Travel" make every following step obvious, because the menus will ask which labelled line you mean.
Step 3: Set the eSIM as Your Mobile Data Line
This is the setting that decides which line spends your data. Point it at the travel eSIM.
- iPhone: Settings > Mobile Service > Mobile Data > select Travel (your eSIM).
- Samsung: Settings > Connections > SIM manager > Mobile data > select the eSIM.
- Pixel: Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > tap the eSIM > turn on Mobile data / set it as the data preference.
Leave your Home line set for calls and texts. On iPhone you can also set Default Voice Line to Home so outgoing calls still use your normal number.
Step 4: Turn Data Roaming OFF on Home, ON for the eSIM
This is the single most important step for avoiding bill shock. Data roaming is toggled per line, so you can block it on your home number while allowing it on the travel eSIM.
- iPhone: Settings > Mobile Service > tap Home > turn Data Roaming OFF. Then tap Travel (the eSIM) > turn Data Roaming ON.
- Samsung: Settings > Connections > Mobile networks (or SIM manager) > select each SIM > Data roaming: OFF for Home, ON for the eSIM.
- Pixel: Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > tap each SIM > Roaming: OFF for Home, ON for the eSIM.
Why "on" for the eSIM? A travel eSIM connects to a major local host network, which technically counts as roaming from the profile's point of view, so that toggle needs to be enabled for the eSIM to get online. Your home line, meanwhile, stays firmly blocked from ever using foreign data. If you want the deeper explanation, see our guide on the data roaming eSIM setting.
Step 5: Turn OFF Mobile Data Switching (the Bill-Shock Trap)
By default, iPhones can quietly borrow data from your other line when the active data line has weak signal. That "other line" is your expensive home SIM, so leave this on and a dead zone can hand you a roaming bill. Switch it off.
- iPhone: Settings > Mobile Service > Mobile Data > turn Allow Mobile Data Switching OFF.
- Samsung / Pixel: Android does not switch data lines automatically the way iOS does. As long as you set the eSIM as the single data line in Step 3 and left home roaming off in Step 4, you are protected. Do not enable any "automatic data switching" or "auto SIM" option if your model offers one.
With switching off, your phone will simply have no data in an eSIM dead zone rather than silently falling back to your home network at roaming rates. That is exactly what you want.
Step 6: What Stays on Your Home Number
Two things trip people up, so it is worth being clear:
- WhatsApp, iMessage, Telegram, and Signal stay tied to your home number. They were registered to that number and keep working over whatever data connection is active - which is now your travel eSIM. You do not re-register anything; your chats just flow over cheaper data.
- Regular calls and SMS still use your home line. If you make a normal phone call abroad, it goes over your home network and may incur that network's roaming voice rates. For most travellers this is fine because you call and message through WhatsApp instead, over eSIM data.
If you would rather understand the trade-offs between roaming and an eSIM before you travel, our eSIM vs roaming comparison lays them out plainly.
Quick Verification Before You Fly
Run this 30-second check while still on home Wi-Fi:
- Both lines appear in Settings, labelled Home and Travel.
- Mobile Data points at Travel.
- Data Roaming: OFF on Home, ON on Travel.
- Allow Mobile Data Switching: OFF (iPhone).
When you land, turn Wi-Fi off for a moment and confirm you have mobile data on the eSIM. You should see the eSIM's network name in the status bar and a working connection within a minute or two.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I still get calls and texts on my normal number?
Yes. Your home SIM stays fully active for calls and SMS - that is the entire reason for a dual SIM setup. Only mobile data is routed to the travel eSIM. Note that if you answer or make a voice call abroad, your home network's roaming voice rates may apply, so most people rely on WhatsApp calls over eSIM data instead.
Does a travel eSIM have its own phone number?
No. eSIMpass travel eSIMs are data-only, so there is no number to call or text. That is by design: you keep your existing number on your home SIM and add data on top. WhatsApp and iMessage still work because they are linked to your home number, not to the eSIM.
Why do I turn Data Roaming ON for the eSIM but OFF for my home SIM?
The eSIM reaches the internet through a local host network, which the phone treats as roaming, so that toggle must be on for the eSIM line or it will not connect. Your home SIM is the one you want to block from expensive foreign data, so its roaming stays off. The two toggles are independent per line, which is what makes this work.
What is "Allow Mobile Data Switching" and why turn it off?
On iPhone, it lets the phone temporarily use your other line's data when the active data line has poor signal. Since the "other line" is your home SIM, leaving it on can quietly rack up roaming charges in weak-coverage areas. Turning it off keeps every byte of data on the cheap eSIM. Android does not do this automatically, so there is nothing to disable on Samsung or Pixel.
Can I keep both SIMs active at the same time on Android?
Yes. Samsung and Pixel both support dual SIM with an eSIM, and the same principle applies: set the eSIM as the mobile data line, leave the home SIM for calls and texts, and keep roaming off on the home line. You can even run more than one travel profile - see our guide on using two eSIMs at once.
Will installing the eSIM use up my data plan?
No. The QR install runs over Wi-Fi or your existing connection before you travel, and it does not touch the eSIM plan's allowance. Your data only starts counting once you are connected abroad. Install at home, then leave the eSIM switched off until you land if you want to save every last megabyte.
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