How to set up a travel eSIM on Google Pixel

This checklist covers adding a travel eSIM on a compatible, carrier-unlocked Google Pixel and switching your mobile data to it when you arrive. Menu names can differ slightly between Android versions.

Before you start

• Check that your Pixel supports eSIM and is unlocked: see the compatibility guide and, if you bought the phone from an Australian carrier, how to unlock it.
• Connect to reliable Wi-Fi and keep the QR code from your delivery email open on another screen or printed. Do not share the QR code: it is your eSIM.
• Your Australian SIM can stay in the phone. Google says that, depending on the device and carrier, a Pixel can use two eSIMs or one eSIM and one physical SIM at once, and that Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro and later models support two eSIM profiles at once.

Add the eSIM

1. Open Settings › Network & internet › SIMs.
2. Tap Add SIM, then Set up an eSIM.
3. Scan the QR code from your delivery email and follow the prompts.
4. When asked, give the new line a clear name such as “Travel” so you can tell it apart from your Australian SIM.

Switch to the travel eSIM when you arrive

1. Open Settings › Network & internet › SIMs.
2. Under your primary SIMs, tap Mobile data and choose the travel line.
3. If the plan instructions ask you to turn on roaming, turn it on in the travel line's settings only. Leave data roaming off on your Australian line if you want to avoid your carrier's roaming charges.
4. Follow the plan's activation instructions, which say when its validity starts.

If it does not connect

Turn aeroplane mode on and off, restart the phone and check that the travel line is selected for mobile data. Then work through the troubleshooting checklist, including the APN and network selection steps.

Do not erase the eSIM to troubleshoot

Pixel has an Erase eSIM option in the eSIM's mobile network settings. A travel eSIM QR code may only install once, so erasing it can leave you without data. Contact support before erasing anything. Google also offers a setting that asks for your PIN or password before a SIM is deleted (Settings › Security › Advanced › Confirm SIM deletion, where available).

Google Pixel eSIM questions

Can I keep my Australian SIM in my Pixel?

Yes, on models that support two lines at once. Keep the Australian line on for calls and texts, and choose the travel eSIM for mobile data.

Should I install the eSIM before I fly?

Installing on home Wi-Fi before you leave is usually easiest. Switch mobile data to it at your destination and follow the plan's activation instructions.

Where do I choose which SIM uses mobile data?

In Settings › Network & internet › SIMs, under your primary SIMs, tap Mobile data.

Sources and last checked

Menu paths and dual-SIM details from Google's Pixel eSIM help page, checked 16 October 2026. Exact menus can vary by model and software version. Also see the iPhone and Samsung guides.