Will my phone work?

Ten seconds to find out, and one catch worth knowing about before you buy.

The one check that settles it

On your phone, dial *#06#. If the screen that appears includes an EID — a long number, usually 32 digits — your phone has an eSIM. No EID, no eSIM.

The thing that catches most people

A phone bought on contract may be locked to the network that sold it, and a locked phone refuses eSIMs even when the hardware supports them perfectly. In the UK, networks must unlock a phone for free when you ask — ask your current network, and allow a couple of days. Worth doing before you buy, not at the airport.

Roughly which phones

Not a promise — the dial code above is the real test — but as a rule of thumb:

  • ✓iPhone XR, XS and everything since, including iPhone SE (2nd generation) and later — except models sold in mainland China, which use two physical SIMs.
  • ✓Google Pixel 3 and later, most models.
  • ✓Samsung Galaxy S20 and later, plus Z Flip and Z Fold — though some regional variants have no eSIM.
  • ✓Recent iPads with mobile data, and Windows 11 laptops with built-in mobile.

Regional variants genuinely differ — the same model sold in one country can have an eSIM and in another not. That is why we would rather you dialled the code than trusted this list.

Find your destination →