Common questions

It needs all three: the model supports eSIM, the version sold in your country or region has eSIM, and the phone isn’t locked to a carrier. For example, several iPhone models sold in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao take two physical SIM cards and have no eSIM.

If the phone shows an EID (iPhone: Settings → General → About; Android: Settings → About phone), it has eSIM, but carrier locks and sales-region limits still need checking. Check the model list and the carrier-lock steps on the device compatibility page.

Most plans start when the eSIM first connects to a network at your destination. A few start when the eSIM is installed; the plan page marks them “Starts when installed. Install after you arrive.” Some start at payment, with no refund once issued; the plan page and checkout both say so.

Once validity has started, switching the line off doesn’t pause it. See when an eSIM starts.

Some plans have one. Your order and delivery email say “Install by” and a date. Install the eSIM by the end of that day. It’s separate from the plan’s validity.

A total-data plan gives one allowance for the whole validity period; you can use it on any day. A daily plan gives a fixed high-speed allowance each day; you can’t use several days’ allowance at once.

When a daily allowance is used up, the plan either slows to the speed shown in its details or stops data until the next reset. See daily or total data.

Start from your own usage: your phone’s settings show mobile data used per app. Take a typical day without Wi-Fi, multiply by the days you need data and add a reserve. Video, video calls and sharing a hotspot use the most. See how much data you need.

Either one multi-country plan whose coverage list includes every stop, or a separate plan for each country. A plan called “Europe” doesn’t necessarily cover every country in Europe, so check the list.

On a destination page, add the other countries on your route to see plans that cover the whole trip. Crossing a border doesn’t reset a shared allowance or restart validity.

Most plans are data only, with no phone number or calls; you can call and message over the internet with apps such as WhatsApp or FaceTime. Plans that include a local number or calls say so in their details.

Each plan’s details show its SMS capability. “Notifications only” means the eSIM receives messages from the network, not texts from other phones or verification codes. For bank or app codes, keep your home SIM switched on; your home carrier sets the cost of texts abroad.

Yes, on plans that show hotspot support in their details. Devices on your hotspot share the same allowance.

After payment is confirmed, we email the eSIM to the delivery address you chose at checkout, usually within 5 minutes. The email has the QR code, install links for iPhone (iOS 17.4 or later) and Android, and the codes for manual entry.

The same details are in My eSIMs when you sign in with the account you bought with. If setup takes longer than 10 minutes, we email to tell you we’re working on it. If we can’t deliver, you get a full refund.

Check spam, junk and promotions folders, then check the delivery address you chose at checkout. It can differ from your sign-in email. If it’s an Apple private relay address, email forwarding must be on in your Apple Account settings.

You don’t need the email to install. Sign in with the Google or Apple account you used to buy and open My eSIMs or the order page for the QR code, install link and manual codes. Can’t find the order there either? Contact support with the delivery address and purchase date.

Confirmation usually takes a few seconds and the order page updates by itself; don’t pay again meanwhile. If it takes longer, you can close the page: we email you once the payment goes through, but not about failed or canceled payments.

If your bank or wallet shows a charge but the order says the payment failed or was canceled, or the order isn’t in your account, contact support instead of paying again. If the order is missing, first check that you’re signed in with the account you paid with.

Yes. Check that their phone is compatible first. For an order with several eSIMs, the delivery email has a separate install link for each one; in My eSIMs, on the website or in the Simvito app, an eSIM that isn’t installed yet has Send to a travel companion. Send it only to the person who will install it, since each QR code installs once.

Connect to Wi-Fi, then add the eSIM in your phone’s settings and scan the QR code. iPhone: Settings → Cellular (Mobile Service in some regions) → Add eSIM → Use QR Code. Samsung Galaxy: Settings → Connections → SIM manager → Add eSIM. Google Pixel: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Add SIM → Set up an eSIM. Menu names vary by software version.

On the phone you’re installing on, tap the install link in the delivery email, or open the eSIM on the order page or in My eSIMs, and install it without scanning (iPhone with iOS 17.4 or later, or a recent Android version). You can also touch and hold the QR code in the email or in a browser on this iPhone and tap Add eSIM (iOS 17.4 or later), or enter the SM-DP+ address and activation code by hand. Step-by-step guides: iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel.

It depends on the start rule. If validity starts at first connection, install before you go, on Wi-Fi, and switch the line on after you land. If validity starts at installation, install after you arrive.

Phones bought in mainland China can’t install an eSIM from a carrier outside the mainland while they’re in the mainland; see this question.

No. Each QR code installs once, and the eSIM then stays on that phone. If you delete the eSIM, erase the phone or move to a new phone, it can’t be installed again; using it elsewhere means buying again. Install it on the phone you’ll travel with, and don’t delete it to troubleshoot.

An eSIM that was deleted after it had connected isn’t refundable. If it never connected, contact support for a full refund.

Only some models. Apple lists eSIM support for these iPhones sold in mainland China: iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, iPhone Duo, iPhone 17e and iPhone Air. Apple says they can install an eSIM from a carrier outside mainland China only while outside the mainland, with Location Services on, and they hold at most two eSIMs.

Install it on Wi-Fi after you leave the mainland, and check the plan’s start rule before you buy. For Galaxy phones sold in mainland China, see the device compatibility page.

Stay on Wi-Fi, turn off any VPN and note the exact error. Check that the phone is carrier-unlocked and its software is up to date. If the download was interrupted, try again on the same phone.

For “Unable to Complete Cellular Plan Change”, stay on Wi-Fi and try again, on a different Wi-Fi network if you can.

If the QR code won’t scan, enter the codes by hand. For “Invalid Activation Code” or “Invalid SM-DP+ Address”, copy and paste the codes from this eSIM’s order instead of typing them. If that fails too, don’t scan it on another phone; contact support with a screenshot.

The eSIM is most likely installed already: a scan that fails partway still uses the code. Look for a new line in the phone’s SIM list (iPhone: Settings → Cellular) and compare its ICCID ending. If it matches, the eSIM is installed and you don’t need to do anything else.

Don’t delete it, and don’t scan the code on another phone. If there’s no new line, contact support with a screenshot of the error, and we’ll check the eSIM’s status with the network.

Yes, if you installed it before the trip. It finishes by itself once the phone connects to a network at your destination.

Still activating at the destination? Turn off any VPN, switch Airplane Mode on and off, check that the eSIM is on the phone you’re using and turn on data roaming for its line. If it still doesn’t connect, follow the no internet steps.

The phone is locked to a carrier and only accepts that carrier’s eSIMs. Check Settings → General → About → Carrier Lock: if it doesn’t say “No SIM restrictions”, ask the carrier that locked it to unlock it.

A Simvito eSIM can’t be installed until the phone is unlocked. An eSIM that was never installed can be refunded in full within 30 days of purchase; request it in Account → Orders → the order.

The ICCID is the number of an individual eSIM. In the app it’s in the eSIM’s details in My eSIMs; on the website it’s on the order page. On the phone, iPhone shows it in Settings → General → About. Android phones don’t always show it; some list it under About phone, in SIM status.

If the two match, that eSIM is on this phone. Give the ICCID when you contact support so we can find that eSIM straight away.

Switch the Simvito line on, select it for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it. Your phone treats it as a roaming line, so data won’t load with roaming off; the plan is prepaid, so this costs nothing extra.

On your home line, keep data roaming off and turn off automatic data switching (Allow Cellular Data Switching on iPhone) so your home carrier doesn’t bill you for data. Then switch Wi-Fi off briefly and load a web page to test.

Check in this order: you’re in a covered destination; the plan hasn’t expired or run out of data; the Simvito line is on, selected for mobile data and has data roaming on; any VPN is off. Then turn Airplane Mode on and off, or restart the phone. If an APN is listed, see Do I need to set an APN? You can also pick a local network by hand.

The full steps are in the troubleshooting checklist. Still no connection? Contact support from where you are, with your order number, phone model and screenshots of the line settings.

Usually not; the APN is set automatically. If “This eSIM’s rules” in My eSIMs or your delivery email list an APN and data still doesn’t work after the previous checklist, enter it on the Simvito line as written. iPhone: Settings → Cellular → the Simvito line → Cellular Data Network. Android: the SIM’s Access Point Names setting. When different APNs are listed by country, use the one for the country you’re in.

First check whether you’ve used today’s high-speed allowance or the plan’s data. Signal and the local network also affect speed; 4G or 5G in the plan details doesn’t guarantee a particular speed.

The plan details show the IP location, which can be a different country from where you are, so some websites and apps may treat you as being in that country.

The phone picks one of the local networks the plan can use, not necessarily the one with 5G or the best signal. The plan details list the networks and whether each has 4G or 5G; to see 5G, the phone also has to support it and there has to be 5G coverage where you are.

To switch, turn off automatic network selection for the Simvito line and pick one of the networks listed in the plan details (iPhone: Settings → Cellular → the Simvito line → Network Selection). A network that isn’t listed won’t connect; switch back to automatic if that happens.

Yes, if your phone can use two lines at once: keep your home SIM switched on for calls and texts, and use Simvito for mobile data. Your home carrier decides what calls and texts abroad cost and whether they’re delivered while roaming. Keep data roaming off on the home line.

iMessage, FaceTime and WhatsApp keep using your home number, with data going through Simvito. When you add the eSIM, iPhone asks which number to use for iMessage and FaceTime; choose your home number.

Open the eSIM in My eSIMs. Usage comes from the network and can lag a few hours; some plans don’t report usage at all. Your phone’s own data counter often won’t match the network’s count. The network’s count is the one that applies.

When the network reports usage, we also send a reminder when less than 15% of the data is left, when it’s used up and about 48 hours before the plan ends.

On iPhone, turn on Low Data Mode for the Simvito line (Settings → Cellular → the Simvito line; on 5G lines it’s under Data Mode). On Android, turn on Data Saver, or set a mobile data limit for the Simvito line.

Leave photo and file syncing and app updates for when you’re on Wi-Fi.

When the allowance is used up, the plan either continues at a reduced speed or stops data. Each plan shows which, and the reduced speed, before you pay. When validity ends, the line stops and unused data expires, with no cash value.

Some plans add data, some add days, and some can't be topped up; each plan says which. Top up from the eSIM in My eSIMs. There's nothing new to install.

Adding data also adds the top-up’s days to the eSIM, so the expiry moves later. Adding days to a daily plan extends its validity at the same daily allowance; it doesn’t increase the daily allowance.

Delete it once the trip is over and you won’t top it up again. If you only want to go back to your home SIM for data, switch the Simvito line off in Settings instead of deleting it: a deleted eSIM can’t be installed again.

You can rename the line, for example after the destination, to tell it apart from your home number. For how many eSIMs your phone can store and use at once, see the device compatibility page.

By card (for example Visa or Mastercard), Apple Pay where your device and currency support it, PayPal, or a local wallet such as Alipay, AlipayHK, PayNow or GCash. Which methods you see depends on the currency you choose.

You can also pay with your Simvito balance if it covers the whole order.

The currency you choose: on the website at the top of the page, in the app on the Account page. Prices are converted from USD at the reference rate shown with your order, and checkout shows the exact currency and amount before you pay. If your card or wallet uses another currency, your bank or wallet provider may add its own exchange rate and fees.

An eSIM that was never installed can be refunded in full within 30 days of purchase; request it in Account → Orders → the order. An eSIM that was installed but never connected to a network can also be refunded in full; contact support for that one. In an order with several eSIMs, each one is assessed separately.

Activated eSIMs can’t be refunded, except when a plan doesn’t work for a technical reason that we and our network partners can’t fix: then you get a full refund whether or not it was activated. Full details are in the refund policy.

Open Account → Orders → the order and submit a refund request. For a top-up, an eSIM that has been topped up, or an eSIM that was installed but never connected, contact support with your order number. We reply within one business day.

While the request is open, the eSIMs in it can’t be installed, and the install deadline keeps running. You can withdraw the request from the order. If we don’t approve it, you can add details and request again.

Approved refunds are submitted within one business day, to the original payment method, or to your Simvito balance if you paid with balance. Card and wallet refunds usually appear within 5 to 10 business days.

Contact support before disputing it with your bank or PayPal. Tell us the date, amount, currency and payment method of the charge. Never send your full card number.

Use the chat button on the website or in the app, 09:00-22:00 (UTC+8). Outside those hours, leave a message in the chat or email support@simvito.com; we reply within 24 hours.

Include your order number, phone model, the country you’re in and a screenshot of the error. Contact support has an email template for each type of problem.

Your eSIMs are kept in your account, so you can install, check usage and top up without the delivery email. You sign in with Google or Apple. QR codes are shown only once you’re signed in.

Request it on the delete account page, or in the app under Account → Account and sign-in → More → Delete account. We process requests within 30 days and first check any balance, unused eSIMs and active plans with you.

Deleting your account doesn’t remove an installed eSIM from your phone; remove it in your phone’s settings.