If your settings app shows a number called the EID, your phone has eSIM hardware inside it. On iPhone you find it under Settings, then General, then About. On a Pixel you find it under Settings, then About phone, then SIM status. But seeing an EID does not confirm you can actually use an eSIM. Manufacturers publish cases where the same model name supports eSIM in one country and not in another, and a separate layer of device locks can block you even when the hardware is there. Here is a three-step check built only on official documentation.
Why an eSIM compatibility list is not enough
Most compatibility lists you find online are organised by model name alone. Read the manufacturers' own pages, though, and the deciding factor is often not the model but the country where the phone was bought.
Google's Pixel help states that a Pixel 3a bought in Japan, or bought with Verizon service, does not support eSIM. The same page rules out Pixel 3 units purchased in Australia, Taiwan and Japan. So a list that simply says "Pixel 3a: eSIM supported" is wrong for a large group of owners.
The difference runs in the other direction too. Apple's support documentation groups Japan with the United States and several other markets where recent iPhones ship as eSIM only, with no physical SIM tray at all. For those devices the question is not whether eSIM works but that nothing else does. iPhones bought in mainland China follow yet another rule: Apple indicates that only the iPhone 17e and iPhone Air support eSIM there.
If you bought your phone abroad, bought it second hand, or inherited it from a family member, these regional rules are exactly where you will get caught. Work through the three steps below instead.
Step 1: Display the EID to confirm eSIM hardware
The EID, or Embedded Identity Document, is a 32-digit identifier unique to the eSIM chip. If your device has one, it physically contains the storage that an eSIM profile is written into.
Finding the EID on iPhone
- Open Settings
- Tap General
- Tap About
- Scroll down and look for the EID, IMEI and ICCID entries
Apple documents this same About screen as the place to look up identifiers such as the IMEI. If you cannot see the entry, keep scrolling to the bottom of the page; on some models it sits nested inside a SIM section.
Finding the EID on Android
On a Pixel, Google's official path is Settings, then About phone, then SIM status, where the EID is listed. The IMEI appears one level higher, directly under About phone.
Other Android manufacturers rename these menus. The fastest route is to type "EID" into the search box at the top of the Settings app. Dialling *#06# in the phone app also shows the EID alongside the IMEI on many handsets, though not all. Because that shortcut is manufacturer-dependent, a blank result is not proof that your phone lacks eSIM support. If the eSIM options are missing from your menus entirely, see what to check when eSIM does not appear in settings.
If no EID appears anywhere
When neither the Settings search nor *#06# returns an EID, it is safe to treat the device as not eSIM capable. Your options are a physical SIM or a newer handset. Our guide to eSIM device compatibility gives the rough generational cut-offs.
Step 2: Re-check eSIM support by country of purchase, not model name
Even if the EID showed up, pause here. These three cases are documented regional exceptions.
Pixel 3a and Pixel 3 bought in Japan
Google's help pages list these as unsupported. Every Pixel from the Pixel 4 onwards supports eSIM regardless of where it was bought, so in practice these two models are the only Pixels where the purchase country changes the answer. Pixel 2 supports eSIM only when bought through Google Fi, and the original Pixel does not support it at all.
iPhone 15 and later bought in Japan
Apple lists Japan among the regions where newer iPhones are sold as eSIM only. That covers the iPhone 15, 16 and 17 families, including the 17e, Air, Pro and Pro Max. With no SIM tray, buying a local physical SIM on arrival is not an option, so it is worth reading how to set up a travel eSIM before you fly rather than planning around a shop at the airport.
iPhones bought in mainland China
Mainland Chinese models went without eSIM for years, and Apple's guidance indicates that support there is limited to the iPhone 17e and iPhone Air. If you are carrying a mainland-purchased handset into another country, the model name on the box will not tell you the answer.
Step 3: Rule out locks that stop an eSIM-capable phone
Compatible hardware can still be blocked at the device level, and no compatibility list will tell you about it.
Carrier lock
Under the guideline published by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, devices released on or after 1 October 2021 must not carry a SIM lock except for specific justified reasons. If you bought a recent handset new, this is very unlikely to affect you.
Older devices are the risk. Models such as the iPhone XS, XR and 11 support eSIM, but carrier-sold units may still be locked. On iPhone, check Settings, then General, then About, and look for the SIM Lock entry; "No SIM restrictions" means the device is unlocked. Our guide on using an unlocked phone with eSIM covers the unlocking process.
Blocklisted devices
Second-hand phones can be barred by the carrier if the previous owner stopped paying an instalment plan. Operators publish lookup pages where entering the IMEI returns the device's status. This is a separate mechanism from the carrier lock, so check both.
Managed corporate or school devices
Phones issued by an employer or a school are often configured so that network settings cannot be changed. In that case the EID is visible and there is no carrier lock, yet adding an eSIM profile is blocked outright. You will need to ask whoever administers the device.
Supporting eSIM is not the same as running two lines at once
This distinction trips people up. Even among eSIM-capable phones, the number of lines that can be active simultaneously varies by generation.
Apple states that Dual eSIM, meaning two eSIM profiles in use together, requires iPhone 13 or later. Earlier models pair one physical SIM with one eSIM. On the Pixel side, Google describes Dual SIM Dual Standby, one physical SIM plus one eSIM, as available from the Pixel 3a onwards.
If you want to keep receiving calls on your home number while adding a travel data line, this is the specification that decides whether it is possible. Setting up dual SIM for travel walks through the configuration, and what an eSIM is covers the underlying technology.
Finish the check with a real test before departure
Passing all three steps still leaves one thing unproven: whether a profile actually installs. Apple lists the common blockers as no Wi-Fi connection, an iOS version that is not current, and a pending carrier settings update. None of those are easy to fix while standing at a departure gate.
Buy your eSIM a few days before you travel, install it, and confirm the line appears in your settings. Pick your destination from the Coral eSIM plans and test it while you are still at home.
FAQ
If I can see an EID, will an eSIM definitely work?
Not necessarily. The EID only proves the hardware exists. A carrier-locked phone, a second-hand device that has been blocklisted, or a handset managed by an employer or school will refuse to add a profile even though the EID is visible. Treat the EID as the first of three checks rather than the whole answer.
Can two phones with the same model name differ in eSIM support?
Yes. Google's help pages state that Pixel 3a and Pixel 3 units bought in Japan do not support eSIM, and Apple indicates that among iPhones bought in mainland China only the iPhone 17e and iPhone Air do. Always pair the model name with the country of purchase before deciding.
How do I check whether my phone is carrier locked?
On iPhone, open Settings, then General, then About, and read the SIM Lock entry; "No SIM restrictions" means it is unlocked. In Japan, the ministry guideline bars carrier locks on devices released from 1 October 2021, so newer handsets bought new are rarely affected. The check matters most for second-hand phones and older models.
Does *#06# show the EID?
On some phones. Many Android handsets display the EID next to the IMEI when you dial it, but plenty do not. A blank result is not evidence that the device lacks eSIM support, so search the Settings app for "EID" instead before drawing a conclusion.
Is it true that the iPhone 15 and later cannot use a physical SIM?
For units sold in the regions Apple lists as eSIM only, including Japan and the United States, yes. Those iPhones have no SIM tray, so buying a local SIM card on arrival is impossible and a travel eSIM has to be arranged in advance.
Compatibility is decided by purchase country and lock status, not the model name
Most people who get stranded without data abroad did check a compatibility list, found their model on it, and stopped there. The factors that actually decide the outcome are the regional differences the manufacturers themselves document and any lock still sitting on the device. Display the EID, confirm the country of purchase, then clear the locks. Work through those three in order and you will have a reliable answer before you leave, and installing a real eSIM a few days early turns that answer into proof.