An eSIM (embedded SIM) is a SIM profile you download from a mobile provider onto a chip built into your phone, so the phone connects to a mobile network without a plastic SIM card. A travel eSIM is one you add for trips abroad: it gives you mobile data on local networks while your usual line keeps your number. With Bcengi, one travel eSIM works in 200+ countries and runs on a balance that never expires.
How an eSIM works
The chip, called an eUICC, stores eSIM profiles. You add one by scanning a QR code or in the provider's app, and the phone downloads it over the internet. A phone with Dual SIM uses two lines at once, for example your own number and a travel eSIM, and you choose in Settings which line uses mobile data.
eSIM vs physical SIM
| eSIM | Physical SIM | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A SIM profile downloaded onto a chip built into the phone | A removable plastic card |
| How you get one | Download it with a QR code or an app | Pick up a card in a store or by mail |
| Using two lines | Several profiles stored; the phone sets how many run at once | Two cards need two SIM slots |
| If your phone is stolen | Cannot be taken out of the phone | Can be removed from the phone |
| Phones | Models with eSIM (check yours below) | Phones with a SIM tray |
| Abroad | Add a travel eSIM next to your own line | Use a local card in a free slot, swap your card, or roam on your home plan |
Which phones support eSIM?
Find your exact model on our compatible phones list. To use an eSIM from a provider other than your carrier, it must be carrier-unlocked. To check on the phone:
- iPhone: Settings > Cellular shows Add eSIM.
- Samsung Galaxy: Settings > Connections > SIM Manager shows Add eSIM.
- Google Pixel: Settings > Network & internet > SIMs shows Add eSIM.
An unlocked iPhone shows No SIM restrictions next to Carrier Lock in Settings > General > About. For Android, here is how to check.
Why a travel eSIM suits trips abroad
A travel eSIM sits next to your normal line instead of replacing it:
- You install it at home on Wi-Fi, and it uses no data until you turn it on abroad.
- Your own SIM stays in, so you stay reachable on your number.
- One eSIM covers several countries on one trip, with nothing to reinstall.
How to get an eSIM
Your carrier provides the eSIM for your own number. For data abroad with Bcengi:
- Sign up on travel.bcengi.com or in the Bcengi app.
- Add balance for mobile data. Activation is free; you pay only for data you use. Auto-refill is optional, with a daily refill limit you set.
- Install the eSIM from its QR code on Wi-Fi before you leave. The iPhone and Android guides show each step.
- On arrival in a supported destination, select Bcengi for mobile data and turn on data roaming for that line.
Bcengi: one travel eSIM for every trip
Many travel eSIMs sell packages: a set amount of data for one country or region, valid for a set number of days. Bcengi works from a balance instead:
- One eSIM in 200+ countries: install it once, keep it for every trip.
- One balance that never expires: what one trip leaves is there for the next.
- Pay as you go at the rate of the country you are in: priced per GB and metered by the KB. In Italy, data is $1.19 per GB; in the United States, $1.68 per GB.
- No data size to pick: the same eSIM and balance work across supported countries; add balance when needed.
A 7-day trip used a median of 1.38 GB in our 2026 International Mobile Data Usage Report, about $1.64 in Italy. See rates for supported destinations, and Learn More explains the balance.
Questions
Good, if your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked. There is no card to lose or wait for in the mail, and your own line and a travel eSIM fit on one phone.
What are the disadvantages of an eSIM?Your phone has to support eSIM and be unlocked to use another provider's. Installing needs internet, so do it on Wi-Fi before you travel. Changing phones? Contact Bcengi support for a replacement eSIM profile; your balance stays with your account.
Does an eSIM have a phone number?The plan decides: an eSIM can include calls, texts and a phone number, or data only. Bcengi provides mobile data, so you call and message over apps such as WhatsApp.
Do you keep your phone number and WhatsApp?Yes, your number stays on your home line. Select Bcengi for mobile data with its data roaming on, and turn off data roaming and automatic data switching on your home line. Calls and texts there follow your carrier's roaming terms. WhatsApp keeps your number and runs on Bcengi data. See how to set up both lines.
How do I convert my SIM to an eSIM?Ask your carrier. On iPhone, if your carrier supports it, open Settings > Cellular > Add eSIM, choose your number and tap Convert to eSIM. A travel eSIM needs no conversion: it sits next to your SIM.
