Do You Need to Disable Your Physical SIM?
No. You do not need to disable or remove your physical SIM to use a travel eSIM. Modern phones support dual SIM, so both can be active at the same time.
The Recommended Setup
- Physical SIM: Handles calls, texts, and your phone number
- Bcengi eSIM: Handles all mobile data
- Set Bcengi as your data line and keep your physical SIM for everything else
When You Might Want to Disable It
There are a few situations where temporarily disabling your physical SIM can help:
- Roaming charges: If your physical SIM's carrier charges for roaming and you want to avoid any possibility of accidental charges, disable it or turn off its data roaming
- SIM conflict: If your eSIM is not connecting and you suspect a conflict, try disabling the physical SIM temporarily to test
- Battery life: Running two SIMs uses slightly more battery. Disabling one when not needed saves power
How to Disable Your Physical SIM (Without Removing It)
iPhone
- Go to Settings → Cellular
- Tap your physical SIM line
- Toggle Turn On This Line → OFF
Android / Samsung
- Go to Settings → Network & Internet → SIMs (Samsung: Connections → SIM Manager)
- Select your physical SIM
- Toggle it OFF
Remember: Disabling your physical SIM means you cannot receive calls or texts on that number until you re-enable it.
Bcengi TravelPass is a pay-as-you-go eSIM: you only pay for data you use, with no bundles, no expiry, and no contracts. One eSIM works in 200+ countries.
Ready to stay connected on your next trip? Get your Bcengi eSIM at bcengi.com. Set up in minutes, pay only for what you use.
