Add your plan on iPhone

Before you start

MTN Travel eSIM plans work on iPhone XS and later and on most Android flagships released since 2019. Your phone also needs to be carrier-unlocked. Check your exact model on the device compatibility page before you buy.

It's fine to add your plan days before you fly, as long as you have a stable connection to do it. Leave data roaming off until you land. Nothing on your plan starts until you connect abroad, so there's no downside to adding early and switching on later.

You need a stable Wi-Fi or data connection for about a minute.

From Settings with the QR code

Your QR code is in your confirmation email and on your order page. Open it on another screen, or have the SM-DP+ address and activation code ready to type.

1. 1Open Settings and tap Cellular. On some iPhones this shows as Mobile Data.
2. 2Tap Add eSIM.
3. 3Tap Use QR Code. Ignore Use Cellular Plan; it only appears for plans sent to the phone directly.
4. 4Point the camera at the QR code and follow the prompts.
5. 5Can't scan it? Tap Enter Details Manually and type the SM-DP+ address and activation code from your email.
6. 6If iPhone asks which line to use for Cellular Data, choose your home line for now; switch when you land.
7. 7Give the line a label you'll recognize, such as MTN Travel eSIM, when iPhone offers to.

When you land

Turn the MTN Travel eSIM line on, turn on data roaming for it, and point your data at it. The taps are in Turn on data roaming for your plan on iPhone. Give your phone a minute to connect once you land. Still nothing? Switch on Airplane Mode for 30 seconds, then switch it off again.

Setting your APN

Most destinations need no APN. If yours is on this list, add it before you connect:

Destination

APN

Global, Israel, Kuwait, Morocco, Mauritius, Middle East, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa

knowroaming

Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico

tn1

Bahamas, Caribbean

altanwifi

Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan

kroly

Europe, United States

No APN needed

Enter the value in lowercase with no spaces. On iPhone: Settings > Cellular > your MTN Travel eSIM > Cellular Data Network, then type the value under Cellular Data APN. Leave the other fields empty.

Good to know

• Your plan is data only, with no phone number, calls, or SMS. Calls and texts keep using your home number.
• Your plan starts when you connect in a supported country, not when you buy. Your validity days count from that first connection. Unused data expires at the end of your validity period. It doesn't roll over.
• Low Data Mode holds back apps on the MTN Travel eSIM line. Turn it off in Settings > Cellular > your MTN Travel eSIM while you travel.
• When you get home, turn data roaming off and set your data back to your regular SIM, so you don't pick up roaming charges. Your MTN Travel eSIM plan stays on your phone, ready for your next trip.
• Settings names and screens vary a little by iOS version. Checked on iOS 26.

Still not working?

If the add itself stops or fails, see Adding your plan is stuck: what to do and "Cellular plan cannot be added" and other add errors. If the plan is on your phone but nothing loads after you land, see eSIM not working: no data after landing.

Still not working? Contact MTN Travel eSIM support and include four things: your ICCID, your order number, your phone model and OS version, and what you've already tried.