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The S series, the Z series and the A series each behave differently. Check your model before you buy a plan.
Samsung publishes its own eSIM compatibility list, and it is worth knowing that this list is published per country and the contents are not identical between them. A model that takes an eSIM in one market can ship without the feature in another. Samsung says so directly on its US support page: depending on the country of origin, eSIM may not be supported. So the model name gets you most of the way, and the settings check on the handset in your hand finishes the job.
Open Settings, tap Connections, tap SIM manager. If the screen offers to add an eSIM or shows an eSIM slot alongside the physical one, the handset has the hardware. If the only thing there is a physical SIM, it does not, whatever the model name suggests. This is the check that overrides every list, because it reads the handset itself.
Settings, then About phone, then Status information, and look for an EID. That number is the identifier of the eSIM chip. A handset with an EID has eSIM hardware; a handset with no EID does not.
Samsung lists the Galaxy S20 series as the first S generation with eSIM, and every S generation since is on the list. Within a generation, the standard, Plus, Ultra, FE and Edge variants are treated the same way, with the country of origin caveat applying throughout. The S21 in particular is one where regional variation comes up often, so the settings check is worth doing on that generation rather than assuming.
The foldable range has carried eSIM since the original Galaxy Fold, which makes it the most consistently equipped part of the lineup. Samsung's US list runs from the Z Flip 5G and Z Fold2 through every Fold and Flip generation since, including the Z TriFold. If you have a foldable Galaxy, the odds are strong, and the settings check confirms it.
This is the part worth reading carefully. Samsung's US list and Samsung's Australian list name different A series handsets. The US list includes the A57, A56, A54, A36, A35, A27, A26, A25, A17 and A16 in their 5G forms. The Australian list is shorter and names the A56, A55 and A36. Neither list is wrong; they describe what shipped in each market. If your handset is an A series, the settings check is not optional.
A handset bought in one market and used in another keeps the hardware it shipped with. Check SIM manager on the handset itself rather than looking up the model on the site of the country you are now in.
The Galaxy Note20 series is on Samsung's list, which makes it the oldest non foldable Galaxy phone with eSIM alongside the S20. The rugged XCover line also appears, with the US list naming the XCover6 Pro and the Australian list naming the XCover 7 and XCover 7 Pro. The same regional rule applies.
A Galaxy with an eSIM chip still will not take a travel plan if the network that sold it holds a carrier lock. The lock and the hardware are separate conditions and both have to be clear. On a Galaxy the lock status sits in Settings, Connections, More connection settings, Network lock status, and Unlocked is the reading you want.
If SIM manager offers to add an eSIM but a travel plan installs and then fails to activate, the hardware is fine and the lock is the problem. That is the clearest signal of a carrier lock you will get.
Settings, Connections, SIM manager, then Add eSIM. The handset offers to scan a QR code, and there is a manual entry option for the activation code where scanning is awkward. Do it on wifi before you travel, then set the travel plan as the data line and switch data roaming on for that line only. Your Samsung number stays active for calls and messages while the travel plan carries data.
The Tab S9, S10 and S11 series and the Tab A11 Plus appear on Samsung's US list, and SIM manager works the same way on them.
| Series | On Samsung's US list | On Samsung's Australian list |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S | S26, S25, S24, S23, S22, S21, S20 series | S26, S25, S24, S23, S22, S21, S20 series |
| Galaxy Z Fold | Z TriFold, Fold7, Fold6, Fold5, Fold4, Fold3, Fold2 | Fold8 Ultra, Fold8, Fold7, Fold6, Fold5, Fold4, Fold3, Fold2, Fold |
| Galaxy Z Flip | Flip7, Flip7 FE, Flip6, Flip5, Flip4, Flip3, Flip 5G | Flip8, Flip7, Flip7 FE, Flip6, Flip5, Flip4, Flip3, Flip 5G, Flip |
| Galaxy A | A57, A56, A54, A36, A35, A27, A26, A25, A17, A16 in 5G form | A56, A55, A36 |
| Galaxy Note | Note20 series | Note20, Note20 Ultra |
| Rugged | XCover6 Pro | XCover 7, XCover 7 Pro |
| Tablets | Tab S9, S10, S11 series, Tab A11 Plus | Not listed on this page |
| What you want to know | Where it is |
|---|---|
| Does it have eSIM hardware | Settings, Connections, SIM manager |
| Confirm with the chip identifier | Settings, About phone, Status information, EID |
| Is it carrier locked | Settings, Connections, More connection settings, Network lock status |
| Add a travel plan | Settings, Connections, SIM manager, Add eSIM |
On Samsung's own lists: the S20 series onward, the Note20 series, every Z Fold and Z Flip generation, selected A series 5G models, the rugged XCover range and recent Galaxy Tab models. Which A series models are included differs by country, so check the handset as well as the list.
Settings, Connections, SIM manager. If there is an option to add an eSIM, the hardware is there. For a second confirmation, look for an EID under Settings, About phone, Status information.
It depends on the market. Samsung's US list names the A57, A56, A54, A36, A35, A27, A26, A25, A17 and A16 in 5G form. Samsung's Australian list names the A56, A55 and A36. The settings check on your own handset is the answer that counts.
It appears on Samsung's US list of eSIM capable handsets. It is not on the Australian list. If you have one, open SIM manager and see whether adding an eSIM is offered, because the market the handset shipped to decides it.
The usual cause is a carrier lock: the profile installs and then fails to activate. Check Settings, Connections, More connection settings, Network lock status. If it reads Unlocked, check that the travel line is selected for data and that data roaming is on for that line.
SIM manager lists the eSIM as its own line with its own toggle, and the status bar shows a second signal indicator once it registers. If the line is listed but nothing loads, it is installed but not carrying data, which is a settings matter rather than an activation failure.
Install the eSIM in SIM manager, then set it as the line for mobile data. You do not have to remove the physical SIM: leaving it in keeps your usual number reachable for calls and messages while the eSIM carries data.
The install completes automatically once the code is accepted, but the phone does not decide which line carries your data. That is a choice you make in SIM manager, and it is the step most often missed.
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