UK eSIM Activation by Network: Who Gives an Instant QR Code and Who Posts It

An eSIM is meant to be the quick way to join a network: no card, no envelope, working in minutes. In practice it depends on who you buy from and what kind of plan you choose. Some networks install the eSIM from their app. Some email a QR code. One puts it straight onto a new iPhone with no code at all. A few still send a printed QR code through the post or ask you to visit a shop.

This guide sets out what each network says on its own website, as we read it on 10 October 2026. Where a page did not answer the question we say 'not confirmed' and do not guess. It is about getting the eSIM onto your phone. Whether an eSIM is the right choice in the first place is covered in our guide to eSIM and physical SIMs, linked at the end.

The four ways an eSIM reaches your phone

In an app. You log in to the network's app on the phone and the app installs the eSIM. EE and giffgaff work this way.

As a QR code by email or in your online account. You scan it with the phone's camera, so you normally need a second screen to show the code. O2 suggests having your account open on a laptop or another device. Vodafone says that if you have no second device you can type the details in by hand from the email.

Straight onto the phone. Three says that on Apple and Google Pixel 11 devices there is no QR code: you switch the phone on, connect to WiFi and follow the steps on screen. Phones bought on a pay monthly plan from EE, O2 and Vodafone are also described as picking up their eSIM during setup.

As a printed QR code, on a card that is posted to you or handed over in a shop. This is the slow route, and the one people do not expect.

EE, O2, Vodafone and Three

EE lists three routes. An eSIM can be pre-installed on a new pay monthly device. If you order one with a SIM only plan, EE says you can download it straight away through the EE app. And EE can send a 'QR pack' through the post. Its eSIM page does not mention Pay As You Go, so that is not confirmed.

O2 says that if you order a Pay Monthly SIM only plan and choose eSIM, it puts a QR code in your My O2 account, where you sign in and choose 'Install a SIM'. It says most activations complete within a few minutes, although some can take up to 24 hours. For Pay As You Go, O2's page says you can order an eSIM online or pick one up from any O2 store. It does not say how an online Pay As You Go order reaches you, so instant delivery is not confirmed.

Vodafone says all its SIM only plans are available as an eSIM, both Pay monthly and Pay as you go Plus, and describes an eSIM as available instantly when you choose a plan. It emails you a QR code.

Three offers eSIM on its Three Your Way plans and says eSIM is the default SIM type for new customers. On Android phones without what Three calls seamless activation, you scan a QR code that Three emails to you and then enter a confirmation code sent in a separate email. Pay As You Go is not mentioned, so that is not confirmed.

giffgaff, SMARTY, VOXI and iD Mobile

giffgaff does everything through its app. New members download the app, create an account and activate the eSIM there. giffgaff says that for new members activation should happen as soon as the eSIM is installed.

SMARTY emails a QR code and sends a 4 digit confirmation code in a separate email. It says new customers can get an eSIM straight away, and that activation can take up to 2 hours but is usually quicker. SMARTY says its eSIM does not support Apple Watch at the moment.

VOXI asks you to choose eSIM at checkout and then emails a QR code. It says you can be on its network in as little as 10 minutes, that an eSIM typically activates instantly, and that in some instances you may need to wait up to 24 hours.

iD Mobile also emails a QR code once your order is confirmed. It says the download might take approximately an hour. iD says its eSIMs are for phones only and do not currently work with tablets and wearables.

Tesco Mobile and Lebara: the exceptions

Tesco Mobile describes two methods: a QR code and a 'digital download'. It says digital download is currently available with Pay Monthly deals only, for new or upgrading customers buying an eSIM-only phone. Otherwise its page says that if you need an eSIM you can get in touch or go to a Tesco Mobile phone shop, and it refers to a physical eSIM pack.

Replacements are slower still. Tesco Mobile says a replacement eSIM is sent by Royal Mail tracked delivery and should arrive within 3 to 5 working days. So on Tesco Mobile an eSIM can still mean waiting for the post.

Lebara says its eSIM is being rolled out in phases. At the time of reading it was offered only to people buying a plan on an iPhone Air through Lebara's website, and Lebara says it is unavailable on other devices. Where it is offered, Lebara says the eSIM should activate instantly once you have scanned the QR code and entered the confirmation code.

Already a customer? Swapping your plastic SIM

If you are already a customer, the route is different again. O2 says some devices have a 'Convert to eSIM' option in their settings and that otherwise you need to contact it or visit a store, taking photo ID. Vodafone points customers to My Vodafone, or to the convert option on a recent iPhone. VOXI uses My Account, then Settings, then eSIM. SMARTY asks you to select 'replacement SIM' and choose eSIM. Three says customers on its Three Your Way plans can order an eSIM in the Three app or online account.

giffgaff members use the app: Account, SIM, Replace my SIM, then Switch to a new eSIM. giffgaff says switching is available from 4:30am to 9:30pm, usually takes less than an hour and can take up to 24 hours at busy times.

If you need to be connected today

Choose a provider whose own page promises app or email delivery for the kind of plan you want. A new SIM only plan is the well documented case. Pay As You Go is where the pages go quiet.

Check the phone first. Vodafone, O2 and iD Mobile all give the same test: dial *#06# and look for an EID number. Vodafone adds that the phone must be unlocked from its previous network.

If you are keeping your number, get the eSIM working first and move the number second. giffgaff says you can bring your number over once you have an eSIM, and iD Mobile says you use a PAC as usual. Text PAC to 65075 from the old SIM to get the code.

Do not delete an eSIM that is slow to connect. iD Mobile and Tesco Mobile both say deleting it does not cancel your plan, and you will then need a replacement. EE says its QR code can only be used once. Give it the time the network quotes, and try restarting the phone, as giffgaff suggests.

Last, check coverage before you buy. An eSIM that arrives in two minutes is no use on a network that does not reach your home. Our coverage checker compares the four networks at your postcode.