What is an eSIM, really?

Your phone already has the hardware, a small chip fitted at the factory. Adding a KnowRoaming eSIM writes a profile onto that chip, in about a minute, on Wi-Fi. Phones that support eSIM can hold more than one profile and run two lines at once, which is how a travel plan and your home number end up on the same phone, side by side.

You add the KnowRoaming eSIM, called KR.One, once, and then add a plan to it for each trip. It sits on your phone until you land, then carries your data while you're away. Keep it after the trip; next time, you add a new destination plan to the same eSIM in the app, with no QR code and no setup. One eSIM, every trip.

Two differences from a plastic card are worth knowing. An eSIM belongs to the phone it's added to; it can't be popped out and moved to another phone. And the whole add happens on the phone, in the app or from your phone's settings, with no kiosk and no post.

• 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.
• KnowRoaming 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.
• If it works today with a plastic SIM, it works the same way with an eSIM. The only thing you'll notice is that nothing needs swapping.