Setting up a travel eSIM is genuinely easy — the whole thing takes about two minutes. But the order of operations matters, and almost every "it didn't work" story comes down to doing it at the wrong time or skipping one toggle. Here's the version that works the first time.
Before you start: two checks
Your phone supports eSIM. Any iPhone XS (2018) or later, Pixel 3 or later, or Galaxy S20 FE or later will work. The one real trap is phones bought in mainland China — many have eSIM disabled in firmware regardless of model. If that's you, confirm in Settings before you travel, not at the gate. (Not sure? See our device checklist.)
You're on WiFi, at home, a day or two before you fly. This is the single most important thing in this guide. Install the eSIM before departure, on a stable connection. Do not wait until you land.
Step 1 — Buy and get your QR code
A Driftvoy Japan plan is delivered as a QR code in your confirmation email, usually within minutes. There's no app to download and no account to set up. The plan is data-only — no phone number, no voice, no SMS — so your regular SIM keeps handling your calls and texts as normal.
Open that email on a device you are not installing onto if you can (a laptop, or a partner's phone), so you can scan the QR with the travel phone. If the email is on the same phone, you can paste the activation details manually instead — the email includes that option.
Step 2 — Install the eSIM
On iPhone: Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM → Use QR Code. Scan the code. When it asks, label the line "Japan" so you can tell it apart from your home line.
On Android (Pixel): Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Add more → scan the QR. Other Android brands put it under Network or SIM settings, but the flow is the same.
Installing does not start your plan's clock in a way that wastes it — the data validity period begins when the eSIM first connects to a network in Japan, not when you install it at home. So installing early costs you nothing.
Step 3 — Set it as your data line (do this when you land)
Two small toggles make the difference between "it works" and "why am I offline":
- Turn off Data Roaming on your home line so it doesn't quietly rack up charges.
- Set the Japan eSIM as your Data line, and turn Data Roaming ON for that eSIM — for a travel eSIM, roaming on is normal and required; it's how the plan connects to the local carrier.
On iPhone: Settings → Cellular → Cellular Data → choose the Japan line. On Android: Settings → SIMs → pick the Japan eSIM for mobile data.
When you land, turn off airplane mode. The eSIM connects to a supported network (KDDI or SoftBank) automatically. No re-scan, no app, no waiting.
The one mistake that strands people
People uninstall the eSIM, or buy a fresh one each time, because they think a top-up needs a new QR code. With Driftvoy it doesn't — you add data to the same eSIM, up to ten times, with no reinstall. So don't delete it.
And top up before you hit zero. Once your data runs out you're offline, and you need a connection to add more. Refill at 15–20% remaining and you'll never get stuck.
Driftvoy is launching in September 2026 with full-speed Japan eSIM plans from $4.99. Join the waitlist for 10% off your first plan.