eSIM Quick Start Guide: How to Activate an eSIM

How to Buy an eSIM

First, select an eSIM data package for the country where you are traveling, or currently located. You can find our full selection of eSIM cards on the Cross mobile application.

After purchasing an eSIM, you will usually receive a QR Code via email and in-app within 5 minutes.

How to Activate an eSIM

Activation is simple. Follow the steps below:

1. On the device where you want to install the eSIM data plan, open the Camera app.

2. Point the camera at the QR Code. Tap on the notification that appears, which should say Cellular Plan Detected – Tap to preview this cellular plan.

3. On the following screen, follow the prompts to install the new Data Plan. Usually, the default options are okay to accept.

4. Once the new Data Plan has been added, make sure that Data Roaming is set to ON in your phone’s Settings, under Cellular Data > Your new eSIM plan. Note that your eSIM plan may be called “Secondary” or “Personal.”

Connecting to the Internet

After successfully activating your eSIM, your device will begin searching for a signal immediately. In most cases, a data connection will be established immediately, and you will see 4G/LTE/5G in the signal status. This means you are connected and ready to go!

In rare cases, it may take up to 15 minutes for a data connection to be established. Please be patient, as there are many data carriers and environmental factors that can affect the activation time.

If you are unable to connect to the internet after 15 minutes, please contact Cross support for further assistance.