Does your child's phone support eSIM? A quick check

Does your child's phone support eSIM? A 10-second check

November 4, 2026

4 min read

Graba SIM Team

A 10-second check that works on almost any phone

Children often get the family's older phones, and older phones are the ones most likely to miss out on eSIM. Before you buy a travel eSIM for every phone, take ten seconds to check each one. Here is how, plus what to do if a phone fails the test.

The short answer

Open the phone's keypad and dial *#06#. If a number called EID appears, the phone supports eSIM. It must also be unlocked, so it isn't tied to one network. If either check fails, that phone needs another plan, such as sharing data from a parent's phone.

Why This Matters

An eSIM that won't install is a frustrating way to start a holiday. Checking each phone at home, before you buy, means every eSIM you order will work on the phone it is meant for.

The *#06# check

Open the phone app, go to the keypad and dial *#06#. You don't need to press call on most phones. A screen appears with the phone's identity numbers. Look for EID. If you see it, the phone supports eSIM. If you only see IMEI numbers, it most likely doesn't.

Is the phone unlocked?

A locked phone only works with the network that sold it. Phones bought outright from a shop or the maker are usually unlocked. Phones from a contract may be locked until the contract ends. To check, look in Settings. On iPhone, go to Settings, General, About and look for "Network Provider Lock" or "Carrier Lock": it should say "No SIM restrictions". On Android, the wording varies, so the simplest test is to try a friend's SIM from another network. Your network can also unlock it for you.

Which phones usually work

Most iPhones from the XS onwards support eSIM, along with recent Samsung Galaxy, Google Pixel and many other Android phones. Some budget and older models don't. You can look up a model on our compatibility checker.

If a phone fails the check

You still have options. Every Graba SIM eSIM supports hotspot, so a parent's phone can share its data with a child's phone or tablet over Wi-Fi. Pick a plan with a bit more data for the sharing phone. Our hotspot guide for families explains how.

What the check tells you
You see	What it means	What to do
EID and unlocked	eSIM will work	Buy an eSIM for this phone
EID but locked	eSIM may not install	Ask the network to unlock it
No EID	No eSIM support	Share data from another phone

Check before you buy, not at the airport

An eSIM that has been installed can't be moved to a different phone. Check every phone first, then buy the right number of eSIMs.

A hand-me-down phone

A 12-year-old has her mum's old phone. The *#06# check shows no EID, so instead of buying a fourth eSIM, the family picks a bigger plan for Mum's phone and shares it with a hotspot.

Checking a phone for eSIM

1 Dial *#06#
2 See an EID?
3 Unlocked?
4 Ready for eSIM

Two quick checks decide whether a phone can take a travel eSIM.

What does *#06# show?

Can I use an eSIM on a child's tablet?

What if the phone is locked?

Final Thoughts

Ten seconds per phone saves a lot of stress later. Check every phone, unlock any that need it, and plan to share data for any phone that can't take an eSIM.

Read next: the family travel eSIM guide, sharing data with a hotspot, family eSIMs in one order.

Every phone checked? Get them online

Buy an eSIM for each phone that passed the check, in one order with every QR code labelled by name.

Build your family order