How to install your eSIM, step by step
You can install your Drift Asia eSIM two ways: tap the one-tap installation link we send by email (it opens your phone’s eSIM setup screen directly, no scanning), or scan the QR code. The link is the fastest route on both iPhone and most recent Android phones. Install over Wi-Fi before you leave: the plan does not start until its first data use on arrival, not when you install it.
One-tap install on iPhone
Open the confirmation email on the iPhone itself and tap the one-tap installation link. iOS opens the eSIM setup screen directly: confirm, label the line (for example “Drift Asia”), and you are done. There is nothing to scan and no code to type. Keep the eSIM’s data roaming ready to switch on when you arrive; that toggle is what carries data on a travel eSIM, and it adds no charge on a Drift plan.
The one-tap link only works when the email is opened on the phone that will hold the eSIM. If you are reading on a computer, use the QR code instead (below).
One-tap install on Android
On most Android 13 and newer phones, tapping the one-tap link opens the system eSIM installer the same way. Because Android skins differ by maker, the exact wording of the confirm screen varies, but the flow is the same: tap the link, confirm, name the line. If your phone is older or the link does not open the installer, fall back to the QR code: every device that supports eSIM can add one from a QR.
QR code: the universal fallback
The QR code in the same email works on any eSIM-capable phone, and it is the right choice whenever the one-tap link cannot run: you are reading the email on a computer, you are setting up a second device, or the link did not trigger the installer. Display the QR on another screen and scan it from Settings → add eSIM (iPhone) or Settings → Network → add eSIM (Android). If you cannot scan, the same screen lets you enter the details manually.
Whichever method you use, the result is identical: the same profile installs. For device-specific screens in your destination, open your country’s setup guide (for example /thailand-esim-setup-guide.html).
Install before you travel, activate on arrival
Install at home on Wi-Fi, days ahead if you like. Installing does not start the plan: a Drift eSIM begins counting from its first data use in the destination, not from installation. That is why the eSIM sits quiet until you land: which is normal, not a fault. When you arrive, switch data roaming on for the eSIM line and give the phone a minute to register. Across Asia, busy hubs like Bangkok or Singapore register in seconds, but stepping off a regional flight into a smaller airport, or onto a ferry between islands in the Philippines or Indonesia, the handshake can lag.
FAQ
Do I scan a QR code or tap a link to install?
Either. We email both a one-tap installation link and a QR code. The link is fastest on iPhone and recent Android; the QR is the universal fallback for older phones, second devices, or when you are reading on a computer.
Should I install the eSIM before or after I travel?
Before. Install at home on Wi-Fi. The plan does not start until its first data use on arrival, so installing early costs you nothing and saves hassle at the airport.
The one-tap link did not open the installer. What now?
Use the QR code from the same email. It works on any eSIM-capable phone. The one-tap link only runs when the email is opened on the phone that will hold the eSIM.
Can I install on a computer?
No: the eSIM has to install on the phone that will use it. Open the email on that phone, or display the QR on another screen and scan it from the phone’s eSIM settings.
Browse every setup and troubleshooting topic in the Drift Asia Help Center.