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Does the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 have eSIM?
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 was Samsung’s premier large-screen foldable for 2023. It features an updated hinge and a faster processor, both of which help make it a refinement over its predecessor. For people looking to get a large foldable, the Fold 5 is one of the obvious choices. If you’re about to pick up the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and are wondering about its eSIM compatibility, we have some good news. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 does support eSIMs, and here’s what you need to know about it.
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Yes, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 has eSIM support. This is in addition to two physical nano-SIM slots on the phone. You can have up to two active SIMs on this phone, either as nano-SIM plus nano-SIM, or nano-SIM plus eSIM. The Fold 5 cannot use more than one eSIM profile at a time.
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Does the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 support eSIM?
Yes, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 supports eSIMs, and it does so out of the box. The US variant of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 has a dual nano-SIM slot as well as support for eSIM.
If you want to use two lines on the Fold 5 in the USA, here are the combinations you can use:
- Nano-SIM plus nano-SIM
- Nano-SIM plus eSIM
Note that the Fold 5 cannot use more than one eSIM profile at a time, so dual-SIM capabilities are impossible with just eSIMs.
In the complete spec sheet, Samsung mentions eSIM support but notes as a disclaimer that the feature is dependent on the software version, region, and carrier. So, eSIM support may not be available for all carriers in all countries.
Your mileage in getting the eSIM activated on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 (or any other device, for that matter) may vary depending on your carrier. In the US, the three major carriers (Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T) support eSIM, though the activation process has some friction points.
How many eSIMs can the Galaxy Z Fold 5 have?
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 can store multiple eSIM profiles on it, but it can only connect to a maximum of one eSIM profile at any time. This restriction is in addition to the fact that the phone can only have two active connections simultaneously.
You can use the phone with just one eSIM profile and no physical nano-SIM in it. But if you want dual-SIM functionality, you need to add a physical nano-SIM. There is no way yet to enable dual-SIM functionality on this phone through eSIMs only.
How do you activate an eSIM on the Galaxy Z Fold 5?
Activating an eSIM is very easy on the Galaxy Z Fold 5. The carrier will likely have already linked the phone’s IMEI to an appropriate eSIM profile if you purchased the phone straight from it.
If you’ve purchased the phone unlocked or the IMEI is not already linked to an eSIM profile, you will need a QR code from your carrier to continue with the eSIM setup.
- Contact your carrier to receive a QR code for eSIM setup.
- Once you have your QR code, launch the Settings app on your phone.
- Navigate to Connections > SIM card manager > Add mobile plan > Add using QR code.
- At this stage, you will need to scan the QR code and follow further on-screen instructions to complete the activation process.
If you’re migrating your eSIM from an older phone, do remember to power off your older phone to receive cell network on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 using that eSIM. This is a small detail that many users overlook.
FAQs
Activating an eSIM on an unlocked device usually requires customer service assistance in generating a QR code. Sometimes, you can do this through the carrier’s website, but sometimes, you may need help from the support team. If you have the QR code or purchased a carrier-locked device, you can activate eSIM on your own.
Yes, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 supports eSIMs alongside the nano-SIM. You can have two active numbers on the same phone this way.
An EID is a serial number that identifies the eSIM device and is often needed for carrier eSIM activation. On the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, go to Settings > About phone > Status information > EID. Alternatively, you can type *#06# in the Phone dialer app.
Yes, you can activate an unlocked Galaxy Z Fold 5 on Verizon’s eSIM. You can also do it with T-Mobile and AT&T, as well as plenty of MVNO carriers in the USA.
It is not possible to migrate eSIM profiles from iPhones to Android directly. You must contact your carrier’s customer service to generate the migration QR code. It is expected that future Android versions will make eSIM migration easier. But for now, we do not have that feature.