iPhone · 2017

Does the iPhone 8 have eSIM?

No · no eSIM

No, the iPhone 8 has no eSIM: it works with a physical SIM only, so a travel profile cannot be installed on it. For data abroad that leaves a local SIM or your carrier's roaming.

The iPhone SE (2016) from 2016 does not. The iPhone XS that follows in 2018 has it too. Its 2017 shelf-mates, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, carry the same answer.

eSIM arrived in the iPhone only in 2018, with the XS, XS Max and XR. Anything older works with a physical nano-SIM only.

Check your unit in a minute

Settings → General → About

Scroll down: an EID row means eSIM is supported. No EID row, no eSIM.

Settings beat any list: the same model ships with and without eSIM depending on the country.

Data abroad without eSIM

A local SIM card Sold at the airport or a carrier shop, usually against a passport. What each country requires is in the rules section. › Your carrier's roaming pass Costly but effortless: a day pass from your home carrier, switched on in the carrier app. › A second phone with eSIM The profile installs on any supported handset and shares data with the rest over a hotspot. ›

Other iPhone models

iPhone 8 Plus no eSIM › iPhone X no eSIM › iPhone SE (2016) no eSIM › iPhone 7 no eSIM › iPhone 7 Plus no eSIM › iPhone XS supports eSIM › iPhone XS Max supports eSIM › iPhone XR supports eSIM › All phones and eSIM Lists by maker and the check for any model. ›

Common questions

sim_card Can I install a travel eSIM on the iPhone 8?

No. A travel profile is an eSIM, and this model has no built-in eSIM chip. For data abroad, a local SIM at the airport or your carrier's roaming pass are the options.

layers How many eSIMs does the iPhone 8 store, and how many work at once?

None: the model has no built-in eSIM chip.

compare_arrows Is the iPhone 8 any different from the rest of the 2017 iPhone line?

Not on eSIM. iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X answer the same way in this catalogue. Where units differ is the market they were made for, and that is what Settings shows.