Most Samsung Galaxy phones from the last several years can run a travel eSIM in Israel. Check that your phone is unlocked and has an "Add eSIM" option, install the profile on Wi-Fi before you fly, then switch on data roaming for the eSIM line only. That takes about five minutes, and you keep your home number for texts and bank codes.
This guide covers which Galaxy models qualify, the exact menu path, the settings that prevent surprise roaming bills, and what to expect when you land. We built our Israel eSIM for exactly this scenario, so we also explain where it fits.
TL;DR
- Galaxy S20 and newer, the Z Flip and Z Fold lines, and some A-series phones (such as the A55 and A56) support eSIM. Region and carrier lock can still block it.
- Open Settings > Connections > SIM manager. If you see "Add eSIM", you are set. If not, your phone is probably locked or a market variant without eSIM.
- Install the eSIM at home or in the airport on Wi-Fi. Do not wait until you land with no data connection.
- Keep your home SIM for calls and messages, make the travel eSIM your mobile data line, and turn data roaming off on the home line.
- Our Israel eSIM gives you 350GB of 5G data, a local +972 number, 3,000 call minutes and 1,500 SMS, delivered as a QR code.
Table of Contents
- Which Samsung phones can use an eSIM in Israel
- Why "Add eSIM" is sometimes missing
- Why a travel eSIM beats the alternatives on a Galaxy
- How to install an eSIM on a Samsung Galaxy, step by step
- The settings that protect your phone bill
- What to expect when you land at Ben Gurion
- Entry rules that affect your trip planning
- Our perspective: what Samsung travelers get wrong
- What our Israel eSIM includes
- A pre-flight checklist for Galaxy owners
- FAQ
- Sources
Which Samsung phones can use an eSIM in Israel
Samsung's own support page says eSIM support depends on the device, region and carrier. In practice the pattern is simple:
| Samsung family | eSIM support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S20 and later (S21, S22, S23, S24, S25) | Yes | The safe baseline for most travelers |
| Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold series | Yes | Foldables often pair one physical SIM with one eSIM |
| Galaxy A-series, such as A55 and A56 | Select models | Check your exact model |
| Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra | Depends on the variant | Verify in settings, do not assume |
| Phones bought in China, Hong Kong or Macao | Often no | Region variants may lack eSIM whatever the series |
Two cautions deserve a second look.
First, the model name is not the whole story. Samsung's regional pages note that eSIM availability can differ between markets, and MyLine's guide says phones sold in some Asian markets may lack the feature. If you bought your Galaxy abroad or secondhand, test it rather than trusting the spec sheet.
Second, tablets and watches are a separate question. This article is about Galaxy phones. If you plan to connect a Galaxy Tab or a watch, check that exact model with the provider before buying.
The two-minute test on your own phone
You do not need a spec sheet. Open Settings > Connections > SIM manager and look for Add eSIM (some firmware says "Add mobile plan"). Samsung's guidance and Israeli carrier device lists use this same check.
If the option is there, your phone can take a travel eSIM. If it is missing or greyed out, read the next section before you give up.
Why "Add eSIM" is sometimes missing
For American travelers, the most common cause is a carrier lock. Phones bought on a payment plan from a U.S. carrier are often locked to that carrier until the device is paid off and unlocked. A locked phone can be technically eSIM-capable and still reject a third-party eSIM profile.
What to do:
- Open your carrier's app or account page and look for the device unlock status.
- If the phone is locked, ask the carrier for the unlock requirements. Some need the device paid in full or a minimum time on the account.
- Do this weeks before departure, not the night before. Unlock requests can take days.
- Once unlocked, restart the phone and check SIM manager again.
If your phone is unlocked and still shows no option, it is likely a regional variant without eSIM hardware. In that case a travel eSIM is not an option for that handset, and a physical SIM or a different phone is the fallback.
Why a travel eSIM beats the alternatives on a Galaxy
Visitors to Israel generally have four choices: international roaming from the home carrier, a local carrier SIM or eSIM, an airport kiosk SIM, or a travel eSIM bought online.
Local Israeli carriers do offer eSIMs, but local carrier eSIMs typically involve a visit to a physical store, often with passport verification. A travel eSIM is bought and installed online, with no store visit and no document submission.
Kiosks and store counters mean a queue after a long flight, and a physical SIM means pulling out your home SIM. On a Galaxy, that tiny tray tool and your home SIM are exactly what you would be juggling while looking for your luggage.
Roaming from a U.S. plan can be convenient, but daily pass fees and fair-use limits add up on a longer trip. See our guide to Israel internet for American tourists for how the options compare for a U.S. traveler.
An eSIM sits alongside your home SIM. Your Galaxy uses both at once: the eSIM for data, the home SIM for your U.S. number. That dual-SIM behavior is the main reason eSIM suits a short trip.
How to install an eSIM on a Samsung Galaxy, step by step
Menu names shift slightly between One UI versions, but the path below matches current Samsung guidance.
Before you start
- Connect to reliable Wi-Fi. The profile has to download, and guidance from MyBestSim recommends installing at home or in an airport lounge rather than waiting until you arrive, when a missing data connection can leave the download stuck.
- Keep your QR code open on another screen, such as a laptop or tablet, or print it. You cannot scan a QR code displayed on the same phone's screen with the camera, although you can often save the image and use the gallery option on some firmware.
- Have your home SIM in the phone. You do not need to remove it.
The install
- Open Settings > Connections > SIM manager.
- Tap Add eSIM.
- Choose Scan QR code and point the camera at the code from your provider.
- Confirm the download and wait for the profile to finish installing.
- Give the line a clear name such as "Israel" so you can tell it apart from your home line.
If you prefer, our walkthrough on installing your eSIM 1 to 3 days before your flight explains the timing, and our page on Israel eSIM activation covers installing early and switching on at arrival.
The settings that protect your phone bill
This is where most surprise charges come from, and it is the part worth reading slowly.
In SIM manager, set the lines as follows:
| Setting | Choose |
|---|---|
| Calls | Your home SIM, if you want to keep receiving calls on your U.S. number |
| Text messages | Your home SIM, for verification codes sent to your U.S. number |
| Mobile data | The Israel eSIM |
Then open the settings for each line:
- On the travel eSIM, turn Data roaming on. The eSIM profile needs it to use the local network.
- On your home SIM, turn Data roaming off. MyLine advises disabling roaming on the home line explicitly, because selecting the eSIM for data alone is often not enough of a safeguard.
Do this before you land, not after. Your phone connects to a foreign network within minutes of leaving airplane mode, and the home line may try to roam if the setting is still on.
If you want to be extra careful, you can also switch off the home line entirely for the trip and turn it back on at home. You lose incoming calls and texts to your U.S. number while it is off, so that suits travelers who rely on Wi-Fi calling or messaging apps instead.
What to expect when you land at Ben Gurion
If the eSIM is installed and the lines are set, there is little left to do. Turn off airplane mode, wait for the network name to appear, and check that the data indicator shows the eSIM line. Open a map or messaging app to confirm.
If you do not get a signal in the first couple of minutes:
- Restart the phone once.
- Confirm the eSIM line is switched on in SIM manager.
- Confirm data roaming is on for the eSIM line.
- Check that mobile data is assigned to the eSIM, not the home SIM.
- Toggle airplane mode on and off.
For arrival specifics, see our page for eSIM at Ben Gurion Airport. If you are heading straight to the coast, the eSIM for Tel Aviv page covers what coverage looks like in the city.
Coverage outside the cities
Dense areas like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are rarely a problem. Rural routes are where network choice matters: eSIMingo notes that plans connecting to more than one major network tend to hold up better in places like the Golan Heights and the Negev. If your itinerary includes desert hikes or northern drives, ask any provider how its coverage works outside the cities before you buy.
Entry rules that affect your trip planning
Connectivity is the last item on a checklist that starts with entry. Since 1 January 2025, visa-exempt visitors, including Americans, need an approved ETA-IL before boarding. According to eSIMingo, it costs 25 ILS, is valid for two years and covers stays of up to 90 days. Apply through the official channel well before your flight, and check the current rules before you go, since entry requirements can change.
Our perspective: what Samsung travelers get wrong
We sell prepaid eSIMs for Israel and nothing else, so we see the same few mistakes again and again from Galaxy owners.
They test too late. The "Add eSIM" check takes ten seconds at home and saves a lot of stress at the airport. If it fails, you still have time to unlock the phone or choose another option.
They install on arrival. It works when you have Wi-Fi at the terminal, but it is a bad plan if the airport network is slow or the QR code is on the same phone you are trying to scan with. That is why we tell customers to install before the flight and switch on at landing.
They leave roaming on for the home SIM. The eSIM is not the problem. The home line quietly roaming in the background is. Take the extra minute to turn it off.
They buy for the gigabytes they think they need. Maps, ride apps, video calls and streaming eat data faster than most people estimate. Our plans are built around a large allowance, 350GB of 5G data, so a week of hotspotting a laptop or a family sharing one phone does not turn into a rationing exercise.
They forget about a local number. Taxi apps, delivery apps, restaurants and hotels in Israel often want to reach a local number. A +972 number on the same eSIM, with calls and SMS included, covers that. Our page on the Israel eSIM with a local +972 number goes into when it matters.
For more on this, see our list of eSIM mistakes tourists make in Israel.
— sabraconnect
What our Israel eSIM includes
Our plan for Galaxy owners is a prepaid eSIM, a one-time online purchase with no contract. It includes:
- 350GB of high-speed 5G data
- A local +972 number
- 3,000 call minutes and 1,500 SMS
- QR code activation, with no SIM swap on iPhone or Android
- Unlimited app browsing on select platforms
We offer a 14-day and a 30-day Traveler plan, so you can match the plan to the length of your trip. Check the plan page for current pricing, since we do not quote an amount here. If you want a broader overview of how these plans fit tourists, read our Israel tourist eSIM guide or our list of top eSIM features for Israel tourists.
A pre-flight checklist for Galaxy owners
Run through this a week before departure:
- Confirm your phone is carrier-unlocked.
- Confirm "Add eSIM" appears in SIM manager.
- Update your software so the menus and modem firmware are current.
- Buy your eSIM and keep the QR code somewhere you can reach offline, such as a screenshot on another device or a printout.
- Install on Wi-Fi at home.
- Set the eSIM as your mobile data line, with roaming on for it and off for your home SIM.
- Download offline maps as a backup.
- Confirm your ETA-IL is approved.
If you are comparing options for the trip as a whole, our guide on how to get internet in Israel as a tourist lays them out side by side.
FAQ
Can a Samsung take an eSIM?
Most recent Galaxy phones can, including the S20 series and later, the Z Flip and Z Fold lines, and select A-series models. Support depends on the market the phone was sold in and on carrier lock. The quickest test is to look for "Add eSIM" under Settings > Connections > SIM manager.
Do I need to remove my U.S. SIM to use an Israel eSIM?
No. The eSIM runs next to your physical SIM in dual-SIM mode. Set the eSIM for mobile data, keep the home SIM for calls and messages if you wish, and turn data roaming off on the home line.
Why does my Galaxy not show "Add eSIM"?
The usual causes are a carrier lock, common on phones bought through U.S. carriers, or a regional variant without eSIM hardware. Ask your carrier to unlock the phone, restart it, and check again. If it is still missing, the phone likely cannot take a travel eSIM.
When should I install the eSIM?
Install it before you fly, while you are on stable Wi-Fi. The profile has to download, and doing it at home means you can fix any problem calmly. Then switch the line on when you land.
Is a travel eSIM better than a local carrier eSIM?
For a short visit, usually yes. Local carrier eSIMs tend to involve a store visit and ID checks in Israel, while a travel eSIM is bought and installed online. Longer stays or residents who need ongoing service are a different case.
Sources
- Galaxy eSIM and supported network carriers, Samsung Israel
- Setting Up eSIM on Samsung Galaxy Phones, MyLine
- eSIM in Israel: ETA-IL Entry Rules and What the Networks Measure, eSIMingo
- Buying eSIM Online: Safe Guide for Travelers 2026, MyBestSim