Install: How to install your eSIM

Install before you travel. Activate on arrival. That's the sequence.

After you buy, your eSIM appears in the app with an Activate button. Tap it, and you'll see two tabs depending on your phone:

iPhone: Direct activation and QR code

Android: Manual activation and QR code

Use whichever tab works for you. Direct activation (iPhone) and manual activation (Android) install the eSIM straight from the app - no scanning needed. The QR code tab is the fallback if direct/manual install doesn't work, or if you want to install on a different device.

To install:

Connect to Wi-Fi (home, airport, hotel, café - any stable connection).

Open the Nimbus app and tap your purchased plan.

Tap Activate and pick the tab that fits your phone.

Follow the prompts.

Label the eSIM something you'll recognize ("Japan trip" works).

Leave Data Roaming ON for the Nimbus line. This isn't roaming in the expensive sense - it's how your phone tells the eSIM to use the local network when you arrive.

Until you land, don't switch your data line over to Nimbus. Keep using your home network. The plan only starts counting once your phone connects to a network in your destination country.

Why install before you travel: airport Wi-Fi can be slow, hotel Wi-Fi can be patchy, and the moment you actually want connectivity is the moment everything feels harder. Installing at home, on your couch, takes the friction out. You can install after you arrive if you have stable Wi-Fi - but it's the harder path.

A backup worth knowing about: in the QR code tab, there's an option to email the QR code to yourself. We'd recommend tapping that as soon as you buy - even if you plan to install in advance. If anything goes wrong (phone reset, accidental delete, no app access on arrival), you've got the QR in your inbox as a fallback. Manual install with the SM-DP+ details from that email also works, in case you can't scan from a screen.

Important: Don't delete the eSIM after installing, before contacting us. Most Nimbus eSIMs are single-use - once removed, they can't be reinstalled, and we'll need to issue a fresh code.

One more thing before you install. The moment you install, the eSIM gets locked to that specific phone's hardware (the eUICC chip inside it). It can't be moved to another phone afterward. One eSIM per device. So if you're switching devices before your trip, install on the phone you'll actually travel with - not the one you have today.

Still stuck? Message us on WhatsApp at +1 310 303 4131. Real people answer.