How to activate eSIM: Step-by-step guide for iPhone

September 13, 2024

If you purchased an iPhone 14 or newer model in the United States, your iPhone activates with an eSIM. 

Frequently Asked Questions ➔

How to Get a GCI eSIM

Residential customers

Online: Choose a GCI unlimited mobile plan and check out online. A GCI representative will contact you to complete your order and we’ll email you a GCI eSIM to activate your iPhone.

Contact Us: You can also call or visit a GCI store and we’ll take care of the rest. 

Business customers

You can call our support team and we’ll take care of the rest. 

How to Activate Your eSIM

  1. Connect your iPhone to WiFi, or another cellular-connected device’s hotspot.
  2. You will see a pop-up notification that says, "Finish Cellular Setup."
  3. Select the pop-up to begin the activation process.

If you did not receive a pop-up or accidentally dismissed the notification, follow the below steps to start the activation process.

1. Open Settings > Cellular to select "Set Up Cellular."

2. When prompted, select "Set Up eSIM" to install your GCI eSIM. It may take up to five minutes for the eSIM to install.

3. You will see a confirmation message when your eSIM is installed.

QR Code Activation

If your service is not yet working, follow these steps to manually activate your service using the emailed QR code.

1. Connect your iPhone to WiFi or another cellular connected device's hotspot.
2. Open the Camera app.