US carriers that support eSIM now include all three networks and the prepaid brands in the tables below. What differs is how you get the eSIM: an app, a QR code or a card in the post. This page quotes what each carrier’s own site said on October 8, 2026.
The three networks
| Carrier | How you get the eSIM | In its own words |
|---|---|---|
| Verizon | The My Verizon app, or the Add a Line page | “some devices will need a QR code. If so, you’ll get it during set-up.” |
| Verizon Prepaid | The My Verizon app | “You can only activate eSIM on your device while you are in the U.S.” |
| AT&T | Prompts on a phone bought from AT&T, or an activation card with a QR code | “You download an eSIM and activate it—there’s no need for a physical SIM card.” |
| AT&T Prepaid | Choose Digital eSIM at checkout, then follow the activation email | “eSIM QR codes, and newly purchased devices can take 2 - 3 business days to arrive.” |
| T-Mobile Prepaid | The T-Mobile Prepaid eSIM app | “It’s easy. Just download the T-Mobile Prepaid eSIM app to get started.” |
We could not read T-Mobile’s current page for its postpaid plans, so they are not in the table.
T-Mobile lists the phones its prepaid app works with: “Apple - iPhone XR and above; Samsung - Galaxy S Series and Note 20 and above; Google - Pixel 7 and above”.
Prepaid brands and MVNOs
| Brand | How you get the eSIM | In its own words |
|---|---|---|
| Cricket | A QR code when you move service to a new phone | “With eSIM, there’s no need for a physical SIM card.” |
| Metro by T-Mobile | Scan a QR code or enter an address by hand | “Like a SIM card, an eSIM provides your connection to the Metro by T-Mobile network.” |
| Visible | Not read | “Start your service with a SIM card or with eSIM” |
| US Mobile | A QR code | “Scan the eSIM QR code and activate instantly.” |
| Google Fi | Activation on the phone | “eSIM activation requires Android 11 and above.” |
| Boost Mobile | Activate after sign-up on a supported phone | “All U.S. models iPhone 12 and newer” |
| Straight Talk | Pick a plan and activate | “Once you know your phone is eSIM ready, just pick a plan and activate service.” |
| Total Wireless | Pick a plan and activate | “No store visit or shipping required” |
Mint Mobile supports eSIM too. Its help centre has articles on activating with eSIM on iPhone and on Android, but we could not open them to quote.
Smaller brands state eSIM support too, among them Tello, H2O Wireless, Red Pocket and Ting Mobile. Each brand’s page on our MVNO list says whether we could confirm it.
We could not confirm eSIM at Simple Mobile, Page Plus or Optimum Mobile.
Your phone has to be unlocked
An eSIM does not get round a carrier lock. The brands that say so are blunt. Straight Talk: “ensure your phone is unlocked and not tied to a previous carrier.” Google Fi: “If you bring your own device to Google Fi, it must be unlocked by your previous carrier.”
How to get a phone unlocked is in our unlocking guide.
What it costs
T-Mobile says of its prepaid eSIM app: “There are no fees to activate a device with an eSIM.” On the other pages above we found no eSIM fee stated either way, so ask at checkout.
Visiting the United States?
T-Mobile and AT&T both sell short eSIM passes for visitors. Prices and terms are on our prepaid SIM card for the USA page.
Next
Once you have picked a carrier, the steps are on our how to activate an eSIM page.