Vodafone Idea has finally announced eSIM availability for its postpaid customers in India. The company has announced that those using a compatible device can apply for an eSIM for their primary number through a simple process. The compatible devices include Apple iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone SE, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR. Vodafone has also announced that the service will soon be extended to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Fold as well.
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As of now, the eSIM service is being offered in select circles including Delhi, Mumbai and Gujarat. For the uninitiated, eSIM users don’t need a physical SIM card to use their phone. The compatible smartphones come with an integrated SIM chip, which is compliant with all support carriers. Here’s how you can avail Vodafone’s eSIM service.
Vodafone eSIM service in India: how to enable it
Vodafone starts offering eSIM in Delhi, Mumbai and Gujarat
As mentioned earlier, you need to have a smartphone that supports eSIM as without the integrated eSIM chip, it wouldn’t work. If you own a compatible device, the first step is to register your email with your mobile number. To do this, users need to send an SMS “email <space>email id” to 199 without the quotes. This will register your email id with the mobile number, and once done, users need to send another SMS to the same number.
The second SMS to be sent is “eSIM <space> email id” to 199. If the email id that you registered is valid, Vodafone will send an SMS from 199 and users will have to reply back with “ESIMY” to confirm the request. Once you give the confirmation, Vodafone will seek consent over a call and after that, it will send an email with a QR code to the registered email id.
Users will need to scan the QR code in order to activate the eSIM. Apple users can do so by going to Settings, Mobile Data, Add Data Plan and then scan the QR code by following the prompts on the screen. The QR code will only be valid for single use and the eSIM will be activated within 2 hours of scanning the code.
For new users, the process remains the same as getting a new SIM card. They will have to visit their nearest Vodafone Store with ID proof and a passport-sized photograph. It’s advised to carry the intended smartphone along to scan the QR code during the activation process at the store itself.