iOS has arrived – here are the highlights for Travel eSIM

Apple’s hotly anticipated new iPhone operating system is here: iOS 26. While many of the updates focus on the beautiful new "Liquid Glass" design and intelligent enhancements, it’s the changes to Travel eSIM functionality that have caught our eye – spelling great things for anyone in the travel connectivity industry. And with Apple also launching the first globally available eSIM-only iPhone, the market is clearly shifting and demanding more digital, flexible connectivity.

Apple is renowned for amazing UX, and with this release its previously slower and clunkier travel eSIM install process is a thing of the past. iOS 26 introduces a far more streamlined, intuitive and user-friendly experience for travel eSIMs with fewer steps to configure the eSIM.

Plus, with eSIM Go’s custom eSIM branding feature, you’ll be able offer a branded install process, giving you a powerful opportunity to reinforce your brand identity, and your customers a truly seamless experience.

Previous versions of iOS had the install and activation process linked, which was brilliant when users were in the country they planned to use the eSIM but caused error messages for some users wanting to install a travel data plan before they left. iOS 26 separates this so a travel eSIM can be installed at home but the activation happens when they land in their destination. So no more slow installs with that seemingly endless ‘activating’ status being shown.

iOS 26 uses a clever combination of Calendar, Email and Siri to prompt users to switch on their travel eSIM plan 24 hours before departure, and then automatically prompts to switch back to the home plan when the user returns. This intelligent plan switching is a major step forward, removing the friction of manual configuration and ensuring a smooth transition between home and away.

The iOS 26 installation options for eSIMs are also expanded so, in addition to the standard QR code and direct install links, there’s a new carrier app installation path available. This option enables you to prepopulate the ‘Home’ or ‘Abroad’ and ‘Data Only’ or ‘Voice and Data’ fields for even easier installation. You can also send an ISO country code list to the device so that the iPhone knows which countries are relevant for the eSIM – making the new plan switching feature even more accurate.

Note, this feature requires special permission from Apple before use. While not directly linked to Apple Carrier Bundle, it is expected that Apple will likely only grant permission to those with Carrier Bundle permissions already.

For a more detailed breakdown of the technical aspects of these updates, be sure to check out our FAQ article here.

With iOS 26, travel eSIMs are easier to use than ever and with Apple's rapid adoption rates (over 80% of active iPhones update within 2 months), these new features will be available to a massive user base almost immediately able to take advantage of these new features. The barriers to eSIM technology are continuously decreasing, so there’s never been a better time for any business to expand its product portfolio and offer a superior digital experience to its customers.