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SIM and eSIM Setup

Your GrapheneOS device supports both physical SIM cards and eSIM profiles. Setting up cellular connectivity correctly ensures you can make calls, send messages, and use mobile data — while understanding exactly what information your SIM exposes and to whom. This guide covers both physical SIM and eSIM configuration, dual SIM operation, and the privacy considerations that come with carrier connectivity.

Why It Matters

A SIM card — physical or embedded — is your device's identity on the cellular network. It tells your carrier who you are, where you are, and when you are active. Unlike app-level tracking, SIM-based identification operates at the network infrastructure level. You cannot block it with a setting or an app. Understanding this is essential to making informed decisions about how you connect.

GrapheneOS does not change how cellular networks work. It cannot make your SIM invisible to your carrier. What it does offer is control over everything else: how apps access your network state, how your device identifies itself on Wi-Fi, and how you compartmentalise connectivity across profiles. Getting your SIM setup right is the first step in that chain.

Physical SIM Setup

Setting up a physical SIM on GrapheneOS is straightforward:

1. Power off your device or keep it powered on — Pixel phones support hot-swapping SIM cards.
2. Use the SIM eject tool (included in your device box) to open the SIM tray. On most Pixel devices, the tray is on the left side.
3. Place your nano-SIM card into the tray, contacts facing down, and slide it back in.
4. Your device will detect the carrier automatically. Within a few seconds, you should see your carrier name appear in the status bar.
5. If mobile data does not activate immediately, go to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs, select your SIM, and confirm that "Mobile data" is toggled on.

For most major carriers, no further configuration is needed. The device reads the SIM's carrier profile and configures itself. If you experience issues, see the APN configuration section below.

eSIM Setup

eSIM on GrapheneOS requires an additional step that stock Android does not: you must enable eSIM support before you can add an eSIM profile.

Step 1: Enable eSIM Support

1. Go to Settings > Network & internet.
2. Look for the "eSIM support" toggle and enable it.
3. This step is mandatory. Without it, the option to add an eSIM will not appear.

Important: eSIM management on GrapheneOS does NOT depend on Google Play Services. The eSIM stack is handled by the operating system directly. Adding, removing, or managing eSIM profiles does not share data with Google Play, even if sandboxed Google Play is installed in the same profile.

Step 2: Add an eSIM Profile

1. Go to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs.
2. Tap "Add SIM" (or the "+" icon).
3. Select "Download a SIM instead" for eSIM.
4. You have two options:
   • Scan QR code — Point your camera at the QR code provided by your eSIM carrier. This is the most common method.
   • Enter activation code manually — If your carrier provided an activation code string (typically starting with LPA:1$), select "Need help?" or "Enter code manually" and paste the full activation code.
5. Confirm the download. The eSIM profile will be downloaded and installed.
6. Once installed, the eSIM appears under Settings > Network & internet > SIMs alongside any physical SIM.

Step 3: Verify Activation

After adding the eSIM, check that your carrier name appears in the status bar. If data is not working, tap on the eSIM entry in SIM settings and confirm mobile data is enabled. Some carriers may require a reboot after initial eSIM activation.

Troubleshooting eSIM Issues

The most common issue is the "Checking network info..." screen that appears to hang during eSIM download. If this happens:

1. Toggle airplane mode on, wait five seconds, then toggle it off.
2. If that does not resolve it, reboot the device and retry the eSIM download.
3. Confirm that eSIM support is still enabled at Settings > Network & internet. In rare cases, a reboot can reset this toggle.
4. Try downloading the eSIM on a stable Wi-Fi connection rather than relying on another cellular connection.
5. If the problem persists, contact your eSIM provider to confirm the QR code or activation code has not already been consumed. Most eSIM activation codes are single-use.

Note on eSIM PIN: If your eSIM carrier supports or requires an eSIM PIN, keep the eSIM support toggle enabled at all times. Disabling eSIM support while an eSIM PIN is active can create complications when re-enabling.

Dual SIM Configuration

Pixel devices running GrapheneOS support dual SIM operation — one physical SIM and one eSIM active simultaneously. This is useful for separating personal and work numbers, using a local data SIM while travelling, or maintaining a data-only SIM alongside a voice SIM.

To configure dual SIM defaults:

1. Go to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs.
2. You will see both your physical SIM and eSIM listed.
3. Tap "SIM preferences" or scroll to the bottom of the SIMs page.
4. Set your default for:
   • Mobile data: Which SIM handles internet traffic.
   • Calls: Which SIM is used for outgoing calls.
   • SMS: Which SIM sends text messages.
5. You can change these defaults at any time, and you can override them per-call or per-message.

Both SIMs remain registered on the network simultaneously. This means both are visible to their respective carriers at all times, regardless of which one is set as the default for data.

APN Settings

Most carriers configure APN (Access Point Name) settings automatically when a SIM is detected. If your mobile data is not working after SIM insertion, you may need to configure APN settings manually.

1. Go to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > select your SIM.
2. Scroll down to "Access Point Names" and tap it.
3. Tap the "+" to add a new APN.
4. Enter the APN details provided by your carrier. The critical fields are typically: Name, APN, MMSC, MMS proxy, and MMS port. Your carrier's support page or customer service can provide these values.
5. Save the APN and select it as active.
6. Reboot if data still does not connect after saving.

This is most commonly needed with smaller carriers, MVNOs (mobile virtual network operators), or data-only SIM providers.

Privacy Considerations

A SIM card — physical or eSIM — inherently identifies you to the carrier network. This is worth understanding clearly:

• Your carrier knows your IMSI (subscriber identity), your device's IMEI (hardware identity), and your approximate location via cell tower triangulation at all times the SIM is active.
• This identification operates at the network level. No software on your device can prevent it.
• If you use two SIMs in the same device simultaneously, both carriers can observe that two subscriber identities are co-located on the same hardware.

For users seeking higher network-level privacy, consider a data-only eSIM combined with a VoIP service for calls and messaging. A data-only SIM from a privacy-respecting provider, paid for with minimal personal information, reduces — but does not eliminate — carrier-level identification. Voice calls and SMS over the cellular network are not end-to-end encrypted and are logged by carriers.

This is not a limitation of GrapheneOS. It is how cellular networks function globally. GrapheneOS protects everything above the network layer — app behaviour, data access, permissions, and local storage. The network layer requires separate, informed decisions about which SIM you use and how.

Best Practices

• Enable eSIM support before attempting to add any eSIM profile. This is the most common setup issue.
• Keep eSIM support enabled if you have an active eSIM, especially if an eSIM PIN is configured.
• For travel, consider a local data-only eSIM to avoid roaming charges and reduce reliance on your primary carrier abroad.
• If using dual SIM, be intentional about which SIM handles data versus voice. Route data through the SIM with the better privacy posture where possible.
• Remove or disable SIM profiles you no longer use. An inactive SIM profile sitting on your device is low risk, but unnecessary clutter is unnecessary clutter.

Common Mistakes

• Trying to add an eSIM without enabling eSIM support first, then assuming eSIM is broken.
• Believing eSIM management requires Google Play Services. It does not.
• Using two SIMs that are both registered to the same identity, expecting this to provide privacy benefits. It does not — it simply gives you two numbers.
• Forgetting to configure APN settings on an MVNO or data-only SIM, then assuming the SIM is faulty.
• Leaving both SIMs active when only one is needed, exposing two subscriber identities to carrier tracking simultaneously.

Reality Check

No SIM configuration — physical, eSIM, or dual — makes you invisible to the carrier network. Cellular connectivity is inherently identifying. GrapheneOS mitigates app-level and device-level tracking with strong defaults, but the carrier sees what the carrier sees. If network-level anonymity is a requirement, that demands decisions beyond SIM setup: dedicated devices, prepaid SIMs acquired without personal identification where legally available, and acceptance of significant usability tradeoffs.

For most users, the practical goal is control and awareness — knowing what your SIM reveals, to whom, and making deliberate choices about connectivity.

Conclusion

SIM and eSIM setup on GrapheneOS is functionally simple — insert a physical SIM or enable eSIM support and scan a QR code. The complexity lies in understanding what that connection exposes. Configure your SIMs deliberately, use dual SIM to separate contexts where useful, and recognise that carrier-level privacy is a separate problem from device-level privacy. GrapheneOS handles the latter. Your SIM choices handle the former.