Lyca Mobile eSIM: How to Order, Activate or Convert

Is your phone eSIM-compatible? The 30-second check

The definitive test takes seconds: open your phone’s dialler and enter *#06#. If an EID — a long serial number shown alongside your IMEI — appears on screen, your phone has eSIM hardware. No EID almost always means no eSIM support.

Before you order, run through this short checklist:

• An EID appears when you dial *#06#. This works on iPhone and Android alike.
• Your phone is unlocked. A handset locked to another network can’t take a Lyca eSIM. If yours is locked, ask your current provider to unlock it — UK networks generally do this free of charge.
• It works on EE’s network. Lyca runs on EE via a BT Wholesale deal, and virtually any phone sold in the UK in recent years is fine — see what network Lyca is on for the coverage details.

As a rule of thumb, most iPhones released since around 2018, recent Samsung Galaxy models and Google Pixel phones include eSIM support — but support varies by exact model and region, so treat the *#06# test as the final word and check Lyca’s official eSIM page if you’re still unsure.

Ordering a Lyca eSIM as a new customer (with 50% off)

The referral deal — 50% off a SIM-only plan for the first 3 months — attaches to the plan, not the SIM format, so it works exactly the same whether you pick eSIM or plastic. Here’s the sequence that avoids the common mistakes:

1. Run the *#06# check above before you spend anything.
2. Open the referral link from our homepage. The discount applies automatically as you move through Lyca’s checkout — there is no code to type anywhere.
3. Pick your plan, then select eSIM as the SIM type when the checkout offers the choice.
4. Check the price at checkout. The referral landing page’s plan cards can show stale prices; the checkout figure is the one that counts, and it should show the halved intro price.
5. Use an email address you can open on a second device. The QR code arrives by email with your order confirmation, and scanning is far easier from another screen.
6. Don’t stack extra voucher codes. Lyca’s referral partner warns that adding other vouchers can reduce or void the referral reward — the 50% is already baked in.

One honest caveat: on some 24-month contracts Lyca’s own public intro offer runs half price for the first 6 months (checked 12 July 2026), which beats the referral’s 3 months on those specific plans. For PAYG and 1-month rolling plans, the referral link is the best deal going. Compare both at checkout before you pay.

Lyca’s PAYG eSIM range rotates often; on 12 July 2026 it listed the UK Plan Smart (5GB, £5 per 30 days), National Plus (30GB, £5 for the first month, then £10) and UK Plan Unlimited (£25, £12.50 for the first month).

For transparency: ordering through the referral link may earn this site a reward from Lyca’s programme, and it changes nothing about what you pay — the 50% discount is the same for anyone joining through a referral link.

Activating your eSIM on iPhone and Android

Before you scan anything: connect the phone to Wi-Fi, have the QR code ready on another screen or a printout, and note one restriction people miss — Lyca’s terms require the eSIM to be activated in the UK unless the T&Cs specifically state otherwise. Set it up at home, not from the departure lounge.

Activating on iPhone

1. Open Settings → Mobile Service (called Mobile Data on older iOS versions) and tap Add eSIM.
2. Choose the QR-code option and scan the code from Lyca’s email.
3. Follow the prompts and give the line a label such as “Lyca”.
4. If Lyca is your main SIM, set it as the default line for mobile data and calls in the same menu.

Activating on Android

Menu wording varies by manufacturer, but the standard flow is:

1. Open Settings → Network & internet → SIMs (on Samsung phones: Settings → Connections → SIM manager).
2. Tap Add eSIM (some phones say “Download a SIM instead”) and scan the QR code.
3. Once the profile downloads, enable the Lyca line and set it as your preferred SIM for data and calls if it’s your main number.

Restart the phone if signal bars don’t appear within a couple of minutes, then test a call and load a webpage over mobile data. Calls working but no internet is the classic APN symptom — fix it with our Lyca APN settings guide.

Already with Lyca? Swap your physical SIM to eSIM

Already a Lyca customer on a plastic SIM? You can convert to eSIM without changing your number or plan:

1. Log in to My Account on lycamobile.co.uk.
2. Find the Swap SIM option and request a swap from physical SIM to eSIM.
3. Lyca emails you a QR code — scan it using the iPhone or Android steps above.

Your number and plan stay attached to your account throughout — this is a SIM swap, not a new line. As with any SIM swap, expect the plastic SIM to stop working once the eSIM goes live, so pick a moment when a short service gap won’t matter, and finish the scan promptly once the QR email lands.

Keeping your number: PAC and eSIM in the right order

Bringing your number from another network? The order of operations matters — get it wrong and you can lose the number for good.

1. Get your PAC first. Text PAC to 65075 from your old SIM. It’s free on every UK network, the reply must arrive within a minute, and the code stays valid for 30 days.
2. Order and activate your Lyca eSIM through the referral link so the 50% discount attaches. You’ll be given a temporary Lyca number at first.
3. Hand Lyca the PAC via its Number Transfer Form (or by phone on 322). Lyca says transfers typically complete within 1–2 working days.

The full walkthrough — including what to do if you don’t want to keep your number — is in our guide to keeping your number when switching to Lyca.

Troubleshooting: QR won’t scan, no data, missing discount

The QR code won’t scan

• Display it on a second screen at full brightness, or print it — you can’t scan a code shown on the same phone you’re activating.
• Make sure the phone is online over Wi-Fi while it downloads the profile.
• If scanning keeps failing, look for your phone’s “enter details manually” option and type in the activation details from Lyca’s email, or ask Lyca support to reissue the code.
• eSIM QR codes are generally single-use — if the code was already scanned once (even on the wrong phone), you’ll need a fresh one from Lyca.

Activated, but no signal or no data

• Restart the phone, and check the Lyca line is switched on and set as the data SIM.
• Flick aeroplane mode on and off, and confirm mobile data is enabled for the Lyca line specifically — dual-SIM phones love defaulting to the other line.
• If calls work but data doesn’t, it’s almost certainly the APN — two minutes with our APN settings guide usually fixes it.

The 50% discount didn’t show

If the halved price never appeared at checkout, stop before paying and work through our referral link troubleshooting guide — cookies, ad-blockers and opening the link in the wrong browser are the usual culprits.

For anything else, Lyca’s support line is 322 (free from a Lyca number) or 020 7132 0322, open 7:00–23:00 Monday to Saturday — there’s no Sunday phone support, though the LIA chatbot runs 24/7.

eSIM or physical SIM: which should you pick?

If your phone passed the compatibility check, eSIM is usually the better pick — but not always. Here’s the honest breakdown:

The travel angle deserves a number: Lyca includes EU roaming in 30 European countries on all current plans with no daily charge, subject to fair-use data caps that range from 2.5GB on the smallest plans up to 35GB on Unlimited Plus (checked 12 July 2026). Pairing a Lyca eSIM with your existing SIM — or with a cheap local eSIM outside Europe — is exactly what dual-SIM phones are for.

Bottom line: compatible phone and you want it working today — take the eSIM. Older handset, or you juggle phones regularly — the plastic SIM still earns its keep, and the referral discount is identical either way.

Frequently asked questions

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