Verified coverageUnited States network
Access to top-tier carriers for a stable and fast connection
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A quick check to see if your phone supports eSIM.
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eSIM California
Our United States eSIM works in California: the same plans at the same prices as on the United States page. Data from the moment you land, and your usual number stays on.
California, United States eSIM plans and prices
4% in SimCoins- Networks
- T-Mobile and Verizon
- Mobile network
- 5G
- Hotspot / tethering
- Yes
- Top-up
- Yes
- Validity
- 30 days
Unlimited California, United States eSIM plans: high-speed data every day
- 14-day refund if not activated
- Support within 24 h
- Install before you leave
Need help choosing?
Not sure which plan to pick? Try our data calculator.
100% secure payment
Multiple payment methods accepted
Getting online in California
California is a US state: if your phone plan is American, it already works here and you don't need a travel eSIM. Visiting from abroad? California is covered by our United States eSIM. Install it at home and it connects when you land at LAX, then works along Highway 1 and in San Francisco. In the national parks, signal is often missing: download your maps before you go.
LAXLos Angeles International Airport
Westchester, Los Angeles
Your eSIM connects
As soon as your phone finds a local network. Set the eSIM as your data line and turn on data roaming for it.
Free airport Wi‑Fi
Free Wi‑Fi in the public areas of every terminal on _LAX Free WiFi: unlimited 45-minute sessions, each after a short ad. Source, Oct 2026
Local SIM cards
- Verizon Prepaid 15 GB, first month
- $45
- 15 GB of data with unlimited calls and texts for a month, taxes and fees extra; then $35 a month with Auto Pay Source, Oct 2026
A US prepaid line only works in your own phone if it is unlocked: T-Mobile Prepaid checks this by IMEI before you activate. Source, Oct 2026
With Simsima, no passport and nothing to pick up: the eSIM is already in your phone.
Your networks on the ground
The plans on this page connect to these networks in the United States.
Verizon5G
AT&T5G
T-Mobile5G
Unlimited plans run on T-Mobile and Verizon.
Signal notes
- Los Angeles
- AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon cover the underground stations and tunnels of the B and D lines. Source, Sep 2025
- Joshua Tree
- The park service says very few areas of the park have cell service and most don't; the towns around it do. Don't rely on your phone for navigation. Source, Jan 2025
- San Francisco
- 5G now reaches every Muni tunnel, including the underground stations of the Central Subway. Source, Oct 2026
- Yosemite
- AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon have 4G LTE mainly in eastern Yosemite Valley; Tuolumne Meadows has no AT&T and unreliable service from the others. The nearest reliable service is in Lee Vining. Source, Apr 2024
Along the way
The same plan follows you everywhere in the United States, day trips included.
- Los AngelesSignal notesUnion Station, Grand Park and Broadway; the B Line runs to Hollywood
- Santa Monica and VeniceThe pier and the Venice Beach boardwalk
- Joshua TreeSignal notesDesert park about 2½ hours' drive away
- Big Sur and Highway 1The coast road between Los Angeles and San Francisco, along the cliffs south of Monterey
- San FranciscoSignal notesUnion Square, Chinatown and North Beach; $9 a cable car ride
- YosemiteSignal notesCliffs, waterfalls and giant sequoias, a few hours' drive away
Apps worth installing before you go
- UberRides from the airport
- At LAX, UberX and Comfort pick up at LAX-it, served by a shuttle every 5 minutes or so; Uber Black picks up at the terminal. Source, Oct 2026
- TAPMetro and bus fares
- $1.75 a ride, capped at $5 a day and $18 a week when you tap. Contactless cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay work at the gates and on buses. Source, Oct 2026
- ClipperBay Area transit card
- Works on 24 transit systems; add it to Apple Wallet or Google Pay, or tap a contactless bank card instead. Source, Oct 2026
- NPS AppNational park maps offline
- The National Park Service's free app: download a whole park before you go, with maps of roads and trails, and use it where there's no signal. Source, May 2026
- WhatsAppMessages and calls
- Runs over the eSIM's data and stays on your usual number, which remains active alongside it.
eSIM, SIM card or pocket WiFi in California?
Four ways to get online when you land, and what changes for you.
For a trip in California, an eSIM is the simplest
Installed at home, online as soon as you land, and your number stays active. No counter, no device to return.
| Simsima.Travel eSIM | Local SIM card | Pocket WiFi | Your carrier's roaming | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Where to get it | Online, before you fly | On arrival, at an airport counter or store | Rental: a device to pick up, then return | Already in your usual plan |
| When you're online | As soon as you land, installed at home | After buying it locally | After picking up the device | As soon as you land |
| Your number | Stays active on your usual line | Replaced by a local number, your SIM comes out | Stays on your phone | Stays active |
| ID required | None | Depends on the carrier | Depends on the rental company | None |
| Devices | Your phone, hotspot allowed | One unlocked phone | Several devices, battery to charge | Your phone |
| Price | From $1.50 | ≈ $45.00 for 15 GB, 30 days (Verizon) source | Daily rental | Depends on your carrier |
Prices checked on 2026-10-10 on carrier and rental websites, converted at the day's rate. They may have changed since.
How to install your California eSIM
Install it before you leave: it takes two minutes. These are the real screens of your phone, step by step.
Before you leave: install your eSIMStep 1 of 11
- Open Settings, then Cellular.
- Tap “Add eSIM”.
- Tap “Scan QR Code” and scan the QR code we email you after purchase (it's also in your account).
- “Activate eSIM” opens: tap Continue.
- Choose Abroad, then tap Continue.
- Choose Data Only, then tap Continue. The eSIM is for data; your usual number keeps calls and texts.
- Tap Done. Your iPhone will remind you to turn on the eSIM once you're abroad.
- When you land, your iPhone may show “Turn On Travel eSIM”: tap the notification.
- Choose “Travel eSIM and Current eSIM”, then Continue. You keep your number for calls and texts (bank codes included); your carrier may charge for calls you receive.
- Low Data Mode saves your plan: tap “Turn On Low Data Mode”, or “Not Now”.
- You're set: Cellular Data shows the new eSIM.
After you buy, your QR code arrives by email and in your account. Show it on another screen, then follow these steps on your phone.
Before you leave: install your eSIMStep 1 of 8
- Open Settings, then Connections.
- Tap “SIM manager”.
- Tap “Add eSIM”.
- Choose “Scan QR code”.
- Scan the QR code we email you after purchase (it's also in your account), then tap Add.
- When you land, turn on your new eSIM in SIM manager. It shows the name of a local or partner carrier.
- Choose the new eSIM for mobile data.
- In Connections, Mobile networks, turn on data roaming.
After you buy, your QR code arrives by email and in your account. Show it on another screen, then follow these steps on your phone.
Before you leave: install your eSIMStep 1 of 7
- Open Settings, then Network & internet.
- Tap “SIMs” (Add a network).
- Tap “Set up an eSIM”.
- Scan the QR code we email you after purchase (it's also in your account), then confirm.
- When you land, open your new eSIM (it shows the name of a local or partner carrier) and turn on “Use this SIM”.
- Turn on mobile data for the new eSIM.
- Turn on roaming. If nothing loads, turn off automatic network selection and pick the network manually.
After you buy, your QR code arrives by email and in your account. Show it on another screen, then follow these steps on your phone.
Before you leave: install your eSIMStep 1 of 8
- Open Settings, then Mobile networks or Network & internet.
- Tap “Mobile network”.
- Tap “Add SIM”.
- Tap “Set up an eSIM”.
- Scan the QR code we email you after purchase (it's also in your account), then confirm.
- When you land, open your new eSIM (it shows the name of a local or partner carrier) and turn on “Use SIM”.
- Turn on mobile data for the new eSIM.
- Turn on roaming. If nothing loads, turn off automatic network selection and pick the network manually.
After you buy, your QR code arrives by email and in your account. Show it on another screen, then follow these steps on your phone. On Xiaomi, Oppo or OnePlus the menus have other names: search for “eSIM” in Settings.
Frequently asked questions
What travelers ask before a trip to California.
