Despite the restrictions that Huawei has suffered for reasons outside the company, it has continued to remain at the forefront, with mobile phones such as the Huawei P40 and P40 Pro. Among other outstanding features, these phones already have a built-in eSIM card and compete with Samsung and Apple’s high-end smartphones.
In other posts we have already shown how to activate an eSIM in Samsung Galaxy and an eSIM in iPhone. This time the turn is for those who count or are planning to acquire an eSIM compatible Huawei P40 device.
Before you start esim on your Huawei
An eSIM is indispensable: travellers can purchase an eSIM online for their preferred destinations.
To have a device released and compatible with the operator of the destination country.
Have an Internet connection via mobile data or Wifi.
Activate eSIM as the main line on your Huawei P40
Huawei as well as Samsung and Apple maintains a similar way of activating an eSIM. The difference is that there are some dual SIM mobiles and in these only 2 cards can be active, that is, if the P40 is dual SIM with physical cards, only the eSIM card or SIM 2 will be allowed to be used, since the physical SIM 2 will be disabled if we activate an virtual card.
How to activate eSIM in Huawei P40 by QR code
Time needed: 10 minutes.
Here are the steps to follow to configure an eSIM card in a Huawei P40 using a QR code
- Go to SIM manager on your Huawei mobile
There are two options, you can go to: Settings >Mobile networks > SIM management. The other option is to go to Settings and in the browser type “sim management “esim huawei
- Press on SIM 2
Here you will see the SIM and eSIM cards you have added.
esim huawei - Select in Add eSIM
In this step, you must first select on eSIM and removable SIM card so that the eSIMs you have added are refreshed.
add esim huawei - Press Add plan using QR code
Your Huawei’s camera will be activated
- Read the QR code
Focus it with your camera
- Add it to
Your phone will find it, agree to add eSIM card to start the download and installation
- Activation of your virtual card
It is activated by default. You can disable it from Mobile networks > SIM management > SIM 2
- Verification
Your new eSIM will appear as SIM 2 on your Huawei phone.
Other alternatives to activate an eSIM card on a Huawei P40
There are two alternatives with which you can also activate an eSIM card in your P40 device. The first one, by reading an image of a QR code from the gallery. The second, through an activation code from your virtual card provided by the operator
In the first option, follow the steps already described up to the point of Adding eSIMor virtual card and now click on the option Select from Gallery, search and select the image with the QR code. The phone will immediately recognise the QR so you can download the eSIM profile.
The steps for the second alternative to activate the virtual card on Huawei are similar: go to Add eSIM and then press the Manually enter option and add the activation code provided by the operator.
Which operators in the world support eSIM on the Huawei P40?
After the launch of eSIM, several mobile phone manufacturers have started to develop devices that include this technology. However, it is the operator who decides how the virtual card will work.
In the following table you will find a list of countries and operators that support activating an eSIM card in a Huawei P40 phone as a main line. If you want to see a list that includes other devices, you can do it in mobile phones that use eSIM.
| Lista de países | Huawei P40 | Huawei P40 Pro |
| Italy | WINDTRE | WINDTRE |
| Poland | Orange | Orange |
| Norway | Telenor, Telia | Telenor, Telia |
| Mexico | AT&T, Movistar | AT&T, Movistar |
| Ukraine | lifecell | lifecell |
| Estonia | Telia | Telia |
| Cambodia | Cellcard | Cellcard |
| New Zeland | Spark | Spark |
| Colombia | Movistar | Movistar |
| Sweden | Tele2, Telenor, Telia, 3 | Tele2, Telenor, Telia, 3 |
| Rusia | Tele2 | Tele2 |
To be noted!
– If you are buying a new phone and have a decisive factor in activating an eSIM card in it, make sure your operator supports it on Huawei devices.
– If your operator requires the eSIM ID, you can find it at the following location: Settings > About Phone > Show EID
-To enable or disable an eSIM go to Settings > SIM Management > SIM 2, select the eSIM and enable or disable it. If you want to enable the physical SIM, press on Removable SIM Card.
FAQs when configuring eSIM on Huawei P40
No. The iPhone is supported by most operators, this does not mean that your Huawei P40 will work. You need to check with your operator to make sure it is supported.
It is likely that after an upgrade you will be enabled to support eSIM in your operator, as the Huawei P40 hardware has this technology built in.
No. To terminate your eSIM service you must contact your operator.
No. You can only use two SIMs at a time. If you add an eSIM, it will be activated in slot 2 and the physical SIM you have added to it will be disabled.
Neither the Huawei P30 nor the Huawei P40 Pro+ support eSIM card.