eSIM USA: Mobile Data for Your Trip to the States
An eSIM USA data plan from Anosim connects your phone to a local network once you are in the States, without buying a SIM card in a shop and without a contract. You install your USA eSIM at home, switch it on after arrival and keep your own SIM in the phone. Below you find the cities with listed coverage, what to check before you order and how to deal with apps that ask for a phone number. Other destinations are on the eSIM overview.
Ten US cities with listed coverage
The United States is a big country, so it helps to know exactly what is listed. Coverage for the eSIM is named for New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, and for other cities.
Whether you need an eSIM for New York for a long weekend or one plan for an itinerary through several of these cities, check your stops against this list before you buy. Depending on the network operator and the location, the eSIM uses 3G, 4G/LTE or 5G, and the operator's fair-use rule may limit the speed.
What the best eSIM for USA trips should do
Before you compare offers, go through four points. They decide whether an eSIM suits your trip far more than any label on a plan:
Fit your phone
The phone must support eSIM and must not have a SIM lock. Some iPhone models from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau have no eSIM at all.
Start on arrival, not at purchase
Validity begins with the first connection to a supported network in the USA. You can buy weeks ahead; activation has to happen within 180 days of purchase.
Leave your home number in place
A data eSIM runs next to your regular SIM, so your usual number stays reachable, for example on WhatsApp.
Match the cities on your route
Compare the places you will stay with the city list above.
Ordering a US eSIM from your Anosim balance
Choose the USA on the eSIM page, select a data plan, log in and pay from your Anosim balance, which you top up with cryptocurrency or by bank transfer. Nobody asks for an ID. Because it is a prepaid eSIM for the USA, you sign no contract and pay no monthly fee.
Right after the purchase you receive a QR code, and the plan appears under My eSIM Plans in your account. Scan the code at home while your phone is on Wi-Fi, for example a day or two before the flight. The code works a single time, so keep the profile on the phone and do not scan it again. Then leave the eSIM switched off until you land.
Your first minutes in the United States
After landing, three settings bring your eSIM for the United States online:
Switch it on and use it for data
Turn the eSIM on, make it the line for mobile data and enable data roaming for it. A local network is usually found within one to two minutes.
No connection yet?
Restart the phone, put it into airplane mode for a moment and back, and set network selection to automatic. If that does not help, our support is there around the clock via Telegram, website chat and email.
Calls, hotspot and roaming in the USA
A USA travel eSIM from Anosim is about data: it has no phone number and no voice plan. Calls still work over data with apps such as WhatsApp, and so do messengers, maps, streaming and uploads.
If you travel from the EU, keep in mind that the USA is outside the EU roaming rules, so your home tariff does not bring its EU terms along. With the eSIM chosen as the data line, your home SIM is not used for mobile internet. Sharing data with a laptop or a travel companion via hotspot depends on the network operator.
US apps that ask for a phone number
Some apps and services confirm a new account by SMS, and a data eSIM cannot receive those messages. For that step, add a number from Anosim:
- Activation: one number for one code, such as a sign-up during the trip.
- Rent Service: a number reserved for one service that may ask you to verify again.
- Rent Number: a number for all services for as long as you rent it.
The eSIM keeps the data flowing, the number handles the code. If a number is virtual, it is labelled as such in the provider selection.
Frequently asked questions
Which places in the USA are covered?
Coverage is listed for New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington and other cities.
When should I install the eSIM for USA travel?
Before departure, at home on Wi-Fi. Switch it on after you land; the plan starts with the first connection to a network in the USA.
Can I receive SMS on the eSIM?
No, because it has no number. For SMS codes, use Activation, Rent Service or Rent Number.
Does the eSIM use 5G in the USA?
It uses 3G, 4G/LTE or 5G, depending on the network operator and the location.
How do I pay for the plan?
From your Anosim balance, which you top up with cryptocurrency or by bank transfer.
Can I keep using WhatsApp with my normal number?
Yes. Your regular SIM stays in the phone, so WhatsApp keeps your usual number while the eSIM supplies the data.
Is there a deadline for activation?
Yes. Activate the plan within 180 days of purchase.
Can I share data via hotspot?
Whether hotspot works depends on the network operator, not on your phone alone.