Mobile networks in Mexico

Which networks your eSIM uses in Mexico

Your eSIM connects to the three main mobile networks in Mexico: Telcel, AT&T and Movistar. Network choice is automatic, so the phone joins the strongest partner network where it is at the time. The eSIM cannot be locked to one carrier, which means you keep signal as you move between towns, coast and countryside.

The plan is a data only travel eSIM on a country plan. There is no local phone number. WhatsApp and app calls work over the data connection, so you can message and call home without a local SIM. Your own SIM stays in the phone for calls and bank texts, so keep it active for anything that needs your usual number.

Setup follows a short sequence:

1. Buy the plan and choose your size and length.
2. Receive the QR code by email, usually within minutes.
3. Install the eSIM on Wi-Fi before your flight.
4. Leave your own SIM in the phone for calls and bank texts.
5. Turn on data roaming for the eSIM line if data does not start.

The APN is set automatically on most phones. If data does not start after you land, switch on data roaming for the eSIM line and the connection should come up. Days start when the eSIM first connects in the country, not when you buy it, so installing early costs you nothing.

Coverage and 5G in Mexico

5G is the newest generation available on Mexico's mobile networks, and your eSIM can use it where the partner network offers it. Around 83 percent of people in Mexico use the internet, and mobile subscriptions reach about 116 per 100 people, so mobile data is the normal way people connect across the country.

The eSIM uses the strongest partner network where you are. Because the phone is not locked to one carrier, it can move between Telcel, AT&T and Movistar as conditions change. That matters on a trip that takes in a capital city, a beach town and a bus route in between.

Coverage figures describe the country as a whole and not one street or one hotel. Treat them as a guide to how connected Mexico is, not a promise about a specific address. Data is what the plan provides, and app calls and messaging over data work wherever the connection is good enough.

Will your phone work in Mexico

Your phone will work in Mexico on this eSIM if it supports eSIM and is carrier unlocked. Most recent iPhone, Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel models do. A carrier locked handset will not accept a travel eSIM, so check that before you buy.

To test, look in your phone settings for the option to add an eSIM. If the menu is there and the handset is unlocked, you can install a travel plan. If the option is missing or the phone is tied to a home network, use another device or ask your carrier about unlocking.

The eSIM is data only, so there is no local number and no local calls on it. Your own SIM stays in the phone for calls and bank texts, which is useful for one time passcodes from your bank while you travel. WhatsApp and app calls run over the travel data.

Payment is by Apple Pay, Google Pay or a card your bank confirms. Prices are in US dollars and shown before payment, with nothing added at checkout. Plan sizes include 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 and 20 GB, and lengths include 7, 15 and 30 days.

Setting up before you fly

Install the eSIM on Wi-Fi before your flight and the plan is ready when you land. The QR code arrives by email in minutes. Days start when the eSIM first connects in Mexico, so an early install does not use up your plan.

Keep your own SIM in the phone. Set the travel eSIM as the line for mobile data and leave your usual line for calls and texts. When you land, the phone should join a partner network automatically. If data does not start, turn on data roaming for the eSIM line.

The APN is set automatically on most phones, so most travellers do nothing beyond the install. If you need more data later, you can add it to the same eSIM online without a new QR code, which saves reinstalling while you are away.

Plans run from short trips to longer stays, with sizes from 1 GB to 20 GB and lengths of 7, 15 or 30 days. Choose by how much you expect to use maps, messages and app calls. Network details on this page were checked on 31 October 2026 against ITU data via the World Bank.