Tablets and laptops with mobile data built in — yes, and they install exactly like a phone. Smartwatches — almost never, because a watch eSIM is tied to your home operator rather than open to travel plans
Works
- iPad Pro, Air and Mini in the mobile-data version
- Android tablets sold with mobile data
- Windows laptops with built-in mobile broadband
- Some mobile hotspot devices
Does Not Work
- Wi-Fi-only tablets — no chip, no radio, nothing to install onto
- Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch and the rest — their eSIM only accepts a plan paired to your home number
- Most e-readers and gaming handhelds
Why a Watch Is Different
A cellular smartwatch does contain an eSIM chip, but it is not a general-purpose one. It is designed to mirror your existing phone number so the watch can take your calls, and that pairing is issued by your own operator. There is no menu on the watch for adding an unrelated data plan, so a travel eSIM has nowhere to go.
Take a travel eSIM for your phone instead and leave the watch paired to it over Bluetooth. The watch will use the phone's connection wherever the two are together, which on a trip is nearly always.
Installing on a Tablet or Laptop
The steps are the same as on a phone: connect to Wi-Fi, open the mobile data settings, add a plan, scan or paste the code from your eSIM. On a laptop the menu is usually under network or cellular settings rather than under a SIM heading.
Buy for the device you will actually use. An eSIM profile is installed onto one device and, on most phones and tablets, cannot be moved afterwards — see Can I Transfer My eSIM to Another Device?
