What Is an EID Number on a Phone?

People usually meet the EID number in one of two situations: a provider asks for it before sending a profile, or they are trying to work out whether a phone supports eSIM at all. Both are the same question underneath, because an EID only exists where an eSIM chip exists.

EID stands for eUICC Identifier, where eUICC means embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card. In plain words: the chip that holds eSIM profiles, built into the phone at the factory.

What it is and what it is not

• It identifies the chip. One physical component inside one device. Thirty two digits, assigned when the chip was manufactured.
• It is permanent. Installing a travel plan, deleting it, installing four more: the EID is the same throughout. It outlives every profile.
• It is not a plan identifier. That is the ICCID, and you get a new one with every profile.
• It is not the IMEI. IMEI identifies the handset for the mobile network. EID identifies the eSIM chip for profile delivery. Both are permanent, and they sit next to each other on the same screen.
• It is not a phone number. Nobody can call it, and it tells no one who you are by itself.

Where to find the EID

• The fastest way. Open the dialler and enter the service information code: star, hash, zero, six, hash. The screen appears immediately and shows the IMEI, with the EID below it on phones that have an eSIM chip.
• iPhone. Settings, then General, then About, and scroll. The EID sits near the IMEI.
• Android. Settings, then About phone. Some skins place it under Status or under SIM status instead.
• On the box. Printed on the packaging and sometimes on the SIM tray of newer phones.

If none of these shows an EID, that is your answer: the phone has no eSIM chip, and nothing in software will create one. The service information screen is worth trusting over any compatibility list, because manufacturers ship the same model in several regional versions and some of those versions ship without the chip.

• Compatibility lists describe a model. The EID describes the phone in your hand. Only one of those is yours.

Why a provider asks for it

Most consumer eSIM purchases never need it, because a QR code carries everything the phone needs. The EID comes up when the profile is pushed to your device instead of pulled by you.

• Carrier provisioning. A home operator moving your line to eSIM sends the profile straight to a specific chip, and the EID says which chip.
• Business and bulk deployments. A company giving out fifty phones assigns profiles by EID rather than mailing fifty QR codes.
• Device registration programmes. Some enterprise and MDM flows record it as part of the device inventory.

For a travel eSIM bought with a QR code, you normally never type it in. If a travel provider asks for your EID before selling you a plan, it is fair to ask why, because for that flow it is not needed.

The privacy part, said straight

We sell a no KYC product, so it would be easy to be vague here. We would rather be exact.

The EID is a permanent hardware identifier. When your phone downloads a profile, the server delivering it sees the EID, because that is how delivery works. So a provider that pushed you a profile can, in principle, recognise the same chip again later.

This is not unique to eSIM and it is not the biggest signal your phone emits. The handset gives the network its IMEI every time it connects, along with its location, with or without any SIM. Not handing over your name at purchase is a real thing, and it is a different thing from being invisible to a network. We say this on every page where the question comes up.

EID, ICCID, IMEI in one pass

EID. The eSIM chip. Permanent. Used to deliver profiles to the device.

ICCID. The installed profile. New one per plan. Used by support to find your plan.

IMEI. The handset. Permanent. Used by networks, and by stolen device blocklists.

Asked for one and not sure which you are looking at: EID is 32 digits, IMEI is 15, ICCID is 19 or 20 and starts with 89.

→ Checking whether your phone can take a travel plan? Read the 30 second eSIM compatibility check

Where Cypher eSIM fits

We never ask for your EID, because our plans install from a QR code that appears on the page after payment. There is no account, no email and no documents involved, and nothing to register a device against. Data plans cover 180+ countries from about $1.20 depending on destination at the time of writing, plans with a real mobile number start at $14.84, the Europe plans are $37.38 for 20GB over 30 days with calls and 200 texts, and Global Lite is $56.07 across 66 countries. Payment is crypto only: USDT on TRC-20, BEP-20, Arbitrum and Solana, plus BTC, ETH, SOL, USDC, DAI, XMR and TON. No Lightning.

Worth repeating from above: an eSIM profile with no name attached still runs on a handset that identifies itself to the network. If a phone with no EID is what you have, no plan from us or anyone else will install on it, and checking takes ten seconds.

FAQ

What is an EID number on a phone?

It is the 32 digit serial number of the embedded eSIM chip inside the device, where EID stands for eUICC Identifier. It identifies the hardware rather than any plan, and it never changes no matter how many eSIM profiles you install or delete.

How do I find my EID?

Open the dialler and enter the service information code with star, hash and the digits zero and six. The screen shows the IMEI, with the EID below it on phones that have an eSIM chip. You can also look in Settings, General, About on iPhone, or Settings, About phone on Android.

My phone does not show an EID. What does that mean?

It has no eSIM chip, and no software update or setting will add one. This is the most reliable compatibility check there is, because manufacturers ship the same model in different regional versions and some of them have no eSIM hardware.

What is the difference between EID and ICCID?

The EID identifies the chip and is permanent. The ICCID identifies one installed profile and changes with every plan. A phone has exactly one EID and as many ICCIDs as it has profiles installed.

Is it safe to share my EID?

Give it to a carrier that is provisioning a profile to your device, which is the only common reason anyone needs it. It is a permanent device identifier, so treat it like your IMEI: not a secret, not something to post publicly either.

Does Cypher eSIM need my EID?

No. Our plans install from a QR code shown on the page after payment, with no account, no email and no documents. If a travel eSIM provider asks for an EID before selling you a plan, it is reasonable to ask what they need it for.