giffgaff iPhone Duo, iPhone Air and China-mainland iPhones: eSIM or SIM card? (2026)

Which China-mainland iPhone do you have?

Apple lists five China-mainland iPhones that support mainland carrier eSIMs. iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max and iPhone 17e take either an eSIM or a nano-SIM. iPhone Duo and iPhone Air are eSIM-only.

Outside China the hardware story is the same for a giffgaff iPhone Duo: Apple's UK iPhone Duo has no SIM tray at all, so giffgaff runs on eSIM through the app. Whichever model you have, giffgaff needs the phone to be network unlocked for both the SIM card and eSIM.

Why a giffgaff eSIM won't install in mainland China

The first block is on the phone. Apple says an iPhone bought in mainland China can't install an eSIM from a non-mainland carrier while it is located in mainland China. Once you are outside mainland China it can activate a local carrier eSIM, as long as location services are on.

giffgaff adds two conditions of its own. The eSIM is activated in the giffgaff app only, with no QR code, SM-DP+ address or manual activation code. New members also have to buy a plan, because an eSIM can no longer be activated with pay as you go credit alone.

If you already have a giffgaff number on a SIM card, the switch to eSIM sends a one-time code by text to that number, and giffgaff's help pages say the switch is not possible while you are abroad. Put the two sets of rules together and the SIM card is the only giffgaff option while you are in China.

Phones with a SIM tray: activate the card before you fly

On iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, the iPhone 17 range and older dual-SIM China-mainland models, the SIM card is the simplest setup. Your Chinese SIM handles data and domestic calls, and giffgaff holds the UK number for calls and texts.

1. 1

   Insert the SIM

   Pop out the nano-SIM from the triple-cut card and put it in the tray. If the phone asks for a SIM PIN, giffgaff's is 5555.
2. 2

   Activate online

   Open giffgaff's activation page, enter the code printed on the SIM to create a new account, then pay for a plan or add credit. If you pay with a voucher, it must cover the plan you choose.
3. 3

   Give it time

   giffgaff says activation can take up to 24 hours, though it is usually much quicker. If there is still no signal, restart the phone.
4. 4

   Label the two lines

   Rename both lines in Mobile Data settings and set the Chinese SIM as the data line. In mainland China the giffgaff UK plan doesn't apply and calls, texts and data come out of credit, so leave data roaming off on the giffgaff line.

iPhone 17e has a single physical slot. If your Chinese number is also on a physical SIM, you'll swap the two cards rather than run them together.

iPhone Duo and Air: get the number first, switch to eSIM in the UK

These two China-mainland models have no SIM tray, so the giffgaff card won't fit, and the eSIM won't install while you are in China. The route that works is to get the number running in a spare phone first and move it onto the iPhone once you are in the UK.

1. 1

   Activate the SIM in a spare phone

   Use any unlocked phone with a SIM tray and activate the giffgaff card as above. This is the number to give your university, landlord or bank before you arrive.
2. 2

   Count your eSIMs before you leave

   A China-mainland iPhone can store and activate up to two eSIMs. If both are taken by Chinese eSIMs, one must go. Apple notes that a Chinese eSIM deleted abroad has to be reactivated at the carrier's store after you return.
3. 3

   Switch in the giffgaff app in the UK

   Turn on location services, join a stable Wi-Fi network, sign in to the giffgaff app and go to Account, SIM, Replace my SIM, Switch to a new eSIM. Switching runs from 4:30am to 9:30pm UK time.
4. 4

   Read the code on the spare phone

   giffgaff sends the one-time code to your current number, which is the SIM card in the spare phone. At busy times the switch can take up to 24 hours.
5. 5

   Check the result

   Once the eSIM is live, the SIM card in the spare phone stops working. Turn Wi-Fi off and receive a normal text and a call on the iPhone. When both work, the switch is done.

If you don't need a UK number before arrival, you can also open a new eSIM in the giffgaff app once you are in the UK, after buying a plan. That gives you a new number, so you can't hand it out before you travel.

Why buy the SIM from LarkSIM

For a China-mainland iPhone, the SIM card is the only way to start using giffgaff before you leave China. LarkSIM sells the UK giffgaff SIM from stock in China and dispatches within 24 hours of payment.

giffgaff Self-Setup SIM

$15, no voucher, setup guide included. It suits you if you already have an overseas card that giffgaff accepts, or a voucher of your own.

giffgaff Full-Service SIM

$43, with an official £10 giffgaff voucher for the first top-up and Chinese-language help with activation, top-ups and eSIM switching. Visa cards from Chinese banks often fail at giffgaff checkout, and this version takes that problem away.

You still register and activate the giffgaff account yourself. Whether a particular website delivers its verification code to the number is decided by that website.

Using it from China long term

To stay active, the number needs one qualifying use at least every 6 months: a call or text to another number, a mobile data session, or buying credit or a plan. Receiving texts alone doesn't count, and the same rule applies if you keep the number on eSIM.

giffgaff may review accounts that are used outside the UK for long periods. If you plan to stay in China, read what to do if giffgaff disables your account and set up backup sign-in methods for important accounts.

Decide by model

• check_circleiPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, the iPhone 17 range and other dual-SIM models: buy the SIM card, activate it before you fly, keep the Chinese SIM for data and giffgaff for the UK number.
• check_circleiPhone 17e: one tray, so swap the giffgaff card and a Chinese physical SIM as needed.
• check_circleiPhone Duo and Air: activate the card in a spare phone, then in the UK turn on location services and switch to eSIM in the app. A text and a call arriving on the iPhone mean you're done.
• check_circleIf the app asks for a code during the switch and the SIM card can't receive it, stop there. Don't delete any SIM or eSIM; contact giffgaff support instead.

Whichever China-mainland iPhone you own, the SIM card is how you get a giffgaff number before leaving China. LarkSIM ships from stock within 24 hours. Without an overseas card, pick the giffgaff Full-Service SIM with its £10 voucher; with one, the giffgaff Self-Setup SIM costs less.

Frequently asked questions

官方来源 / Official sources

• Switching to an eSIM with giffgaff · giffgaff
• What to do if you've lost your SIM or phone · giffgaff
• Activating your giffgaff SIM · giffgaff
• Using your mobile phone in the rest of the world · giffgaff
• Understanding why your number has been deactivated · giffgaff

相关文章 / Related guides