Popcorn.Space eSIM guide: plans, setup and alternatives

Keeping a US number working abroad is the one thing Popcorn.Space sells: a monthly eSIM phone plan that works in more than 180 countries. Below: what the plan includes today, how activation works, how to install any eSIM on iPhone and Android, and how Popcorn compares with three travel eSIM sellers whose prices I could check on their own sites.

The guide is written for people who move between countries often: remote workers, founders with clients abroad and frequent travellers. I have worked from India, Malaysia and the UAE, so the examples lean towards those countries. Everything below comes from the providers’ own pages, checked on 11 November 2026. I have not been paid by any of them, and nothing here says I use one.

What Popcorn.Space is

Popcorn describes itself as a US carrier with “one global plan”. The help centre footer names the operator as Popcorn Labs, Inc. You get a US phone number on an eSIM, and the plan includes calls, texts and data at home in the US and abroad, without separate roaming charges.

Today Popcorn calls itself a “light MVNO”, meaning it resells access to other operators’ networks. In a May 2026 blog post it said its own mobile core network is running and being tested in parts of the US, and its FAQ said it expected to begin rolling that out starting autumn 2026. I could not confirm whether the rollout has started.

The plan also includes:

• A backup eSIM, described as a “free second eSIM for AT&T, Verizon and nearly all networks worldwide”.
• An in-app dialer for international calls when a local network has trouble completing a call.
• An optional AI Assistant that screens spam and handles calls.

Plans and pricing

Prices checked on 11 November 2026. The site shows prices with a dollar sign and describes Popcorn as a US carrier.

Item	What Popcorn’s pages say
Main line	$69 a month, including taxes
Extra phone lines	$69 a month each
Tablet (data line)	$39 a month
Included	Unlimited talk, text and data in 180+ countries, 5G where supported
Free trial	7 days; the dialer and notes are limited during the trial
Contract	None; cancel in the app and service ends at the close of the billing cycle
Pausing	Not supported; cancel instead
Phone number	A new US number is assigned, or you port in an existing US number

The limits behind “unlimited”

• Fair usage: Popcorn says that once usage goes beyond 50GB in a month, it may review it. Continued heavy use can lead to temporary limits, such as slower speeds, especially at peak times.
• Hotspot: allowed, but only for occasional or emergency use. It is not meant to replace home internet.
• Routing: Popcorn’s help centre says it uses a US-based eSIM, so your data may pass through the US before reaching you. That can add latency or reduce speed.
• Roaming: Popcorn relies on roaming partners abroad, so data roaming must be on for the Popcorn line.
• Your number after cancelling: the number is held for a limited time, then released. The same applies if you end a trial without subscribing.

Where it works

Popcorn says it is live in 180+ countries. Its country list includes India, the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia. The help centre also lists exceptions worth reading before you book:

• Service may not work in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, Iran, Iraq, New Caledonia and Cuba.
• Sri Lanka, Peru, Pakistan and Zambia have coverage but may be slower or less reliable.
• In Russia there is no connectivity for the first 24 hours after arrival.
• In China and Nigeria, eSIM activation is not supported, so activate before you arrive.
• Alaska is not supported, and numbers with the 907 area code cannot be ported in.

The help article does not mention a limit on how long you can stay abroad.

Which phones support eSIM

Popcorn’s rule is short: your phone must support eSIM and be from the last five years. It supports iPhone and Android; a help article dated 27 July 2026 confirms Android support and links to the app on Google Play.

Before buying any eSIM, check three things:

1. Your phone supports eSIM. Apple lists iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later. Apple notes that in mainland China only some recent models support eSIM. On Android, look for an eSIM option under the SIM settings, or check your manufacturer’s support page for your exact model.
2. Your phone is not locked to a carrier. On iPhone, go to Settings > General > About and look for “No SIM Restrictions” next to Carrier Lock. On Android, ask your carrier if you bought the phone through them.
3. You have Wi-Fi during setup. Apple says the iPhone needs Wi-Fi or a hotspot to set up an eSIM while travelling, with some exceptions for eSIM-only models.

How Popcorn activation works

Popcorn’s help centre describes the sign-up like this:

1. Sign up on the website or in the iPhone or Android app.
2. Create a profile with your name, email and a phone number used for verification and fraud prevention.
3. Verify your email.
4. Answer setup questions: whether you were referred, how much data you expect to use, which countries you will use Popcorn in, and your address details.
5. Review and finish.

Popcorn onboards new users gradually, so you may land on a waitlist; it says it adds users every week. The homepage then describes three steps: sign up, install the eSIM, and go online, in about five minutes. You keep the assigned US number, or port in your existing US number from the app.

After installing, Popcorn asks for two settings:

• Use Popcorn for mobile data. iPhone: Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data. Android: Settings > Network and Internet > SIMs > Mobile data.
• Make Popcorn the default voice line. iPhone: Settings > Cellular > Default Voice Line. Android: Settings > Network and Internet > SIMs > Calls.

Then turn on Data Roaming for the Popcorn line. The eSIM may appear under a different name, so check the phone number to identify it.

How to set up an eSIM on iPhone

These steps work for any provider that gives you a QR code or link.

1. Connect to Wi-Fi.
2. Open the Camera app and scan the QR code. Tap the Cellular Plan Detected notification.
3. On iOS 17.4 or later, if the QR code arrives in an email or browser, you can tap and hold it, then tap Add eSIM.
4. Tap Continue, then Add Cellular Plan. Enter a confirmation code if the provider gave you one.
5. You can also go to Settings > Cellular > Add eSIM, choose Use QR Code, or enter the details manually.
6. Back in Settings > Cellular, check the new line is on, then choose which line handles data and which handles calls.

Supported iPhones can keep two eSIMs active at once, for example your home number and a travel line. On iOS 26, a travel eSIM bought before departure can prompt you on arrival to use the travel eSIM only, or both lines. If you keep both on, Apple notes the travel eSIM handles data but you may still pay roaming fees on your home line.

How to set up an eSIM on Android

Menu names vary by brand and Android version.

Google Pixel:

1. Open Settings > Network & internet > SIMs.
2. Tap Add SIM, then Set up an eSIM.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions, which include scanning the provider’s QR code.

Samsung Galaxy:

1. Open Settings > Connections > SIM manager.
2. Tap Add eSIM, then Scan QR code, and scan the provider’s code.
3. Restart the phone to apply the eSIM profile.

On both, go back to the SIM settings afterwards to choose the line for mobile data and the line for calls and texts, and turn on roaming for the travel line.

Tips for travellers

Keep your home SIM active for OTPs

Banks, tax portals and many apps send one-time passwords by SMS to the number they have on file. If that number is switched off, you can lock yourself out of your own accounts abroad.

• Keep your home SIM or eSIM installed and switched on as a second line.
• Set the travel line for mobile data.
• Turn data roaming off on the home line, so it never uses expensive roaming data.
• Ask your home carrier what it charges to receive SMS while roaming.
• On iPhone, iMessage and FaceTime keep working on your home number even while data runs on the travel line.

Data-only or a real number?

You need	Choose
Maps, messaging apps and email on a short trip	A data-only travel eSIM
People and services to reach you on a US number, wherever you are	A plan with a number, such as Popcorn
A local number for deliveries, taxis or local banking in one country	A local prepaid SIM or eSIM from an operator in that country

Data-only eSIMs still let you call over WhatsApp and similar apps. Holafly states plainly that its eSIM does not include a local phone number for traditional calls or texts.

Roaming settings, the right way round

• Travel eSIMs usually connect as roaming lines, so roaming must be on for the travel eSIM. Popcorn requires it.
• Roaming should be off for your home line, unless you deliberately want to use it.
• If data does not start on arrival, wait a minute or two, toggle Airplane Mode, and check the travel line is on and selected for data. Popcorn’s troubleshooting also suggests choosing 5G or LTE manually and trying a different local network.

Install before you fly

• Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi, and leave it switched off until you land.
• Save the QR code and activation details somewhere you can reach offline.
• Do not delete an eSIM to “tidy up” until you have asked the provider whether it can be reinstalled.
• Note any activation deadlines: Nomad, for example, asks you to activate a UAE plan within 60 days of purchase.

Popcorn vs Airalo, Holafly and Nomad

Popcorn is a monthly plan with a number. Airalo, Holafly and Nomad sell prepaid data plans per destination. Prices are from each provider’s own UAE page, in US dollars, checked on 11 November 2026, and can differ by country, currency and promotion.

	Popcorn	Airalo	Holafly	Nomad
Model	Monthly subscription	Prepaid per trip	Prepaid per trip	Prepaid per trip
Phone number	US number	Not listed on these plans	No local number	Not listed; sold as data plans
UAE, 7 days unlimited	Included in $69 a month	$27.50	$27.90	$27
UAE, longest unlimited plan shown	$69 a month	$72.00 for 30 days	$50.50 for 15 days	$34 for 10 days
Fixed-data options (UAE)	No	Not shown for the UAE	Not shown	From $4 for 1GB over 7 days, up to $29 for 20GB over 30 days
Fair use	Usage above 50GB a month may be reviewed	Full speed for 3GB a day, then 1 Mbps until the daily reset	Operator limits for no more than one day at a time	Not stated on the UAE page
Hotspot	Occasional or emergency use	Allowed; counts towards the daily 3GB	1GB of shareable data per day	Not stated on the UAE page

Two further price points for context: Airalo’s India page lists unlimited plans at $39.50 for 7 days and $99.00 for 30 days on the Vi network. Its UAE plans run on Etisalat.

Which one fits

• You have a US number you need everywhere, for US banks, clients or family, and you travel for weeks at a time: Popcorn is built for that case. Check the waitlist, the 50GB review point and the US routing first.
• You take a short trip to one country: a prepaid data eSIM costs less than a month of Popcorn, and you keep your home number for calls and OTPs.
• You stay a month or more in one country: compare a 30-day travel plan with a local operator’s prepaid plan, which may also give you a local number.
• You are a heavy data user: read each fair use policy. Airalo’s daily 3GB full-speed threshold and Popcorn’s 50GB monthly review point work very differently.

What I could not confirm

• Which partner networks Popcorn uses outside the US.
• Whether Popcorn’s own core network has started rolling out to customers.
• Whether sign-up requires a US address or a US payment card. The sign-up asks for “address details” without saying more.
• Measured speeds, and how much latency US routing adds in India, the UAE or Malaysia.
• Holafly’s and Nomad’s phone-number options outside the UAE plans shown.

Before you buy an eSIM

• Popcorn: $69 a month including taxes, US number, unlimited talk, text and data in 180+ countries, 7-day trial, no contract.
• Limits: usage above 50GB a month may be reviewed, hotspot is for occasional use, data may route through the US, roaming must be on.
• Check your phone supports eSIM and is not carrier-locked before you buy any plan.
• Install on Wi-Fi before you fly. Activate before arriving in China or Nigeria if you use Popcorn.
• Keep your home line on for OTPs, with data roaming off on that line.
• For short trips, compare data-only plans from Airalo, Holafly and Nomad; prices start well below a month of Popcorn.

If you also pay for travel and subscriptions in several currencies, see international payments and forex fees.