Rakuten Viber has switched on its in-app eSIM store in the Philippines, letting users buy data-only travel plans for more than 150 countries without leaving the messaging app. The rollout, reported on August 27, turns a chat app many Filipinos already use daily into a travel tool: you browse a destination's data packages, pay, and install the eSIM without visiting an airport kiosk, swapping a physical SIM, or downloading a separate roaming app.
"Bringing eSIM to Viber is a major milestone," said Nadav Melnick, Chief Product Officer of Rakuten Viber, adding that the company is "evolving from a messaging app into an everyday utility." Tarek Zeid, Senior Vice President at Rakuten Mobile, said the goal is to make sure "staying connected while traveling is no longer a luxury."
How to buy a Viber eSIM in the app
The store lives in the app's More screen. According to Viber's official setup guide, the flow works like this:
- Open Viber and tap More, then eSIM.
- Select the country you are traveling to and pick a data plan.
- Pay with Google Pay (Android), Apple Pay (iOS), a credit or debit card, or Link.
- Install the eSIM using the quick-install link, a QR code, or by manually entering the SM-DP+ address (a secure link used to download the eSIM) and activation code in your phone's settings.
- The plan activates automatically once you land and connect to a local network.
Payments run through Stripe, the same payment processor used by many global apps, and your bank may occasionally ask for a 3DS check (a quick security verification) before the purchase goes through. Transactions are also screened by Viber's own spam and fraud detection systems.
Two timing rules matter. You must activate the eSIM within 90 days of purchase. And if you top up an active plan — an option currently available only on Android — only the data amounts combine; the validity days do not stack, so a new package's countdown starts only after the current one is used up or expires. Top-ups also work only for the same country as the original eSIM.
What you need before you buy
- An eSIM-compatible phone that is carrier-unlocked. If you are still paying off the phone through a telco installment plan, it may be locked to that network — ask your carrier to unlock it first.
- The latest version of Viber on Android or iOS. On Apple's side, support runs from the iPhone XS, XR, and second-generation iPhone SE all the way to the iPhone 17 series and iPhone Air, plus recent iPads.
- Note that most iPhones bought in mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau have no eSIM hardware at all, and company-issued work phones may have the eSIM feature blocked by IT policy.
Data only — no local number, no SMS
The Viber eSIM is prepaid and data-only. It does not come with a local phone number, so it cannot make regular calls or send SMS. Viber's answer is that you can keep calling and messaging through the app itself over the eSIM's data — which is also how most Filipinos already reach family over Wi-Fi abroad. Viber's 2026 policy update discloses that the service collects eSIM identifiers, data consumption, and network location data from its partner network providers.
Where it works, and what it costs
Viber's supported-carrier list covers destinations Filipinos actually fly to: Japan (on Rakuten Mobile's own network), Singapore (StarHub), Hong Kong (3), Taiwan (Taiwan Mobile), Thailand (AIS), the UAE (du), the United States (AT&T), Canada, and most of Europe. Travelers coming to the Philippines, meanwhile, connect through Globe's network.
One honest caveat: Viber has not published a Philippine price list. Prices appear per destination inside the app at checkout and vary by data amount and validity period, so check the in-app rate for your destination before assuming it beats the alternatives.
Should you use it over Smart Travē or your telco's roaming?
Filipino travelers already have local options, so Viber's edge is convenience, not a proven price win. Smart's Travē app, launched in August 2025, sells travel eSIMs for more than 80 destinations to users of any network, with packages starting at ₱40 a day, a seven-day option at US$4.50 (around ₱280), and a 10GB, 30-day package at US$20 (around ₱1,230). Traditional telco roaming remains the only route that keeps your own mobile number working abroad — we broke down when that trade-off makes sense in our Smart Infinity ROAM+ explainer. Viber counters with a broader country list of over 150 destinations and zero extra apps to install — but until you can compare its in-app peso pricing against Travē's for your specific trip, treat it as one more quote to check, not an automatic default.
A global rollout that reached Manila
The eSIM service is not Philippine-first: Rakuten Viber announced it in June 2026 with Serbia as the initial market, and Hungary followed in July. It runs on Rakuten Mobile's cloud-based eSIM platform, built with AI and cloud infrastructure from the Japanese group's mobile arm. The Philippines — one of Viber's largest markets worldwide — getting the feature two months later says plenty about where Rakuten wants its self-described "everyday utility" strategy to land next.
