To use an eSIM, you get one from your network, then add it in your phone’s settings instead of pushing a card into a tray. On iPhone go to Settings › Cellular (Mobile Service in the UK) and tap Add eSIM. On a Pixel go to Settings › Network & internet › SIMs › Add SIM. On a Samsung Galaxy go to Settings › Connections › SIM manager › Add eSIM. From there you either scan a QR code from your network, let the network’s app install it, or transfer the line from your old phone.
Once it’s installed, an eSIM behaves exactly like a normal SIM: same number, same plan, same bill. The two things that catch people out are moving it to a new phone and deleting it by accident, so both get their own sections below.
What an eSIM is, and which phones have no SIM tray
An eSIM is a small chip soldered inside the phone that can hold downloadable SIM profiles. The profile is the part your network controls: it carries your number and tells the phone which network to join. Because nothing is physically swapped, you can add a line in minutes over Wi-Fi, and a thief cannot pop your SIM out to use in another phone.
Most phones can store several eSIM profiles but use only two lines at a time. Apple says an iPhone can hold eight or more. That makes it easy to keep a travel eSIM or a work line installed and switch it on only when you need it.
An eSIM can carry a full plan with a number, or be data-only. Travel eSIMs are almost always data-only: you get mobile internet abroad, but no new number for calls and texts.
Is your phone eSIM-only?
If the edge of your phone has no pinhole tray, it’s eSIM-only and you can’t use a plastic SIM at all. Which models these are depends on where the phone was bought, not where you are now.
- iPhone 14, 15 and 16 models, and the iPhone 16e and 17e, bought in the United States.
- iPhone 17, 17 Pro and 18 Pro models bought in the US, Canada, Mexico, Japan, Guam, the US Virgin Islands, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. UK and European models keep a tray.
- iPhone Air and the foldable iPhone Duo, in every country.
- Pixel 10, 10 Pro and 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 11 and 11 Pro bought in the US. The Pro Fold models still have a tray, and Pixels sold elsewhere keep one too.
Three ways to activate an eSIM
Networks deliver eSIMs in one of three ways. Ask which one yours uses before you start, because it changes what you tap.
1. Scan a QR code
Your network emails or prints a QR code. On iPhone, go to Settings › Cellular › Add eSIM › Use QR Code and scan it, or simply point the Camera app at the code and tap the Cellular Plan Detected banner. On a Pixel, tap Add SIM and choose to download a SIM, then scan. On Samsung, tap Add eSIM › Scan QR code.
Treat that QR code like a key. Most can be used only once, so a code that has already been scanned, even on a phone that then failed to activate, usually needs replacing by your network. Don’t post a photo of it anywhere.
2. Carrier activation or the network’s app
If you bought the phone from your network, or told them its IMEI, they can push the eSIM straight to it. You’ll see a prompt during setup or a notification saying a plan is ready to install. Some networks do the same thing through their own app after you log in. There’s no code to scan.
3. Transfer from your old phone
If you already have the line on another phone, you can usually move it across directly. This is covered in the next section.
If none of these work, most phones also offer Enter Details Manually, where you type an SM-DP+ address and activation code your network gives you. Whichever route you use, connect to Wi-Fi first, since the phone needs internet to download the profile.
Apple’s guide to setting up an eSIM on iPhone lists the carrier-specific variations if your screen looks different.
Moving your eSIM to a new phone
The golden rule: transfer, don’t delete. The transfer tools move the line and switch off the old copy for you. If you delete the eSIM on your old phone first, you have nothing to transfer and must ask your network for a new one.
iPhone to iPhone
- Update both iPhones, charge them and keep them side by side with Bluetooth on.
- During setup, on the Set Up Cellular screen, choose Transfer From Nearby iPhone and pick the number. If you skipped this, go to Settings › Cellular › Add eSIM › Transfer From Nearby iPhone later.
- Confirm on the old iPhone. Some networks also text a code or ask you to approve on their website.
- Wait for the new iPhone to show signal, then make a test call.
Android to Android
On a Pixel, the setup wizard offers to copy the SIM from your old phone; afterwards it’s Settings › Network & internet › SIMs › Add SIM › Transfer SIM from another device. Google says both phones need Android 12 or later with a screen lock set. On Samsung, go to Settings › Connections › SIM manager › Add eSIM › Transfer SIM from another phone, enter the code shown on the new phone into the old one, and confirm on both. Not every network supports automatic transfer; if yours doesn’t, its app or a shop can issue the eSIM to the new phone.
Between iPhone and Android
Cross-platform transfer arrived with iOS 26 and Android 16. Going to an iPhone, tap Settings › Cellular › Add eSIM › Transfer from Android, then scan the QR code it shows with the Android phone and approve. Apple’s page on transferring an eSIM from Android to iPhone lists the requirements; at launch the supported networks were AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon in the US. Going the other way, start on the Android phone: Samsung has Transfer SIM from iPhone, and on a Pixel you choose Transfer SIM from another device and pick iPhone.
Changing network at the same time? That’s a number port rather than a transfer, and our guide on porting your number to a new carrier covers the codes and timing.
Running two lines with an eSIM
Every eSIM phone can run two lines at once: two eSIMs, or one eSIM plus a physical SIM where there’s a tray. People use this for a work and personal number, or a home line plus a travel data plan. The skill is telling the phone which line does what.
- iPhone: in Settings › Cellular, give each line a label (Personal, Work, Travel), then set Default Voice Line and Cellular Data. Turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching unless you want data to hop to the other line when coverage drops, which can cost money abroad.
- Pixel: Settings › Network & internet › SIMs lets you choose the preferred SIM for calls, texts and mobile data.
- Samsung: Settings › Connections › SIM manager has Primary SIM settings for calls, messages and mobile data.
When you make a call, the phone uses your default line, but you can pick the other line from the contact or the dialler. Messages apps also show which line a conversation uses.
Travel eSIMs: add them safely, then remove them safely
A travel eSIM is a data-only plan for a country or region, bought from an eSIM seller or your own network. It’s often far cheaper than roaming. Your phone must be carrier-unlocked to use one from a different company, so check that your phone is unlocked before you pay.
- Install it at home, on Wi-Fi. The QR code needs internet to download, which is exactly what you won’t have at the arrivals gate. Label the line “Travel”.
- Leave it switched off until you land, if the seller says the plan’s validity starts on first connection.
- On arrival, switch data to the travel line. Set it as the mobile data line and turn on Data Roaming for that line only: most travel eSIMs technically roam and won’t work without it.
- Keep your home line on for calls and texts, with data roaming off. You’ll still get bank codes by text. Check your home plan’s charges for calls abroad.
- Back home, switch data back to your main line.
When the plan has expired and you won’t top it up, delete it: open the line in settings and check the label, the plan name and the fact that it has no phone number before you tap delete. Many sellers let you top up an existing eSIM for the next trip, so if you travel often, simply switch it off instead.
Deleting an eSIM: read this first
Deleting an eSIM removes the profile from the phone. It does not cancel your contract, and it doesn’t free anything up that fixes a fault. What it does is leave you without service until your network issues a new eSIM, which can mean a call, an ID check or a shop visit.
Erasing a phone is where most accidental deletions happen. On iPhone, Settings › General › Transfer or Reset iPhone › Erase All Content and Settings asks whether to keep or delete your eSIMs. Pixel and Samsung phones ask the same question during a factory reset. Keep the eSIM if you’re resetting a phone you’ll carry on using. Delete it when the phone is leaving your hands for good, and only after the line works on your new phone.
Protect your number from SIM-swap fraud
An eSIM can’t be stolen out of the tray, but it doesn’t stop SIM-swap fraud. In a SIM swap, a criminal persuades your network to move your number onto an eSIM on their phone, then uses your text codes to get into your email and bank. The weak point is the network’s customer checks, not the chip.
- Turn on your network’s lock. In the US, AT&T has Wireless Account Lock, Verizon has SIM Protection and Number Lock, and T-Mobile has SIM Protection and Port Out Protection. Elsewhere, ask for an account PIN or password.
- Move important accounts off text codes to an authenticator app or passkey where you can.
- Never read out a code sent to your phone to someone who calls you, whoever they say they are.
- Know the warning sign: your phone suddenly shows No Service or SOS where it normally has signal. Call your network from another phone straight away.
Troubleshooting eSIM problems by symptom
Most eSIM problems are about activation, not hardware. Start with the symptom you’re seeing.
- Stuck on “Activating” or no signal after a transfer: wait ten minutes on Wi-Fi, restart, then toggle airplane mode. If it’s still not live after an hour, your network needs to finish the switch on its side.
- “This code is no longer valid” or the QR code won’t scan: the code has probably been used already. Ask the network for a new one rather than rescanning.
- A new network’s plan won’t install, or shows as not supported: the phone is likely locked to your original network.
- Transfer options missing: your network doesn’t support that route. Use its app, a QR code or a shop.
- Calls work but iMessage or FaceTime uses the wrong number: check Settings › Apps › Messages › Send & Receive and tick the number.
- Travel eSIM shows signal but no internet: it isn’t set as the data line, or data roaming is off for that line.
If your phone says “No SIM” or the line has vanished, our guide to fixing No SIM errors walks through every version of that message.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the same eSIM on two phones?
Not in the normal way. A profile is active on one phone at a time, and transferring it switches off the old copy. Some networks sell a second SIM or “multi-SIM” for a smartwatch or tablet that shares your number, but that is a separate plan feature.
Can I switch back from an eSIM to a physical SIM?
Yes, if the phone has a tray. Ask your network for a physical SIM; once it’s activated, the eSIM stops working and you can remove it. On an eSIM-only phone, there’s no going back.
Does a factory reset delete my eSIM?
Only if you choose that. iPhone, Pixel and Samsung all ask during the reset. Read the option carefully, because tapping through quickly is how most people lose their line.
Can I turn my physical SIM into an eSIM?
Often, yes. iPhone shows Convert to eSIM in the line’s settings, and Samsung has the same option in SIM manager when your network supports it. The plastic SIM stops working as soon as the conversion finishes.
Is an eSIM more secure than a physical SIM?
Slightly. A thief can’t pull it out to use your number in another phone, and a lost phone stays connected to the network unless it’s switched off. But SIM-swap fraud targets your network account, so an account lock and non-text sign-in codes matter more than the type of SIM.
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. Read our editorial policy.