How to set up eSIM on iPhone

Apple introduced support for eSIM cards back when it launched the iPhone XS and iPhone XR. In fact, in September 2022 with the launch of iPhone 14, Apple ditched the physical SIM card slot completely for its iPhones sold in the US.

In India though, you still get both options to choose from – physical SIM slot and eSIM slot. But what is an eSIM, and how do you set it up on your iPhone? We answer these questions and more in this article. 

What is eSIM?

The eSIM works the same way as a conventional SIM card but without the need for a physical SIM card. It is an industry-standard digital SIM that you can use to activate a cellular plan from your carrier. With an eSIM, you can install more than eight eSIMs on your iPhone and use two mobile numbers at the same time.

Prerequisites to setup an eSIM

1. You need to have an iPhone XS or later model 

2. A cellular service provider that supports eSIM 

3. A Wi-Fi network connection for activation 

How to set up an eSIM on your iPhone

If you have purchased a new iPhone, you can activate your eSIM while setting up your phone. If your carrier supports eSIM Carrier Activation, they will assign you an eSIM during the purchase of your iPhone.

Alternately, if your carrier has eSIM Quick Transfer support, you can transfer your eSIM from your previous phone to your new phone without contacting the carrier. To do the transfer in either case, make sure you are logged in with the same Apple ID on both devices and using iOS 16 or later.  

Steps to use eSIM carrier activation on iPhone

If your eSIM was assigned to your iPhone during the purchase, turn on the phone and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the eSIM activation seamlessly. 

ALSO READ: How to transfer contacts from an iPhone to an Android device 

For those who have contacted their carrier for eSIM activation after purchasing the phone, you will find a notification popping up as Carrier Cellular Plan Ready to Be Installed. Simply Tap it.

You will be directed to the Settings app, asking for confirmation to install. Once you tap on the Continue option, your eSIM will be activated. You can remove your physical SIM now and restart your iPhone to continue using eSIM seamlessly. 

Steps for switching from physical SIM to eSIM on new iPhone

You can switch from physical SIM or eSIM on Android to iPhone. To do that, you need to contact your carrier to transfer your mobile number to your iPhone via eSIM Carrier Activation. Or you can also do it by scanning the QR code provided by the carrier. 

You can also transfer a physical SIM or eSIM on your previous iPhone to an eSIM on your new iPhone. To do that, go to Settings. Choose the Add Cellular plan option that you’ll find under the Cellular menu. You can either choose a cellular plan from the list of numbers or tap Transfer From Another iPhone. Once you confirm the transfer, a verification code will be sent to your previous phone which you need to enter on your new phone. Once entered, the cellular plan on your previous phone gets deactivated and the eSIM gets successfully activated on your new phone. 

Steps for using eSIM on existing iPhone

If you want to convert your physical SIM to an eSIM on your existing iPhone, go to Settings, and tap on Cellular. If you find the option Convert to eSIM, tap on it, and activate the eSIM using eSIM Carrier Activation or by scanning a QR code. If you don’t find the Convert option, unfortunately, your carrier doesn’t support this option. 

READ MORE: How to transfer data from iPhone to Android

Now that you know all the processes to switch to eSIM, take advantage of swapping between multiple SIMs seamlessly.