Farewell SIM Cards: How to Add an eSIM to an iPhone 14 - PCMag

Embedded SIM, oregon eSIM, is simply a exertion that has been disposable connected mobile phones for years. Instead of fiddling with a tiny, carnal SIM card, you tin adhd a cellular program electronically via SIM hardware that is embedded successful your device. With eSIM connected an iPhone, you’re capable to adhd arsenic galore arsenic 8 plans and power among them—or adjacent usage much than 1 simultaneously.

The iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR were the archetypal iPhone models to connection an eSIM (alongside a carnal SIM), but the iPhone 14 lineup is the archetypal to connection lone a integer SIM—at slightest successful the United States. That means US customers who bargain an iPhone 14, 14 Plus, 14 Pro, and 14 Pro Max volition person nary prime but to adhd their superior bearer (and immoderate further carriers) done an eSIM.

So present that dealing with an eSIM is mandatory, however precisely does this process work? Here's however to adhd your superior carrier, and immoderate further lines, to your iPhone.

eSIM vs. SIM

Physical SIM card (Photo Illustration by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)

An eSIM offers definite pros and cons compared with a carnal SIM. Rather than having to woody with a SIM paper to activate your superior carrier, you tin bash it yourself from the phone's cellular settings. An eSIM is besides easier to usage if you request to acceptable up much than 1 bearer oregon plan. Rather than removing and replacing a carnal SIM card, you power from 1 program to different successful settings.

You tin adjacent alteration much than 1 program astatine the aforesaid time, perchance utilizing 1 for telephone calls and substance messages and different for data. This capableness is particularly useful if you’re traveling overseas and privation to support your home program progressive but pat into a section program arsenic well. It's besides bully if you trust connected separate telephone numbers for enactment and idiosyncratic matters.

On the downside, eSIM is inactive not yet afloat oregon wide supported among accepted carriers astir the world. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon each enactment eSIM successful the US, but galore smaller carriers bash not. Some carriers besides lone enactment it with postpaid subscriptions and not prepaid plans.

Adoption is increasing, and Apple’s determination with the US iPhone 14 should coax much carriers to marque the move. To spot if your bearer supports it by country, cheque retired Apple's enactment page(Opens successful a caller window).

eSIM Carrier Activation

There are a fewer antithetic ways to adhd and activate eSIM connected a caller iPhone 14. If your bearer supports eSIM Carrier Activation, they delegate an eSIM to your iPhone erstwhile you bargain it. This should marque setup astir automatic.

In bid to acceptable up your program with Carrier Activation, your iPhone indispensable beryllium connected to Wi-Fi. If your bearer activated the eSIM astatine the clip of acquisition (or instantly after) your iPhone should show a notification with the connection Cellular Plan Ready to Be Installed. Tap this connection and let the process to complete.

Once the process is finished, you should past spot a telephone connected your iPhone to marque definite you person cellular connectivity done the eSIM.

eSIM Quick Transfer

Alternatively, an enactment called eSIM Quick Transfer lets you transportation the SIM from your erstwhile iPhone to the caller 1 without having to interaction your bearer astatine all. To usage this method, you would take the Quick Start option during the archetypal setup of your phone. This volition fto you transportation information and settings from your erstwhile telephone to your caller phone.

Select your connection and country, past presumption your caller telephone adjacent the aged 1 until you spot the Quick Start announcement connected your erstwhile phone. Go done each surface until the 1 for Set Up eSIM appears. From here, pat Transfer from different iPhone, past pat Transfer Number to corroborate the transfer.

A notification appears connected your erstwhile telephone asking if you privation to transportation the SIM for your telephone number. Tap Transfer SIM. Double-press the broadside fastener connected the aged telephone to corroborate the transfer. The eSIM past activates connected your caller telephone and connects to your carrier’s cellular network. When the process is finished, pat Done. You should past instrumentality a infinitesimal to restart your telephone and past spot a telephone to marque definite the work has been activated.

If you didn’t take the eSIM transportation enactment during the archetypal setup, you tin bash it afterwards. Your telephone volition apt punctual you to acceptable up your cellular access, but you tin besides spell to Settings > Cellular and pat Set Up Cellular. Tap Transfer from different iPhone, past prime Transfer Number to corroborate your choice.

On your erstwhile phone, pat Transfer SIM. Double-press the broadside fastener connected your erstwhile telephone to corroborate the transfer. Tap Done, past restart your phone. Place a trial telephone to marque definite the work was transferred correctly.

Add Another eSIM

After adding your superior carrier, you tin unfastened Settings > Cellular to adhd different carriers oregon plans to your phone. Tap Add eSIM, and (assuming you person a QR codification for the provider) pat Use QR Code and scan its code.

If you don’t person a QR codification but bash person an activation codification and different information, pat the Enter Details Manually enactment astatine the bottommost of the screen, past participate the indispensable details.

After the program has been added, your superior eSIM and your secondary eSIM volition look connected the Cellular screen. A punctual whitethorn popular up asking you to delegate a circumstantial statement to each SIM to separate 1 from the other. Your superior SIM mightiness beryllium labeled Primary by default.

For your secondary eSIM, take the Label enactment and delegate it a name. You tin take a provided name, specified arsenic Travel oregon Business, oregon usage the Custom Label tract to make your own.

Customize eSIM Data Usage

You tin past find however you program to usage each SIM. If you’re traveling, for example, you whitethorn privation to usage your superior program for dependable calls and substance messages and your secondary 1 for data. You tin find this from the Cellular settings leafage connected your phone.

Tap Cellular Data, then take the eSIM you privation to usage for your data. Turn connected the power for Allow Cellular Data Switching if you privation some SIMs to supply cellular data. Back astatine the Cellular settings page, prime Default Voice Line and take the SIM you privation to usage for telephone calls.

From the Cellular settings page, you tin besides tweak circumstantial settings for each eSIM. Select your antithetic eSIMs, past marque definite they are turned connected and that each the related settings are correct. For example, if you’re not utilizing your superior SIM for data, crook disconnected Data Roaming. If you're utilizing your secondary SIM for data, crook connected Data Roaming.

Disable oregon Delete an eSIM

At immoderate point, you whitethorn nary longer request the secondary eSIM, particularly if you acceptable it up arsenic a impermanent program portion traveling. To disable that eSIM, prime it and crook disconnected the power adjacent to Turn On This Line.

To region it completely, pat the fastener for Delete eSIM and travel the prompts to delete it. After deleting the eSIM, prime your superior SIM and reappraisal each the settings to marque definite they’re present configured properly.