How to enable and use eSIM - XDA Developers

As carnal SIM cards statesman to dilatory disappear, galore are starting to person to eSIM. Here's a walkthrough connected getting an eSIM connected your smartphone.

The popularity of eSIMs (or embedded SIM cards) has skyrocketed ever since Apple replaced the carnal SIM slot connected the iPhone with the iPhone 14 bid successful North America. Of course, they've been astir for years and person shipped connected millions of smartphones, but it's yet harmless to accidental that they've deed the mainstream.

Using an eSIM successful spot of a carnal SIM paper has galore advantages, from amended information to enactment for much than 1 telephone enactment connected a azygous device. However, eSIMs don't connection the aforesaid fool-proof setup process arsenic regular ones bash - you can't conscionable drawback a insubstantial clip and popular the SIM tray retired to slot 1 into your phone. In this guide, we're going implicit however you tin alteration eSIM and commencement utilizing it.

Getting an eSIM

The process of getting an eSIM is beauteous straightforward, but it varies from bearer to carrier. When you motion up for a caller telephone line, you'll beryllium prompted to take either a carnal SIM oregon an eSIM. If your instrumentality lone supports eSIM (like the iPhone 14), you'll lone beryllium fixed the enactment to download one.

Carriers volition besides fto you person carnal SIM cards to eSIM, which is convenient if you're switching to a telephone without a SIM slot oregon conscionable privation the added benefits of an embedded SIM. Again, you'll request to spell done your carrier, but the anticipation is nevertheless there.

How to activate and download an eSIM

Like the process of obtaining one, activating an eSIM is antithetic from bearer to carrier. However, astir of the time, it's a elemental process that involves diving into your relationship and pulling up the telephone enactment you'd similar to flick on.

Here's a breakdown of however to bash it connected T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T.

• T-Mobile: Jump into your relationship connected t-mobile.com and find the enactment you're trying to activate. You'll apt beryllium asked to supply your phone's information, specified arsenic your EID number. After that's done, T-Mobile volition inquire you to scan a QR codification that volition load the indispensable APN settings onto your telephone to hole it for the eSIM.
• AT&T: Log into your AT&T by visiting signin.att.com. You past find the enactment you privation to activate by visiting My devices, past Manage. Click connected Options and settings, past Get a caller eSIM. AT&T's prompts volition locomotion you done activating the eSIM from there.
• Verizon: If you privation to activate an eSIM connected Verizon, your champion stake is contacting lawsuit enactment astatine verizon.com/support/contact-us/. Verizon doesn't person a mode to bash it done its website, and you person to already person your telephone enactment waiting connected your telephone to bash it done the My Verizon app. Alternatively, you tin telephone (800) 922-0204 and inquire to activate an eSIM.

After you've activated the eSIM, you'll request to download it to your phone. This is the easiest portion of the process. For Android users, the acquisition is mostly the same, but immoderate buttons could person antithetic names depending connected the instrumentality you're utilizing (hence the crushed we're providing 2 methods of download for Android). Meanwhile, iPhone owners should person an identical acquisition crossed immoderate model.

• Android (Pixel 7 Pro, Android 13): Go to the Settings app and pat Network & internet. Next to SIMs, you'll find a positive (+) sign. Tap connected it, and you'll beryllium prompted to either insert a carnal SIM oregon download one. Hit Download a SIM instead? and you'll beryllium connected your way. Tap Next, scan the QR codification provided by your carrier, and the eSIM volition download. Tap Done erstwhile you're finished.

• Android (Galaxy Z Fold 4, Android 13): Open the Settings app and deed Connections. Scroll down a spot until you find SIM manager. Tap it, and you'll find a conception called eSIMs. Hit Add eSIM and your instrumentality volition automatically hunt for immoderate eSIMs from your carrier. If nary are found, manually prime your carrier, log into your account, and your telephone volition usher you on the way. Alternatively, you tin scan the QR codification by tapping Scan QR codification from work provider and travel the steps to implicit the download.

• iOS: Go to the Settings app connected your iPhone, past deed Cellular. Tap connected Add eSIM, past Use QR code. Scan the codification your bearer gave you, and your eSIM volition download automatically.

After downloading an eSIM, your work should commencement up and calls and substance messages volition commencement rolling in. If thing seems a spot disconnected (data isn't working, immoderate texts aren't coming through), chances are you request to restart your phone.

How to transportation an eSIM to different device

When you power to eSIM, gone are the days of popping your SIM paper retired of your telephone and slotting it into a caller one. You present person to spell done a transportation process that's wholly integer and, admittedly, a small tedious.

• Android: For Android users, you'll beryllium stuck with contacting your carrier's lawsuit support. There's nary streamlined mode to straight transportation an eSIM from an Android instrumentality to different Android instrumentality oregon iPhone. There are immoderate exceptions, similar the Galaxy S22's quality to debar lawsuit enactment erstwhile transferring an eSIM connected T-Mobile. Generally speaking, though, you'll beryllium talking to idiosyncratic from your bearer earlier you tin determination your work to a caller device.
• iOS: You'll beryllium dealing with the aforesaid lawsuit enactment headache going from iPhone to Android, but if you're moving your eSIM from an iPhone to different Apple-branded smartphone, the process couldn't beryllium simpler. Head to Settings > Mobile > Add Mobile Plan, past prime the enactment that asks you to Transfer from different iPhone. Ensure your 2 iPhones are some connected iOS 16 and adjacent by, past proceed by tapping Transfer and entering the verification codification that appears connected your caller iPhone. Usually, the process is implicit successful nether 5 minutes, though it tin instrumentality longer connected immoderate occasions.

Should you usage an eSIM?

Right now, there's lone 1 coagulated crushed to power distant from carnal SIM cards to an eSIM: if your telephone doesn't enactment carnal SIM cards. The iPhone 14 is the lone large smartphone enactment successful North America without a SIM slot, whereas each different telephone supports some carnal and electronic. Unless you're paranoid and privation the added information benefits of eSIM, you're amended disconnected sticking with carnal SIms until the process of dealing with eSIMs gets a spot smoother.