The GSMA originally developed eSIM technology back in 2012, but like all new tech, it’s taken a little while to gain a foothold. These days, mostmodern Android phonescome with support for eSIM, including theGalaxy S24 Ultraand thePixel 8 Pro.
There are pros and cons to eSIM technology. Arguably the biggest pro is how easy it is to move your service from one phone to another without sticking little metal things into various holes on your phone.
That said, the eSIM is still relatively new for a lot of folks. Plus, it’s not quite as simple as your everyday SIM card, which has been around in various forms for decades. So, let’s talk about what it is, what it does, how it works, and how to transfer an eSIM from one phone to another.
What is an eSIM?
Embedded SIMs or eSIMs differ from traditional SIMs because there’s no physical card. An eSIM is digitally encoded on your phone. With an eSIM, there’s no scratching around for an eject tool or losing the SIM tray down the back of the couch; you’re able to’t lose it because you can’t remove it from your phone.
You can also store more than one eSIM profile on your phone, meaning you can access multiple carriers with the tap of a screen. The number of profiles you can access varies from model to model, but it’s generally at least five. In addition, devices running Android 13 or above can have two eSIM profiles active simultaneously, giving access to two networks at once – perfect for those who want a business and personal line on one device.
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What are the benefits of an eSIM on Android?
As well as being entirely digital, eSIMs have several other benefits over physical SIM cards.
How does eSIM work on Android?
Most recent Android smartphones offer eSIM compatibility alongside traditional SIM card trays. Most phones will allow you to connect an eSIM whilst also having a SIM card installed, or you could do away with a physical SIM card altogether and have multiple eSIM profiles loaded on your device.
How do I know if my Android phone is eSIM compatible?
Different manufacturers have different combinations of menu options to discover whether devices are eSIM compatible. Still, there’s one universal set of keystrokes that will show you whether your Android device can use eSIM.
Here’s how to find out:
How do I set up an eSIM on Android?
Once you’ve signed up for an eSIM plan, you can add it to your Android phone. There are two ways to add your eSIM on Android:
How do I transfer an eSIM from one Android phone to another?
If you already have an active eSIM on your Android phone and need to transfer it to your new phone, Google is currently rolling out a new eSIM transfer feature to streamline the process. The new eSIM transfer tool is as easy as following some instructions on your device, but it’s still in the early rollout stages and works only on T-Mobile with select devices.
We were able to trigger the transfer feature when trying to add an eSIM on a Galaxy S24 Ultra from a Pixel 8 Pro, but because our carrier is Google Fi, the transfer process didn’t complete. Google requires you to use the Fi app to facilitate the transfer.
The process below was done between a Galaxy S24 Ultra and a Galaxy S23 Ultra on T-Mobile. You can also check out the images above to see how everything shakes down.
Don’t worry, pop-ups on your old phone will tell you what to do.
The above steps are generally accurate, although each service provider may have some additional steps. For your reference, here are the eSIM transfer methods forT-Mobile,Verizon, andAT&T. Google Fi alsohas its own methodas well.
