You’re probably already familiar with the SIM card, a tiny chip in your phone that connects it to your cell phone carrier of choice. For years, this chip was on a physical card that you could swap in and out by ejecting a SIM card tray from your phone. Most modern phones, however, also support eSIM. Instead of a physical card, eSIM is embedded directly into the phone’s circuitry and the carrier information is programmed remotely via software.
This allows for a few conveniences, such as letting you try out service on a new carrier without needing to get a physical SIM in the mail or at a store.
The problem arrives if you want to convert an existing physical SIM card to an eSIM. You might want to do so if a new phone is eSIM-only or if you want to load multiple eSIMs in a single device. Or perhaps you just don’t want to deal with the hassle of swapping physical cards in and out of devices any more. Fortunately, converting a physical SIM to an eSIM is a relatively easy process.
Before you get started, you have to make sure your new phone accepts eSIMs. As we mentioned earlier, most modern phones do. All iPhones since the iPhone XS and XR support eSIM, and in the US, the iPhone 14 and newer are eSIM-only. Most Android phones also include eSIM support, including the Google Pixel 6 and later along with the Samsung Galaxy S21 and later.
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The iPhone eSIM features can be found in the Settings app.
eSIM on an iPhone
There are a few different ways to convert a physical SIM to an eSIM on an iPhone.
Here’s how to do it if you’re converting a physical SIM to an eSIM on the same iPhone (that means the phone needs to support both).
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Open Settings, then select Cellular.
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Then, if your carrier allows it, you’ll see an option that says Convert to eSIM. If you don’t see it, then your carrier likely does not support this action.
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Tap Convert Cellular Plan.
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Tap Convert to eSIM. Your eSIM will now activate.
If, on the other hand, your transferring a physical SIM to an eSIM on a completely different iPhone, here’s how to do it.
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On your new iPhone, go to Settings, then choose Cellular.
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Scroll down until you see Add eSIM. Select it.
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Then you have two choices. One is Transfer From a Nearby Phone, which requires both handsets to have iOS 16 or newer. If you select that, you’ll follow the instructions on your previous iPhone. You can then select Transfer to confirm and then enter a verification code. Obviously this only works if both phones are iPhones.
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Another option is to Use a QR Code. This is what you would use if a QR Code is provided by your carrier, or if your previous phone was a non-Apple handset. To scan the code, you open up the Camera app and point it at the QR Code. Tap the Cellular Plan Detected notification. If using an iPhone with iOS 17.4 or later, you can touch and hold the QR code and then tap Add eSIM.
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Go ahead and follow the on-screen instructions, hit Continue and tap Add Cellular Plan.
Alternatively, you can also choose to enter in the eSIM details manually if your carrier provided them. If you want to do that, you can select Settings, then Cellular, then Add Cellular Plan and then tap Enter Details Manually.
Most Android phones, like this Pixel 9 Pro Fold, still include a physical SIM card slot alongside the option to install a virtual eSIM.
eSIM on an Android phone
The process of converting a physical SIM to an eSIM on Android can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. The most surefire way to do so is to simply contact your carrier and tell them you’re switching to an eSIM. They’ll then either walk you through the process manually or send you a QR code. If they do send a QR code, here’s how to add it to your phone.
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Go to Settings. Then tap either Connections or Network & Internet.
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Select Sim Manager or SIMS.
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Tap Add mobile plan or Download SIM card or Add SIM.
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Then follow the on-screen instructions and scan the QR code when prompted.
If you have a Samsung device, however, the process is a little more straightforward. Here’s how to do it on a Samsung.
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Launch Settings. Then tap Connections.
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Select SIM card manager.
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Choose your SIM (If you only have a physical SIM, it’ll just be the only one listed).
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Tap Convert to eSIM.
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Follow the on-screen instructions and then you’re done.
We should note that different carriers might have different ways of adding a new eSIM to your device. If you run into any problems when doing so, please contact them directly. And if you are transferring from an iPhone to an Android phone or vice-versa, you’ll need to contact your carrier to get their assistance with making the transition.
If you want to learn more about eSIMs and if they’re better or worse than physical cards, then please check our eSIM guide which goes into more depth on the pros and cons of each.
