How to Transfer an eSIM to a New Phone

Before you transfer an eSIM to a new phone

Here’s the thing about an eSIM. There’s no little chip to pop out and slot into the new phone, so the move isn’t physical. The profile lives in software, which means you’re either copying it across or asking your carrier to issue a new one. Both are fast. Neither needs a store visit.

Three things to line up first:

• The new phone is eSIM-capable and carrier-unlocked. Most phones from 2020 on qualify.
• You’re on Wi-Fi. Just like a first-time setup, the eSIM profile comes down over the internet, so this part mirrors a normal eSIM activation.
• You still have access to the old phone, or at least to your carrier account. You’ll need one of them to authorize the move.

One more thing. Keep the old phone on and untouched until the new line is confirmed live. People rush this and reset the old device first, then realize the eSIM was the only way their number lived on it. We’ll come back to that.

iPhone to iPhone: use eSIM Quick Transfer

If you’re going from one iPhone to another, this is the painless route. Apple’s eSIM Quick Transfer moves your line over Bluetooth with no QR code and no calling support. Both phones need to be on iOS 16 or later and sitting near each other.

1. Bring the two phones close

   Turn on Bluetooth on both, and make sure the new iPhone is signed into the same Apple ID as the old one. Wi-Fi on, too.

2. Open Add eSIM on the new phone

   Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Service) > Add eSIM. Choose “Transfer From Nearby iPhone” if it shows up.

3. Confirm on the old phone

   A prompt pops up on the old iPhone. Tap to approve the transfer. You may get a verification code to type on the new device.

4. Wait for the line to activate

   The new iPhone downloads the profile and activates the line. This takes a couple of minutes.

5. Check the old phone

   Once the line is live on the new iPhone, the eSIM on the old one usually deactivates on its own. Confirm the new phone has signal before moving on.

Some carriers route this through their app instead of Apple’s tool, and a handful still want you to reissue the eSIM manually. If “Transfer From Nearby iPhone” doesn’t appear, that’s your cue to use the reissue path below. For the full walkthrough with screenshots and the gotchas, see our guide to transferring your line to an iPhone’s eSIM.

The carrier-reissue path (works on any phone)

Quick Transfer only covers iPhone to iPhone. For everything else (iPhone to Android, Android to Android, Android to iPhone), the universal method is to have your carrier reissue the eSIM and scan a new QR code on the new phone. Moving between operating systems? Our iPhone-to-Android transfer guide covers the cross-OS quirks in detail.

1. Request a new eSIM from your carrier

   Most carriers let you do this in their app or account dashboard (“transfer eSIM,” “swap device,” or “reissue eSIM”). Some make you contact support. The old profile gets retired and a fresh QR code is generated.

2. Open Add eSIM on the new phone

   iPhone: Settings > Cellular > Add eSIM. Pixel: Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Add SIM. Samsung: Settings > Connections > SIM manager > Add eSIM.

3. Scan the fresh QR code

   Point the camera at the new code, or pick “Enter Details Manually” and type the SM-DP+ address and activation code. Curious what’s actually in that little square? Here’s how an eSIM QR code works under the hood.

4. Confirm, label, and set defaults

   The new phone installs the profile. Label the line so you can tell it apart if you run two, then pick which line handles calls, texts, and data.

5. Verify before you let go of the old phone

   Make a test call or load a page over cellular on the new device. Once it works, the old eSIM is dead weight and you can delete it.

How to transfer or start a US Mobile eSIM on a new phone

If you’re already on US Mobile, moving your line to a new phone is a software transfer, no hardware swap and no support call. The company calls this TelePortal: you switch networks and move between devices and SIM types right from the app. Open the US Mobile app, find your line, and follow the prompts to install it on the new device by scanning a fresh QR code.

Not on US Mobile yet and using a new phone as the excuse to test it? You can skip the migration entirely and spin up a clean eSIM on a free trial.

1. Start at get-started

   Go to usmobile.com/get-started and create an account or log in.

2. Add a new line, then Special Offers

   Choose “Free Trial” and continue.

3. Pick eSIM activation

   Skip the physical Starter Kit and select eSIM, so there’s nothing to wait for in the mail.

4. Choose your network

   Select Warp or Dark Star. You get access to all three of US Mobile’s nationwide networks on paid plans, but the trial runs on these two.

5. Transfer your number and activate

   The trial asks you to bring your existing number over. Confirm, then scan the QR code with your camera. The line goes live in a few minutes.

The free trial runs 30 days with 30GB of data and unlimited talk and text. You add a payment method to start, but you aren’t charged during the trial, and there’s no contract if you walk away. Paid plans start at $8/mo for light users and $25/mo for Unlimited Starter, all with eSIM, no activation fee, and no contract. Annual billing drops those further.

What to do before you wipe the old phone

This is the step everyone skips, then regrets. An eSIM is tied to the device it’s installed on. Factory-reset the old phone too early and you can wipe the profile before the line ever made it to the new one. Then you’re calling support to reissue it anyway. Do these first.

Worth saying plainly: deleting an eSIM profile from a phone does not cancel your plan. It just removes that copy of the line from that device. Your account and number stay put. So once the new phone is humming, clearing the old profile is safe and actually recommended before you hand the device off.

If the transfer doesn’t work