How to Transfer an eSIM From iPhone to Android (and Back)

Why you can’t just move an eSIM from iPhone to Android

Here’s the thing people get wrong. An eSIM isn’t a file sitting in your photos that you can text to yourself. It’s a carrier profile, locked to the specific phone it was installed on, baked into a chip soldered to the motherboard. That’s also what makes it more secure than a physical SIM, since nobody can pop it out and walk off with your number.

So when you want to transfer an eSIM from iPhone to Android, the profile on the iPhone can’t legally or technically hop to a Pixel or a Galaxy on its own. Apple has a Bluetooth feature called Quick Transfer, and a lot of Android phones have their own near-by transfer tools. The catch? Those only work iPhone-to-iPhone or Android-to-Android. Cross the operating-system line and they go quiet.

The fix is simpler than it sounds. Your carrier holds the actual line. They can yank the old profile and hand you a brand-new one for the new phone. That’s the whole trick: reissue, not copy. If you’re moving between two phones on the same OS, that’s a slightly different (and often more automatic) path, and we cover it in our guide on how to transfer an eSIM to a new phone.

Before you start the transfer

Five minutes of prep saves you an hour of panic. Run through this first:

• Confirm the new phone supports eSIM. Most iPhones from the XS (2018) on, Pixel 4a and newer, and Galaxy S21 and newer qualify. Phones bought in China or Hong Kong often skip eSIM entirely.
• Get on Wi-Fi. The new profile downloads over the internet, so you don’t need a working cellular signal on the new phone yet.
• Keep the old phone nearby and charged. You may need it to read a code or confirm a step.
• Have your carrier login ready. The reissue almost always happens through your account, not a store.

How to transfer an eSIM from iPhone to Android

You’re going iPhone to Pixel or Galaxy. Because Apple’s Quick Transfer won’t cross over, you go through your carrier. Steps look like this:

1. Request a new eSIM from your carrier

   Log into your carrier’s app or website and look for an option like “transfer eSIM,” “swap device,” or “reissue eSIM.” This generates a fresh QR code tied to your existing number.

2. Remove the eSIM from the iPhone

   On the iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > tap the line > Delete eSIM. Your plan stays active. You’re just clearing the profile off the old device so the number can move cleanly.

3. Open the eSIM setup on Android

   On Pixel: Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Add SIM. On Samsung Galaxy: Settings > Connections > SIM manager > Add eSIM. When it asks for a physical SIM, choose the “download a SIM instead” option.

4. Scan the new QR code

   Point the Android camera at the QR code your carrier reissued. No code on screen? Most carriers also give you a manual SM-DP+ address and activation code you can type in.

5. Turn the line on and test it

   Toggle the new eSIM on, set it for calls and data, then send yourself a text and load a webpage off Wi-Fi to confirm cellular works.

If your Android happens to be a Samsung, the SIM manager menu has a couple of quirks worth knowing. We walk through them in our eSIM setup guide for Android and Samsung.

How to transfer an eSIM from Android to iPhone

Now the reverse. Moving from a Pixel or Galaxy to an iPhone follows the same reissue logic, just with the menus flipped. Quick rundown:

1. Reissue the eSIM with your carrier

   Same first move as before. Use your carrier’s app or site to request a new eSIM for the iPhone. You’ll get a fresh QR code or activation details.

2. Delete the eSIM on Android

   On Pixel or Galaxy, head into the SIM settings, select the line, and erase or remove the downloaded SIM. The plan keeps running on the carrier’s side.

3. Add the eSIM on iPhone

   On the iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Service) > Add eSIM, then choose “Use QR Code.”

4. Scan and confirm

   Scan the reissued code with the iPhone camera. If you’d rather type it, pick “Enter Details Manually” and key in the address and activation code.

5. Label the line and set defaults

   Give the line a name, then pick which line handles calls, texts, and data. Done. The line goes live in a few minutes.

Notice how both directions land in the same place. Delete on the old phone, reissue, scan on the new one. The operating system changes, the routine doesn’t. If you’re brand new to scanning eSIM codes, our walkthrough on how to activate an eSIM covers the QR step in more detail.

What a cross-OS transfer looks like on US Mobile

If your line is with US Mobile, the reissue is built right into the app, so you’re not calling a support line to beg for a QR code. US Mobile describes this as software-defined line transfers, moving between devices and SIM types without a support call. There’s also TelePortal, which lets you switch between networks in the app with no hardware swap at all.

Practically, that means a transfer from iPhone to Android (or the other way) is mostly tapping through your account: pick the line, request the eSIM on the new device, scan the new QR code, and you’re live in a few minutes. No store trip, no mailing a chip.

And if you don’t have a plan yet and want to test eSIM before you commit to anything, US Mobile runs a free 30-day trial with 30GB of premium data on your choice of the Warp 5G or Dark Star network, plus 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. The trial does ask you to port in an existing number to qualify.

Paid plans run $8/mo for light users and $25/mo for Unlimited Starter, all with eSIM support, no activation fee, and no contract. Annual billing drops those further. Worth a look if you’re already shopping for a new phone and a fresh line at the same time.

If the transfer goes sideways