How to Transfer Your eSIM to a New Phone (iPhone & Android)

How you transfer an eSIM to a new phone depends entirely on which two phones are involved. iPhone-to-iPhone is the easiest case: Apple's eSIM Quick Transfer moves your cellular plan over the air in a couple of minutes. Android has no single "transfer eSIM" button — Google, Samsung, and other manufacturers each built their own tool, and it only works between specific models and carriers. For most third-party data-only eSIMs, including travel eSIMs like co:sim's, there's no live transfer at all: you install a fresh QR code on the new device instead.

#Before you start

Whichever platform you're on, gather this first:

• Both phones nearby, and both connected to Wi-Fi or a personal hotspot
• The old phone unlocked, with its passcode handy
• Signed in to the same Apple Account (iPhone) or Google account (Android) on both devices, where the transfer method requires it
• The latest iOS or Android update installed on both phones

If you're moving a data-only travel eSIM rather than a carrier plan tied to a phone number, the process is different from everything below — jump to the travel-eSIM section further down.

#iPhone to iPhone: eSIM Quick Transfer

If both phones are iPhones, Apple's built-in eSIM Quick Transfer is the fastest path. According to Apple's official eSIM setup guide, some carriers let you transfer your cellular plan from a previous iPhone to a new one without contacting them at all. It requires both devices signed into the same Apple Account, the old iPhone unlocked with its passcode, both phones nearby with Bluetooth on, and iOS 18.4 or later on each.

On the new iPhone: open Settings, tap Cellular, tap Setup Cellular or Add eSIM, then choose a plan to transfer. If no list of numbers appears, tap Transfer From Nearby iPhone instead, then confirm on the old iPhone. Apple's guide notes that when the plan activates on the new iPhone, it deactivates the SIM on the old one automatically — so don't start this until you're actually ready to make the switch.

#If Quick Transfer isn't offered

Not every carrier supports it. When the option doesn't appear, request a fresh QR code or activation link from your carrier and set it up the same way you did the first time: Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM → Use QR Code. The same fallback applies when you're moving from a non-Apple phone — Apple's guide explains that with iOS 26, some carriers and manufacturers support direct Android-to-iPhone eSIM transfers, but outside that list you'll need your carrier to reissue the plan.

#Android to Android: it depends on your phone

Android doesn't have one built-in eSIM transfer feature the way iPhone does. Google, Samsung, and other manufacturers each ship their own tool, and it only works between specific models, software versions, and supported carriers. Outside those combinations, you're re-provisioning the eSIM with your carrier instead of transferring it.

#Google Pixel

On a Pixel, Google's support page describes two paths: an automatic transfer offered during the new phone's setup flow, which needs both devices on Android 12 or later, the current Google Play Services, and a screen lock already set up, or a manual transfer later at Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → Add SIM → Transfer SIM from another device. If the automatic option doesn't appear, Google's guidance is to contact your carrier directly — and it notes your existing eSIM keeps working on the old phone even if the transfer fails.

#Samsung Galaxy

Samsung calls its version eSIM Instant Transfer. Samsung's support article lists the path as Settings → Connections → SIM manager → Add eSIM → Transfer SIM from another phone, then entering a 6-digit code shown on the new device into the old one to confirm. It only works between two Galaxy phones on current software with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth turned on, and only with carriers on Samsung's supported list — mostly major networks across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. An unsupported carrier means contacting them directly instead.

#Other Android phones

If neither phone is a Pixel or Galaxy, check your device's network or SIM settings for a "Transfer SIM" option first; a few other manufacturers have added their own versions. If nothing appears, most Android brands still don't offer a device-to-device eSIM transfer at all, and for a data-only travel eSIM there's usually no carrier to call either.

#Switching platforms: iPhone to Android or Android to iPhone

Apple's documentation confirms that with iOS 26, some carriers and manufacturers support transferring an eSIM directly between Android and iPhone, similar to Quick Transfer. Samsung lists a matching option (Transfer SIM from iPhone) on its Galaxy phones, though it's limited to a shorter list of carriers than Galaxy-to-Galaxy transfers. Outside those supported combinations, moving a carrier eSIM between platforms means contacting your carrier for a new QR code or activation link, the same fallback that applies whenever a device-to-device tool isn't offered.

#"Keep eSIM and erase data": what a factory reset actually does

#On iPhone

Erasing an iPhone doesn't automatically delete your eSIM. Apple's factory-reset guide walks through Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings → Continue, and at that step you're shown two buttons: "Keep eSIM and Erase Data" or "Delete eSIM and Erase Data." Choosing to keep it leaves your cellular plan installed through the reset; choosing to delete it means contacting your carrier afterward to reactivate the plan.

#On Android

Android doesn't have one consistent answer here. Some carrier eSIMs survive a factory reset because they're tied to your carrier account and get restored automatically on next connection, and some don't, depending on the phone and carrier. Google's own transfer documentation doesn't promise either outcome. If you're not certain, back up or re-request your eSIM's QR code before you erase the phone rather than finding out afterward — your carrier's app or account portal for a carrier plan, or your provider's confirmation email for a travel eSIM.

#Transferring a carrier eSIM tied to a phone number (Verizon and others)

Carrier eSIMs are tied to your account and phone number, which is why carriers can move them for you even without a device-to-device transfer tool. Verizon customers can use the My Verizon app: sign in on the new phone, go to the Mobile tab, select the line, then choose "Change or replace device on this line." According to Verizon's own eSIM FAQ, this moves the number over Wi-Fi with no IMEI, ICCID, or QR code needed, and there's no charge for it.

You'll need the old phone to authenticate if it's the only line on the account; with multiple lines, another device on the account works instead. Service on the old phone deactivates once the move finishes. Most other carriers, in the US and internationally, offer an equivalent app- or account-based transfer — check your carrier's app or support site before assuming you need to visit a store.

#Moving a travel eSIM (like co:sim's) to a new device

Here's where the terminology gets misleading. A carrier eSIM is tied to your phone number and account, so a carrier can always reissue or move it. A data-only travel eSIM isn't tied to an account the same way — it's a data profile installed once on a specific device's embedded chip. Once it's been installed and activated, there's typically no "transfer" to a second phone; you get a new eSIM for the new device instead.

In practice this rarely causes trouble, because travel eSIMs are usually bought for a single trip anyway. Say you're picking up a new phone the week before a trip to Thailand: you can browse current Thailand eSIM plans, or any other destination, from whichever device you'll actually be carrying. co:sim delivers the QR code by email within seconds of checkout, and each plan page shows the install deadline and whether the plan supports data top-ups, so you know exactly how long an unused QR code stays valid before you need to reinstall it.

If you haven't installed your co:sim eSIM yet and you're switching phones before departure, there's nothing to work around — just install the QR code from your confirmation email on whichever phone you'll be traveling with. The complication only shows up once a profile has already been activated on one device; at that point, the fix is a new eSIM for the new device rather than a transfer.

#If the transfer doesn't work

Both Apple and Google's support pages address failed transfers directly rather than promising the tools always work. A few things to check, in order:

• Confirm both phones are on Wi-Fi, not just cellular data, and that Bluetooth is on for a device-to-device transfer with the phones within a few feet of each other.
• Restart both phones and try again. Google's guidance for Pixel is literally to retry, then contact your carrier if the problem persists.
• Check software versions: iOS 18.4 or later for Quick Transfer, Android 12 or later with current Google Play Services for Pixel's automatic transfer.
• If the automatic tool keeps failing, stop troubleshooting and fall back to a fresh QR code or activation link from your carrier, or your provider's confirmation email for a travel eSIM.

#FAQ

#How do I transfer an eSIM to a new phone without the old phone?

If you no longer have the old phone, device-to-device transfer tools like Apple's eSIM Quick Transfer, Samsung's eSIM Instant Transfer, and Google's Pixel transfer won't work, since they all require both phones present and connected at the same time. Your fallback is your carrier: contact them through their app, account portal, or by phone, and ask them to reissue the eSIM as a new QR code or activation notification for the new device. Verizon customers can use the My Verizon app's "Activate or get SIM" option, which reissues a lost or unreachable eSIM profile without needing the old phone at all. For a data-only travel eSIM like co:sim's, there's no carrier to call: if you never installed the original QR code, install it directly on the new phone from your confirmation email; if it was already activated on the missing phone, you'll need a new eSIM for the replacement.

#Can you transfer a physical SIM to an eSIM?

Yes, most eSIM-capable phones let you convert a physical SIM to an eSIM on the same device, though this converts the SIM rather than moving your number to a different phone. On iPhone, Apple's setup flow offers this when your carrier supports it, through Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM. On Samsung Galaxy phones, the path is Settings → Connections → SIM manager → select the SIM → Convert to eSIM. Verizon's My Verizon app has a "Get SIM" option that walks you through the same conversion. Converting keeps your existing phone number and plan; it just replaces the physical card with a digital profile on the same phone. If you also want that eSIM on a different device afterward, that's a separate step, using your carrier's device-to-device transfer tool or contacting them directly once the SIM is already in eSIM form.

#Does erasing your phone delete your eSIM?

Not automatically, but it depends on the choice you make during the reset, and on your platform. On iPhone, Apple's official factory-reset process (Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings) explicitly asks you to choose "Keep eSIM and Erase Data" or "Delete eSIM and Erase Data," and picking Keep leaves your cellular plan installed through the wipe. On Android, there's no single guaranteed answer: some carrier eSIMs survive a factory reset because they're tied to your carrier account, and some don't, depending on the phone and carrier. If you're not certain your eSIM will survive, back up or re-request the QR code before you erase the device: your carrier's app or account portal for a carrier plan, or your confirmation email for a travel eSIM like co:sim's.

#Will transferring my eSIM change my phone number?

No. A standard eSIM transfer moves your existing number to the new device; it doesn't assign a new one. Apple's Quick Transfer, Samsung's eSIM Instant Transfer, Google's Pixel transfer, and carrier tools like Verizon's My Verizon app all move the same phone number and plan across devices, and the source phone's SIM deactivates once the destination activates, so the number only ever works on one phone at a time. This is different from a data-only travel eSIM like co:sim's, which was never tied to a phone number in the first place: those plans provide mobile data only, so there's no number to preserve or lose when you install a fresh profile on a new device. Switching carriers, rather than just devices, is a separate process called porting, handled through your new carrier regardless of whether you're using eSIM or a physical SIM.

#Can I switch an eSIM to another phone once it's already installed?

For a carrier eSIM, yes, using your carrier's device-to-device transfer tool (Apple's Quick Transfer, Samsung's eSIM Instant Transfer, Google's Pixel transfer) or by contacting the carrier directly; the plan and phone number move over, and the old device's eSIM deactivates. For a data-only travel eSIM, generally no: profiles like co:sim's are provisioned once to a specific device's embedded chip, and there's no account-based "move it elsewhere" option the way a carrier can offer. If you already activated the eSIM on a phone you're replacing, the practical fix is installing a new eSIM for the new device rather than searching for a transfer button that doesn't exist for that plan type. Checking a plan page before you buy shows the install deadline and top-up support, which matters more for travel eSIMs than a transfer feature does.

Whichever platform you're switching between, the fastest path is almost always the built-in device-to-device tool when it's offered, and a fresh QR code when it isn't — for a carrier plan, that QR code comes from your carrier; for a co:sim travel eSIM, it's already waiting in your confirmation email or account dashboard.