How to Transfer an eSIM From One iPhone to Another

What you need for an iPhone eSIM transfer

Apple currently lists iOS 18.4 or later on both phones, the same Apple Account on each, and Bluetooth enabled with the handsets nearby. Have the old handset's passcode ready, because you'll be unlocking it to approve the move, and connect the receiving iPhone to Wi-Fi.

Look specifically for Quick Transfer in your network's help pages. A provider selling eSIM plans may still use its own app or QR-code process for changing phones.

Resist the temptation to clear out the old eSIM first. Apple's erasure guidance warns that deleting a profile may mean contacting the network for a new one, so wait for the transfer instructions from Apple or your provider before touching it.

Cellular, Mobile Data and Mobile Service are the menu names you might encounter here; use whichever appears on your iPhone.

How to move your eSIM using Quick Transfer

Already using the new iPhone? A skipped mobile-service screen doesn't send you back to square one: the transfer controls are still available in Settings after setup.

1. Start on the new phone. Open Settings, go into Mobile Service, then select Add eSIM. Some screens show Set Up Mobile instead.
2. Choose the line. Your number may appear straight away. Otherwise, tap Transfer From Nearby iPhone.
3. Pick up the old phone. Approve the request there and complete any verification-code check shown on the devices.
4. Let activation finish. Work through the remaining instructions. If a banner sends you to your network's website, finish that part too.

The point when service changes hands is activation on the new iPhone. The previous SIM then becomes inactive; a successful transfer doesn't leave two copies of your line running.

If you're still working through the welcome screens, accept the mobile-service transfer there when it's offered. Whichever route you take, don't pack up the old phone at the first sign of a signal bar.

Your apps arriving doesn't mean the eSIM has transferred

Apple's Quick Start instructions put mobile activation and the move of your personal data in different parts of setup. That's a useful distinction when you're checking the result: an app opening over Wi-Fi proves the app has arrived, while an incoming call checks that your number has made the journey too.

What if you don't have the old iPhone?

A cracked screen that won't unlock, a lost phone, or a handset you've already erased rules out approval through Quick Transfer. Go to your network for a replacement eSIM attached to the existing account.

EE's published replacement route uses its app, including for a lost or damaged handset. With O2, support or a shop visit may be involved, and photo ID can be required. Mention an inaccessible old phone early in the conversation so nobody sends the verification text to a screen you can't use.

The request to make is a replacement for the existing line, including its number. O2 explicitly says the number stays with you during a SIM swap; you aren't shopping for an additional contract.

A stolen handset also needs reporting to the network promptly, so it can protect the service while arranging your replacement.

Moving an eSIM with a QR code

Without nearby transfer, the next step is usually a provider-led installation: perhaps a QR code, perhaps the network's app. Let the provider's instructions settle when the previous profile should be removed.

The QR route starts in Settings > Mobile Service > Add eSIM, where Use QR Code appears directly or under Other Options. Point the camera at the supplied code, then finish the installation screens; some networks add a confirmation code to this process.

Having the QR code open on a laptop makes this less fiddly: the iPhone's camera has something to point at.

The original email isn't always a reusable ticket to your mobile plan. EE and O2 both say their QR codes can be used for one download. A code that worked on your old iPhone may therefore need replacing, even though you've kept the email.

Travel eSIMs need a separate check

A holiday data package deserves its own check before you try any of the steps above. The network behind your everyday number and the provider of a week abroad may have entirely different transfer arrangements.

Airalo's published policy, for example, says an installed eSIM can't be transferred to another device. Its suggested workaround for a working old handset is Personal Hotspot: keep the data on that device and share the connection with the new one.

For the package you've actually bought, get answers to these questions before attempting a move:

• Does this specific eSIM allow installation on a different phone?
• Can support issue a replacement?
• What happens to the remaining allowance and its expiry date?

Two eSIM-compatible phones don't settle those questions. Buying a travel plan around the same time as an upgrade is a good reason to choose the installation device carefully.

An eSIM transfer that won't complete

No transfer button: check your software and account against the requirements above, then ask the network which installation route applies to your line. The answer might be a replacement eSIM instead of nearby transfer.

A code the camera won't accept: look back at its installation history. For a single-use QR code, an earlier successful download is a reason to contact the provider for replacement instructions.

An installed line with no signal: work through Apple's suggested checks, testing after each one. Toggle Airplane Mode, switch the affected line off and back on under Mobile Service, then try a restart. The About page, reached through Settings > General, also lets you check for updated network-provider settings.

For a support conversation, write down the error exactly as it appears and have the receiving phone's EID or IMEI to hand. Both identifiers are in Settings > General > About; a provider can use them to investigate the particular handset you're trying to activate.

There's another check for a phone bought from a different network: look at Network Provider Lock in that same About screen. No SIM restrictions means the iPhone is unlocked. Unlocking is the network provider's job, so a locked handset needs that conversation before you can use an otherwise incompatible network's eSIM.

The checks to make before retiring your old iPhone

Start the check with Wi-Fi switched off and a fresh webpage loading over mobile data. For a plan with calls and texts, a call out, a call back to the transferred number and an ordinary SMS cover more ground than looking at the signal bars.

Have two lines installed? Look at the selected voice and mobile-data lines first. A working connection on your second plan could otherwise hide a problem with the one you've just moved.

A data-only travel package needs the data check, with any roaming settings supplied in that package's instructions.

With the connection checked and your personal data safely moved, you're ready to prepare the old handset for its next owner. Apple's erasure instructions say the eSIM should go when the device is sold, traded in or given away.

iPhone eSIM transfer questions