The mobile industry is always developing and trying to make the solution for users more and more convenient.
Among recent innovations is eSIM, which has considerably simplified the use and management of cellular connections.
With eSIM, there’s no longer a need to handle physical SIM cards when switching carriers or phones. Instead, you can activate your mobile network digitally.
Many are ditching physical SIMs for eSIM. Changing isn’t just for modernization. It brings flexibility to those on the move or handling more numbers than one.
Ever wonder how physically transferring your SIM to an eSIM is possible? Continue reading to find out.
What is an eSIM?
An eSIM, is a form of digital SIM card that comes directly embedded into your device. It allows you to activate a mobile service without requiring a physical card.
This can be helpful for frequent travelers who maintain a local SIM for travel abroad, with the main number kept up and running.
How to Know Whether Your Device Supports an eSIM
Of course, you must first check whether your device supports an eSIM before transferring your physical SIM into the eSIM. Not all phones or tablets support eSIMs, so this step is very important.
Here’s how you can check:
1. First, check your phone settings:
On an iPhone, navigating through Settings -> Cellular -> Add Cellular Plan and seeing this option will confirm that your iPhone is eSIM-capable.
Android: Settings > Connections > SIM Card Manager. If you see eSIM listed, your device supports it.
2. Visit the Website of the Manufacturer:
You may check the official website of your device’s manufacturer, it can be Apple, Samsung, or Google, and confirm compatibility.
3. Ask Your Carrier:
You can simply just call or write an email to your carrier and directly ask whether they support eSIM.
Steps to Convert Physical SIM to eSIM
Now that you’ve identified your device as compatible, you can convert your physical SIM to an eSIM. While the general steps are somewhat uniform, a few minutiae depend on your carrier.
What You Need:
- An iPhone: XS, XS Max, XR or later.
- A carrier that supports eSIM.
- Wi-Fi connection to activate it. iPhone 14 models and later don’t require a Wi-Fi connection for activation.
To transfer from a physical SIM to an eSIM, follow these steps:
- Check for device compatibility as discussed above.
- Next, you will have to contact your carrier. Not all carriers support eSIM, so that would be a thing to know. They may require you to download their eSIM app or go to the website and initiate the transfer.
- Activate eSIM:
- Open Settings > Cellular.
- Tap Convert to eSIM if that option is available, or scan the QR code your carrier provided.
- Follow the prompts to complete the activation.
- Remove Physical SIM: After enabling the eSIM, remove the physical SIM from the tray and restart your iPhone.
Benefits That You Get from Using eSIM Over Physical SIM
1. Convenience and Flexibility
You can switch providers or launch a new number without waiting for a physical metal SIM card to be sent or visiting an actual store.
2. Two or More Profiles on One Device
Quite convenient for travelers who might want to use the local carrier, yet at the same time have their main number active. You can switch between different numbers without necessarily changing the SIM card.
3. Easy Global Roaming
For frequent travelers, eSIM lets you download a local data plan when you enter another country. And, of course, that means avoiding pricey roaming charges altogether and immediately joining any nearby network.
4. Environmental Impact
Being a digital form of SIM, eSIM reduces plastic SIM cards, packaging, and even transportation, thus being quite ecological for waste reduction.
Disadvantages of eSIM
While eSIM has numerous benefits, it’s important to be aware of its potential downsides:
1. Limited Carrier Support
Not all carriers support eSIM, even though the largest carriers in many countries have already moved to incorporate the technology. Some smaller carriers or regional ones may still conventionally use a SIM card.
2. More Challenging to Switch Phones
The eSIM is not as convenient as a physical SIM if you tend to change phones regularly. You can simply take out a traditional SIM card and place it inside another new phone. If you have eSIM, you may need to redo the re-activation process again.
3. Troubleshooting can be cumbersome
According to the users’ reports, it takes more time to resolve the issues of carrier support when an eSIM-related problem occurs.
4. Incompatibility with older devices
While most recent devices support eSIM, older ones do not. This may further limit your ability to switch between phones, in case one does not support eSIM.
Conclusion
Moving from a physical SIM to an eSIM offers convenience, flexibility, and future-proof technology.
It is relatively easy to effect, and maintenance of your mobile connections becomes much easier afterward.
However, it comes with some downside-especially regarding limited carrier support and complex troubleshooting. But many a time, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. If your device supports eSIM, switching for seamless wireless experiences while traveling is worth it.
