Guide

How to transfer your eSIM to a new phone: iPhone and Android

How to move an eSIM between iPhones, from Android to iPhone and back, between Android phones or through your carrier, plus what to do with a travel eSIM.

Published October 1, 2026 · 9 min read · MoreSim editorial team

You can transfer an eSIM to a new phone in two ways: with the built-in transfer in Settings or by having your carrier reissue it. Built-in transfer only works when both phones, their OS versions and your carrier all support it. If they don’t, your carrier issues a new QR code, and for Russia’s MTS, MegaFon and T2 that’s the standard route as of October 2026. Don’t delete a travel eSIM before switching phones: contact support first.

How to transfer an eSIM to a new phone: two ways

Transferring an eSIM to another phone doesn’t copy the profile: the new phone gets its own, and the old one is switched off. With built-in transfer, the phones talk to each other and you just confirm the number. With a reissue, you get a new QR code from your carrier and install it like any other eSIM.

If any requirement is missing, the transfer option won’t show up or will fail. For Russian numbers, a carrier reissue is the main route: MegaFon says outright that Transfer From Nearby iPhone and Transfer to Android aren’t available in Russia.

How do I transfer an eSIM from iPhone to iPhone?

An eSIM moves from iPhone to iPhone with eSIM Quick Transfer if your carrier supports it. Per Apple Support as of September 2026, both iPhones need iOS 18.4 or later and the same Apple Account, the old iPhone has to be unlocked, and Bluetooth has to be on. The easiest moment is first setup with Quick Start: the new iPhone offers to move your number, and since iOS 26 it can move several numbers at once. After setup, here’s how.

1. Put both iPhones next to each other.
2. On the new iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > Set Up Cellular or Add eSIM.
3. Pick the number from the list. If there’s no list, tap Transfer From Nearby iPhone.
4. On the old iPhone, tap Transfer or enter the code shown on the new one.
5. Wait for activation: once the plan works on the new iPhone, the SIM on the old one switches off.

Menu names shift between iOS versions, so go by meaning. If a banner about finishing your carrier’s cellular plan setup appears, tap it to open your carrier’s page. If there’s no transfer option or it keeps failing, ask your carrier to reissue the eSIM.

Can I transfer an eSIM from Android to iPhone?

On iOS 26, you can move an eSIM from Android to iPhone without contacting your carrier, but only with carriers on Apple’s list. Per Apple Support as of September 2026, you need an iPhone 11 or later on iOS 26 and a phone on Android 16 or later that its maker confirms is compatible. Both phones need Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. The list covers carriers in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Japan and several European countries, and no Russian ones.

1. On the iPhone, go to Settings > Set Up Cellular > Transfer from Android. If the iPhone already has a SIM: Cellular > Add eSIM > Transfer from Android.
2. Scan the QR code on the iPhone with the Android camera.
3. On Android, choose the number and tap Transfer.
4. If the code won’t scan, tap Other Options on the iPhone, then on Android go to Settings > Google services > All services > Pair with iPhone or iPad > Transfer eSIM and enter the codes shown on the iPhone.
5. Make a call from the iPhone to check service. The SIM on Android switches off.

If your carrier isn’t on the list, Apple’s advice is to contact them: they’ll issue an eSIM for the iPhone by QR code or carrier activation.

Can I transfer an eSIM from iPhone to Android?

eSIM transfer from iPhone to Android arrived in iOS 26.3 and works with a short list of carriers. Per Apple Support as of May 2026, that’s AT&T, FirstNet, T-Mobile and Verizon in the US, KDDI in Japan, Telekom in Germany, SFR in France and EE in the UK. The Android phone needs a compatible version of Android 17, so check with its maker.

On the iPhone, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Transfer to Android to move your data and eSIM together. To move just the eSIM, tap Transfer eSIM under Transfer to Android in Cellular settings. You confirm with a double-click of the side button, and after that the number stops working on the iPhone. Samsung has a matching Transfer SIM from iPhone option in SIM manager, but it also works only with carriers on Samsung’s list.

How do I transfer an eSIM between Android phones?

Between Android phones, an eSIM moves with a built-in transfer if the phone maker and carrier support it. Android’s documentation says the feature is built for a new phone on Android 14 or later, and Google’s Pixel help asks for up-to-date Google Play services and a screen lock on both phones. The option appears during first setup, and later you can start it from Settings.

• Pixel: Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Add SIM > Transfer SIM from another device.
• Samsung Galaxy during setup: Smart Switch can move the eSIM, but Samsung notes that this depends on your carrier.
• Samsung Galaxy after setup: Settings > Connections > SIM manager > Add eSIM > Transfer SIM from Galaxy/Android phone. Confirm on the old phone and enter the 6-digit code from the new one.
• Xiaomi, Honor and other Android skins: look for a transfer option in SIM settings. If there isn’t one, your carrier issues the profile.

As of September 2026, Samsung’s list of carriers that support eSIM Instant Transfer had no Russian carriers, so an MTS, MegaFon or T2 number moves to a new Galaxy through the carrier.

How do I move an eSIM through my carrier?

When built-in transfer isn’t available, your carrier reissues the eSIM: you get a new QR code, install it on the new phone, and the old profile switches off. Your number and plan stay the same. In Russia, MTS, MegaFon and T2 all work this way as of October 2026, and all three give you 6 hours to install the code.

1. Make sure the new phone supports eSIM and isn’t locked to another carrier.
2. Don’t reset the old phone yet: some carriers, MTS among them, text a confirmation code to the active eSIM.
3. Connect both phones to Wi-Fi: the old eSIM goes offline during the swap.
4. Request the new QR code and scan it on the new phone before it expires.
5. Delete the old profile following your carrier’s instructions, with the phone online.

Texts may not arrive right away after a swap, which is an anti-fraud measure: MTS warns that texts and payments from your balance may be limited for the first 24 hours, and MegaFon blocks texts for a day. Don’t switch phones the day before a bank transfer. Carrier-by-carrier details for Russia are in our guide to Russian carriers’ eSIMs.

What happens to a travel eSIM when you switch phones?

Don’t delete a travel eSIM or try to move it yourself when you switch phones: built-in transfer generally isn’t supported for travel plans. A deleted eSIM profile usually can’t be reinstalled from the same QR code. If that happens, contact support before you buy a new plan. MoreSim support answers via /support in @moresim_bot, a ticket in your account and email.

• Plan bought but not installed: install the QR code straight onto the new phone, since it’s meant for one install.
• Plan installed on the old phone: leave the profile alone and tell support you’re switching phones.
• Trip almost over: it’s simpler to use up the plan on the old phone and put the next one on the new phone.
• New phone bought on the trip: check that it supports eSIM; @moresim_bot has a built-in compatibility check.

MoreSim plans are data-only, with no phone number, so what needs moving is the plan itself, and support will tell you how. Our install and activation guide covers setting up an eSIM on the new phone, and our eSIM QR code guide explains why a code works only once.

What to check before you sell or reset your old phone

Reset your old phone only once every line works on the new one. A factory reset can wipe eSIM profiles along with your data, including travel eSIMs you didn’t move.

• Make a call from the new phone and check texts on every number you moved.
• Set which line handles calls, texts and data; our two-lines guide explains how to split them.
• If a profile goes missing anyway, our guide to a disappeared eSIM walks you through what to do.