iOS 19 Might Make Transferring an eSIM From an iPhone to an Android Phone Easier

[MacRumors]

Apple's upcoming iOS 19 update could make it easier for iPhone users to transfer an eSIM to an Android smartphone, according to a report from Android Authority.

The site found strings in the Android 16 beta version of Google's SIM Manager that reference a new "Transfer to Android" feature. The setting would include an option for wirelessly transferring an eSIM from an iPhone to an Android phone.

While it is simple to transfer an eSIM from iPhone to iPhone, that is not true when trying to transfer an eSIM from an iPhone to an Android device as of right now. Moving from an iPhone to an Android phone typically requires contacting a carrier, but that might not be the case in the future.

Transfer to Android could be added to the "Transfer or Reset iPhone" interface that's located under the General section of the Settings app. Apple may expand the eSIM Quick Transfer feature for swapping an eSIM between iPhones to Android devices, plus it looks like there may be a QR code backup in case a wireless connection fails.

Code in the Google SIM Manager suggests that iOS 19 will be required to initiate a transfer, hence why it may be an iOS 19 feature.

On your other device, go to Settings app > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Transfer to Android >

"Still can't connect wirelessly?"" Make sure your other device is running iOS 19 or later versions."

We could perhaps hear more about the eSIM transferring feature at WWDC, though it may also be something that's quietly introduced. Google could also be working on a reciprocal feature that would make it easier for an Android user to transfer to an iPhone.

Article Link: iOS 19 Might Make Transferring an eSIM From an iPhone to an Android Phone Easier

 

[SkippyThorson]

To think I once held on to the ol’ SIM card because of the ease of transferring…

Kids today (I love using that) won’t know how easy it once was to replace an entirely deceased iPhone and boom, be up and running, making your next call.

 

[Nermal]

making your next call.

What's a "call"?

 

[Spock]

Strange to see Apple getting such a feature prepared. I wonder if they know something that we don't and are getting ahead of it. I miss having a physical SIM card.

 

[frownface]

esim has its advantages, but it's hard to beat the simplicity of taking a sim card out from one phone and just popping it into the next one.

Thankfully we still have physical sims down here in aus (and most countries outside of the US)

 

[ZipZilla]

esim has huge advantages. Allows people to just activate and go. No need for a physical sim, no going to the store or waiting for it to be shipped. Also it's nice for customers whose SIM card slot is damaged. also one less point for water to get into the phone.

in a perfect world, you buy an unlocked phone from apple or Samsung and turn it on, select your carrier and go. 1 and done

 

[klasma]

What's a "call"?

It’s when you pay someone a brief visit, usually for social reasons.

 

[applefan8254]

This would be great, looking forward to this. thank you. good for all consumers. the way it should be. esim finally catching up to physical sim, and in a way going beyond, so we don't even have to remove the case. I'm hoping for full fledged hot swap functionality to swap esim anytime, just like us possible with a physical sim, but esim is a bit more futuristic, so it will be nice for it to catch up and surpass. No need to remember to carry a tiny metal pin just in the chance you want to do a sim hot swap. It makes more sense with esim hotswap. If your battery is about to die and you have your second device with you, you've now got a fully charged device in seconds.

 

[JonathanX64]

Good. It was always weird that you can't just transfer an eSIM between different operating systems. It should not be like this, and I'm happy it's getting fixed.

 

[B4U]

esim has huge advantages. Allows people to just activate and go. No need for a physical sim, no going to the store or waiting for it to be shipped. Also it's nice for customers whose SIM card slot is damaged. also one less point for water to get into the phone.

in a perfect world, you buy an unlocked phone from apple or Samsung and turn it on, select your carrier and go. 1 and done

Ever tried going overseas and get robbed by the US carriers?

 

[russell_314]

It’s when you pay someone a brief visit, usually for social reasons.

Isn’t that like for someone you don’t like. The old “I’m going to pay Joey a visit” 😂

 

[platinumaqua]

Still rather have a physical SIM for the flexibility, but this is a good step in the right direction.

 

[klasma]

Isn’t that like for someone you don’t like. The old “I’m going to pay Joey a visit” 😂

I don't think so?
https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/another-word-for/pay_a_brief_visit_to.html

 

[testing1236]

I hope they can figure out a solution for prepaid users transferring to new devices.

 

[BornAgainMac]

Can this be a security worry?

 

[frownface]

esim has huge advantages.

It does, and that's why i'm glad the iPhones i have, have both options available.

My work line uses a physical sim (and they won't budge to esim) and that's fine. My personal line is on esim on the same device. When i go on holidays, i pull out the work sim and pop in a cheap data sim from the airport of the country i'm visitting. If they have esim that works too.

 

[7thson]

Assuming it works properly, this will make all of the phone reviewers happy. Will Android do the same?

 

[Xade]

esim has huge advantages. Allows people to just activate and go. No need for a physical sim, no going to the store or waiting for it to be shipped. Also it's nice for customers whose SIM card slot is damaged. also one less point for water to get into the phone.

in a perfect world, you buy an unlocked phone from apple or Samsung and turn it on, select your carrier and go. 1 and done

It also has huge disadvantages and I would prefer the option to have both included in a phone.

 

[DaveN]

For those lamenting the ease of having a physical sim to move to another phone, here is my counter. Having an eSIM option when signing up for a new service and downloading an eSIM is easier than sending off or going to the store for a SIM card that you can insert into your phone. I’m glad we have both options.

 

[klasma]

Assuming it works properly, this will make all of the phone reviewers happy. Will Android do the same?

Read the article. The messages were found in Google's SIM Manager app. It's clear that moving an eSIM between iPhone and Android requires both sides to cooperate. So you can expect this to work in both directions, and Apple couldn't do this on their own without Google's cooperation.

 

[svish]

Good to know about this especially since I think all iPhones sold globally will gradually but surely shift to e-sim only.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

A modest proposal: Just call them iPhoneOS and GooglePhoneOS/AndroidPhoneOS. Falls right off the tongue, just like Dollar Tree's rebrand to "Dollar Twenty Five Tree."

 

[zorinlynx]

There really should be an industry standard, non-platform specific way to transfer an eSIM. It should work without requiring the cellular network itself or internet access, with an entirely local transfer mechanism over WiFi or Bluetooth.

Basically, we should be able to move our eSIM just as easily as we could a physical one.

Of course, good luck getting companies to actually cooperate on anything like that.

 

[d5aqoëp]

This trash eSim transfer doesn’t work if carriers don’t support it. Most of the worldwide carriers don’t support this.

 

[Leon Nash]

Ever tried going overseas and get robbed by the US carriers?

My EU carrier charges 15c per 1MB data roaming in China. For 20e I could get 1GB data package.

Ended up buying 20GB eSIM (data only but can use all western services) for 20USD before the trip. For the calls (and 7GB data) I have local physical SIM card.

So I am heavily on the camp “best of the both worlds”.