Other How do you use multiple iPhones with the same phone number with eSIM?

[Luba]

I’ve been reading on MacRumors that quite a few users here use multiple phones, for example a smaller phone when going to the gym. Seems like a pain having to take out the SIM and put it in the other phone every time you want to use a different phone. But now with the 13 being delivered with eSIMs, how will users use multiple phones under the same phone number? Or do people who have multiple phones have it with separate phone numbers and paying for 2 cellular plans?

 

[kevink2]

You would have to transfer the service between phones, convert the service to a physical SIM (and move it), or have 2 numbers.

I have multiple numbers, currently on 2 phones, but once I can convert to an eSIM I'll move the other SIM to the 12 Pro.

 

[titoaida2078]

Isn’t there a feature to have all phones ring if under the same Apple ID ? Or am I misunderstanding OP?

 

[titoaida2078]

I’ve been reading on MacRumors that quite users here use multiple phones, for example a smaller phone when going to the gym. Seems like a pain having to take out the SIM and put it in the other phone every time you want to use a different phone. But now with the 13 being delivered with eSIMs, how will users use multiple phones under the same phone number? Or do people who have multiple phones have it with separate phone numbers and paying for 2 cellular plans?

Esims have been around since the iPhone 11 I believe

 

[Luba]

Isn’t there a feature to have all phones ring if under the same Apple ID ? Or am I misunderstanding OP?

I was under the impression that some users on MacRumors under 1 phone number and therefore 1 cellular plan use different iPhones under different circumstances. For instance, they have a 12 mini to use when going to the gym or a 12 Pro to use on the weekends, but use a 12 Pro Max during the work week. With a physical SIM it's easy to do, but seems like a hassle to me, but women often empty out their purse to use another purse . . . It takes like 5 minutes, so I guess not a big deal, just surprised so many users do that. But with the 13 there won't be a physical SIM in the phone, only eSIM, so I guess multi iPhone users will have to special order a 13 with a physical SIM or go into a carrier store and have the eSIM converted to a physical SIM.

 

[Luba]

You would have to transfer the service between phones, convert the service to a physical SIM (and move it), or have 2 numbers.

I have multiple numbers, currently on 2 phones, but once I can convert to an eSIM I'll move the other SIM to the 12 Pro.

You probably can't drop in a blank physical SIM into one of the SIM slots on the phone and copy over the eSIM info? Probably need to go into a carrier store and have them do it?

 

[titoaida2078]

I was under the impression that some users on MacRumors under 1 phone number and therefore 1 cellular plan use different iPhones under different circumstances. For instance, they have a 12 mini to use when going to the gym or a 12 Pro to use on the weekends, but use a 12 Pro Max during the work week. With a physical SIM it's easy to do, but seems like a hassle to me, but women often empty out their purse to use another purse . . . It takes like 5 minutes, so I guess not a big deal, just surprised so many users do that. But with the 13 there won't be a physical SIM in the phone, only eSIM, so I guess multiple iPhone users will have to special order a 13 with a physical SIM or go into a carrier store and have the eSIM converted to a physical SIM.

What do you mean there won’t be a physical sim? As in no sim in it or do you mean no sim slot? Because there is one

 

[SirWill]

From what I understand you can order the iPhone 13 without a plan at all, and move your existing sim into it. (so long as it is a nano sim. ) i was going to do that, but decided to just go with the eSim.

 

[now i see it]

The iPhone 13s all have the usual nano SIM tray and can use the typical nano SIM card but don't ship with a SIM card.
You've got to either use an active SIM card you've already got from another phone or go to a cell carrier's store to get a new SIM card if you want to use a card.
A physical SIM card makes it easy to swap a number into any phone. You can't do that as easily with an eSIM. It requires a phone call to the carrier.

 

[Luba]

What do you mean there won’t be a physical sim? As in no sim in it or do you mean no sim slot? Because there is one

With the 13 they will be activated on one of the eSIM "slots". I think you can have 2 eSIMs active at the same time. I'm pretty sure there will be a SIM slot, but no physical SIM in it. That slot is for an additional phone number you want activated on the phone, perhaps when you're abroad.

 

[Luba]

Anyway, I'm just surprised that some users have a Pro Max as their everyday phone, but on weekends or whenever they wear shorts, they'll take out the SIM and put it in their mini. I never thought of having two phones, but it solves the problem of not being able to decided which version of the iPhone to get.

 

[stormchasejg]

Anyway, I'm just surprised that some users have a Pro Max as their everyday phone, but on weekends or whenever they wear shorts, they'll take out the SIM and put it in their mini. I never thought of having two phones, but it solves the problem of not being able to decided which version of the iPhone to get.

I just rock the Pro Max in whatever I'm wearing even in shorts or tight pants, it either lives in my back pocket, front pocket (if gym shorts) or in my hand if I dont have pockets, couldn't afford or deal with keep swapping phones

 

[jon3543]

Not trying to hijack the thread, but as I'm moving from a 7 to a 13 Pro but plan to keep the 7 as a backup, I should stick with the nano-SIM instead of converting to eSIM, right? That is, if I were to convert to eSIM, the nano-SIM would have to be reactivated to be usable in the 7 again, whereas if I stick with the nano-SIM, I can move it freely between the two phones, right?

 

[titoaida2078]

Not trying to hijack the thread, but as I'm moving from a 7 to a 13 Pro but plan to keep the 7 as a backup, I should stick with the nano-SIM instead of converting to eSIM, right? That is, if I were to convert to eSIM, the nano-SIM would have to be reactivated to be usable in the 7 again, whereas if I stick with the nano-SIM, I can move it freely between the two phones, right?

Yup

 

[now i see it]

A physical SIM card is the way to go if a person likes to use more than one iPhone (at a time) with the same phone number

 

[tangfish]

Anyway, I'm just surprised that some users have a Pro Max as their everyday phone, but on weekends or whenever they wear shorts, they'll take out the SIM and put it in their mini. I never thought of having two phones, but it solves the problem of not being able to decided which version of the iPhone to get.

Or better yet, a Max for everyday use and an SE2 for out and about with a mask on. I never liked Face ID before the pandemic but now I absolutely can’t stand it and am glad I have a Touch ID phone in the mix.