How to Convert SIM to eSIM

Embedded SIM cards are a popular alternative to physical SIM cards for cell phone plans. An eSIM card is programmed digitally, making it easy to switch plans instantaneously. Physical SIM cards have been around for decades, and now might be the time to convert SIM to eSIM. This article will talk about how to convert SIM to eSIM, decide which is right for you, and briefly explain what your SIM card does in your phone. Let’s get to it. 

How to Convert SIM to eSIM

Many new devices are created without a SIM slot, leaving eSIM as the only option for cell phone plans. In the United States, all the iPhone 14 models are created without physical SIM compatibility, and other phone manufacturers will likely follow suit in the next few years. If you are interested in one of the latest smartphones or want to use your phone’s eSIM compatibility, it might be time to convert SIM to eSIM on your device. 

There are a lot of eSIM-compatible phones, and you can check here to ensure your phone is eSIM-compatible if you want to keep your device. If you want a new device, as long as you pick up an eSIM-compatible phone, you can make the switch. Converting SIM to eSIM should be a quick process, but the steps vary based on what kind of conversion you plan on making. There are a few common conversions, and this section will cover the following: 

• How to convert SIM to eSIM on a new device
• How to convert SIM to eSIM on the same device
• How to convert SIM to eSIM with a new carrier

Convert SIM to eSIM on the Same Device

There are a few differences when you convert SIM to eSIM depending on your device, but converting on Apple and converting on Android follow the same general steps. From your settings menu, navigate to your cellular screen and find the appropriate button that “converts to eSIM.” The menus within the phone should guide you through the process from there, ending in your phone activating the new card. Now, power off your phone and remove the physical SIM card, as it is no longer in use. Power it up, and you should be all set. 

You should not notice a difference after the switch if you have a device compatible with both physical SIM and eSIM cards. The SIM and eSIM complete the same tasks within the phone, but the eSIM card is part of the phone’s hardware, while the SIM card is inserted after the fact. There is, however, something exciting about taking out the physical SIM from your device and seeing your phone continue to function without any issues. As eSIM grows in popularity, both carriers and phones will phase out physical SIM compatibility. Still, your phone will likely give out before your carrier removes physical SIM compatibility. Converting SIM to eSIM while switching devices or carriers follows a similar process. 

Convert SIM to eSIM on a New Device

Purchasing a new device is an exciting time for any smartphone owner. There are lots of phones on the market. Some of the best cell phones provide you with amazing cameras and processors (and big price tags), while refurbished cell phones offer affordable alternatives to receive a quality device. There is no best phone on the market, rather, each phone is the best in its niche. An important first step in purchasing a new device is figuring out what you need out of that device. 

Now, once you figure out which phone is right for you, it is time to convert SIM to eSIM on your new device. That’s easy. When you activate the new device for the first time, there should be an input for an eSIM activation. When activating a new device and staying with your current carrier, instead of popping out the physical SIM from your old phone and putting it in the new one, your carrier should give you the option of activating your eSIM card directly on the device. While carriers have different steps, most carriers immediately let you activate it on the new device. For further information regarding converting SIM to eSIM on a new device, contact your carrier’s customer support or browse their help pages to figure out the steps to take with their particular process. 

Convert SIM to eSIM with a New Carrier

Last is how to convert SIM to eSIM when switching carriers. This is where the magic of eSIM cards comes in full force. Activating an eSIM phone line is very easy. Your carrier will either activate the eSIM card automatically as your phone starts up for the first time, or they will send you a QR code, and your new phone will prompt you to scan the code. From there, your phone will activate your account automatically, and within minutes, your phone should be good to go. 

While the conversion is simple when switching to a new carrier, deciding whether to purchase a new phone or bring your own remains. If you want to bring your own phone, make sure your phone is unlocked and that you are ready to port over your phone number and account. If you cancel your old service too soon, the carrier may delete your number from its data banks, and you will lose your contacts and other account info. When picking out a plan, look for the carrier’s eSIM option; they should send you all the required steps to activate eSIM on your device. 

Physical SIM vs. eSIM: Which is Right for You?

Fortunately, there are not too many differences between the two options, but we want to help you choose the right one. We recommend sticking with your current SIM card if you are not changing phones or carriers. While it is a quick process to convert from SIM to eSIM, it does not change the function of your device, nor does it make it easier to switch phones or carriers in the future. If you want to for the excitement of having an eSIM phone plan, then you can absolutely go ahead, but there are not many differences in how your phone will operate. 

Once you decide to switch phones or carriers, however, is when you can switch to eSIM. ESIM has a few benefits over the SIM card when switching carriers, and physical SIM has a few benefits over eSIM when switching phones. The SIM card is better because once your new phone arrives, you can input it, and it will automatically transfer your account information and activate the device. 

The eSIM card is a bit better for switching carriers because you don’t have to wait for your new carrier to send a SIM card in the mail; rather, you can start the process immediately with the online activation of your eSIM card. 

The Similarities and Differences Between SIM and eSIM

Regarding operation within your phone, there are a few differences between SIM and eSIM. SIM cards were never the main processing hub of cell phones. They operate an essential part of every phone (holding the account information and allowing it to connect to the network), but that part is a small draw regarding processing needs. As cell phones became more complex and smaller, SIM cards also got smaller. The major difference between a physical SIM card and an eSIM is that eSIMs are no longer a chip you insert into your device. They are a part of the hardware. 

You cannot take out eSIMs from your device. The process to activate them and switch accounts is all done online and through your device. This has a few differences from the physical SIM cards of the past. eSIM cards make it easier to switch networks and to hold multiple accounts on your device, and it saves space within the device itself, opening up the potential for smaller, sleeker devices. These benefits are nice, but it is nothing so groundbreaking that all phone manufacturers are switching to eSIM cards immediately. 

As it currently stands, you can choose between physical SIM and eSIM, depending on your personal preference. Importantly — both provide the same benefits to your device. If you are comfortable with your current setup, you will not need to switch to An eSIM immediately. 

Should you Convert from SIM to eSIM?

At this point, we would not worry too much about it. Switching from physical SIM to eSIM on the same phone is straightforward. If you are changing devices, all you need to do is choose a mobile phone that supports eSIM cards, pick out a plan, and choose the eSIM option when you check out. That being said, converting SIM to eSIM does not provide many benefits. When you get a new phone or swap to a new carrier, you can reevaluate, but we recommend sticking with the card currently on your phone. 

Converting from SIM to eSIM is easy if you decide to switch carriers. The main goal is to switch your account. As long as you have a phone with eSIM compatibility, you should have your new account up and running with no issues! Here are the general steps to switch carriers: 

• Gather account information
• Ensure your phone is unlocked and ready for transfer
• Purchase a new plan with an eSIM card
• Follow the company’s instructions on how to activate your new plan!

With physical SIM cards, phone activation occurs when you change your old SIM card for your new one. When switching to an eSIM, since there is no hardware to change, it all happens through your operating system. You can follow the on-screen prompts, which should instantly activate your phone. eSIM cards are still relatively new in the mobile field, so errors within the system are more common. If one happens, don’t panic! You can get in touch with your carrier’s support team, who should get you through the process. 

What do eSIM Cards Do?

While we keep most of our focus on eSIM cards and their application in mobile phones, the greatest advances made possible by eSIM cards are in other industries and how they have changed smart devices. Smart devices operate on the Internet of Things, and those devices, now that the chip is embedded and reprogrammable, can get much smaller and more efficient. While reducing the size of the SIM card in mobile phones is nice, the saved space does not change the overall effectiveness of the phone as much as it does in many other smart devices. Notable among them are smartwatches. eSIM cards opened the doors for smartwatches to connect to mobile networks, as physical SIM cards and slots would not fit in the small model of the watch. 

One big change with eSIM is that these cards are reprogrammable through remote software updates. Physical SIM cards are not reprogrammable while they are on a device. This gains more value as the device count grows. Switching your phone’s physical SIM when a new one comes in the mail is easy. Switching the SIM card on every smart device on a college campus is tedious, to say the least. Changing all of them with the push of a few buttons is amazing. 

Switching your phone’s physical SIM card is a piece of cake, but swapping out physical SIMs when there are thousands or tens of thousands of devices on campus or in a warehouse is, shall we say, logistically challenging. 

The new possibilities of eSIM cards were not lost on tech manufacturers around the globe. We want to touch on two big applications of eSIM cards in the United States and the world. These technologies remain in development, but many companies and organizations utilize eSIM devices daily. 

Devices on the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things describes all small objects connected to the Internet. Lots of these devices are small or are optimized to be as small as possible. Alongside the decreased size, the eSIM is soldered into the device, nixing any need for a SIM card slot that’s reachable from the outside of the device. Integrating eSIMs into smart devices instead of physical SIMs opened many doors for product designers to find better models for their electronic devices. 

Industry and Manufacturing

This ability for remote change means eSIM management can happen in bulk. Manufacturing plants with thousands of machines in their warehouses can send a blanket order to all their devices with a button and reprogram the devices quickly should they change wireless providers. Using eSIMs also assists companies that provide mobile service plans to their employees. If thousands of employees use company phones and the company decides to change providers, all of those changes can happen simultaneously rather than waiting on the bulk shipment of physical SIMs. Overall, corporate management of cell phone plans is made much easier by integrating eSIM cards and plans. 

While eSIMs are popular in industries, major wireless providers have not always been keen on adopting eSIMs over physical SIM cards. Embedded SIM cards have many advantages over physical SIMs in small, numerous machines, but companies are worried about ousting customers if they switch to eSIM too rapidly. 

Key Takeaways

Hopefully, we have answered your questions regarding converting SIM to eSIM. The choice is yours. Before you go, we’ve compiled a few of the article’s key takeaways to ensure you’re an expert in SIM to eSIM conversion. 

• Converting SIM to eSIM is a fast process regardless of whether you are doing it on the same phone, for a new phone, or a new carrier. 
• There are a few differences between physical SIM and eSIM regarding smartphone use. 
• Phone manufacturers will eventually transition entirely to eSIM, but most phones and carriers have eSIM and physical SIM compatibility for now. 
• While eSIMs are generating buzz in the smartphone sector, they made the most drastic change in smaller smart devices. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my phone is eSIM compatible?

Check out our full list here to see which phones have eSIM. On top of that, there are ways to look at eSIM compatibility within your device. While it depends on the model of your device, looking into your settings is another way to discern whether or not your phone is eSIM compatible. 

How much does the eSIM cost? 

Nothing! No fees are associated with activating an eSIM phone plan on any carrier.