This is how eSIM transfer will work on Android

In January this year, Google was spotted working on the ability to transfer eSIM profiles between two Android devices. While the feature has yet to roll out to the public, the company seems to have made significant progress with its development. We now have visuals of how the whole process will work.

Screenshots shared on X, formerly Twitter, by app researcher AssembleDebug show that supported Android devices will gain a new settings page for transferring eSIM profiles. You will initiate the process on your current device and then scan a QR code on the new device. Once the scanning is complete, your new phone will show some on-screen instructions. Follow them as instructed and your eSIM will be transferred to it shortly.

You will now have your eSIM profile active on your new Android phone. You don’t need to contact your carrier at any point during this process. Without this feature, which might roll out to users later this year, you first need to deactivate eSIM on your current phone and activate it on the new phone. Since some carriers require you to contact customer service for eSIM activation, that’s an added convenience.

It’s unclear if eSIM transfer will be part of Android 14

Codes associated with an eSIM transfer feature for Android devices first appeared within Android 13 QPR2 Beta 2, which was the second beta build for the second quarterly feature drop for Pixel devices (stable update rolled out in March). The feature didn’t make it to the stable build. Google has since rolled out one more feature drop, and eSIM transfer wasn’t part of that either.

In the meantime, we are now nearing the stable Android 14 rollout. It’s unclear if Google will push this feature with the latest Android version in a few weeks. Even if the initial release doesn’t bring it, we hope the company won’t take much longer to make eSIM transfer seamless for Android users. Apple already offers a built-in tool in iOS that allows iPhone users to seamlessly transfer eSIM profiles to another iPhone.

There also have been hints of Google working on the ability to convert a physical SIM card into an eSIM. Unfortunately, the latest discovery doesn’t mention anything about this feature. It’s unclear whether the company has dropped this development of this feature for the time being or if it’s still in the works. We will let you know when we have more information.