The new iPhone 15
Bazurks's profile

Contributor

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1 Message

Tuesday, January 29th, 2019 2:44 AM

Transfer sim card to esim

Hi! So I recently talked to support about switching from my sim card to esim on my iPhone XS. It is coming in the mail tomorrow and I'm not sure how to activate/transfer my sim to an esim. Is it as simple as going to the activation page? Or do I have to contact support to transfer it over to the sim card? Any information would help. Thanks in advance!

(I'm also on 12.1.1 is this the recommended version for esim? Or would it be better to upgrade to a newer version? I'm not going to ios 12.1.3 for jailbreaking)

Accepted Solution

Official Solution

Community Support

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230.7K Messages

5 years ago

Hello @Bazurks

 

Congratulations on your new Apple iPhone XS

You can get a free eSIM card activation kit online, or by visiting an AT&T Retail Location. We recommend updating iOS once you receive the device. However, rooting your iPhone XS is never recommended as it voids your warranty, and limits device support. 

To use Dual SIM, you will need an activated Nano-SIM card, an eSIM card, and separate plans as one of your cellular plans will use the Nano-SIM, and the other use the eSIM. To Set Up eSIM from the home screen > select the Settings app.

  1. Select Cellular
  2. Select Add Cellular Plan
  3. Use your iPhone's camera to scan the QR code or select Enter Details Manually at the bottom of the screen
  4. Select Add Cellular Plan
  5. Label the Cellular Plans as desired then Continue
    • To label your plans, select the desired Phone number then select the desired Label and enter a Custom Label and select Done
  6. Select your Default Line, then Select Done

You can check out Device Support > Dual SIM for help managing cellular plans for Phone Call, and Message.

We hope this helps answer your questions.

Kenneth, AT&T Community Specialist

Contributor

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1 Message

4 years ago

I activated the esim on my iPhone 11.  My original sim has a plan with AT&T.  How I can transfer this plan to the esim plan and remove the sim from my phone to use it with a different carrier?

Contributor

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6 Messages

I want to do exactly this. Did you ever get it figured out?

ACE - Expert

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23.9K Messages

you have to call or go into a store to get a ESIM card to scan

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*I am not an AT&T employee, and the views and opinions expressed on this forum are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote, or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party.

New Member

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1 Message

3 years ago

Kinda horse (Edited per community guidelines) if I say so. It says that you can order the esim kit online and activate it yourself but when I try to order one, the website is built such that there isn't place to order one. Very frustrating experience. When I tried to get one in the store, I first had to wait for 45 mins before anyone spoke to me - full disclosure, I didn't take a prior appt. And they charged me for the esim. When I asked why, they said that's how it works. It may be free online but you have to pay for it in the store.

I've been with ATT for many years and I cringe when I have to talk to them as it's usually about the bill being off. In rare cases, they helped lower my bill which is weird that that they don't do anything unless you call and plead. Well, maybe that isn't so strange after all but still.

If you are switching to an eSim from a physical Sim, read up first about the numbers assignment as they are associated with the Sim. I made a confused bad choice last time and paid for it for months as I manually reset many numbers from thinking that I was still in a different country.

(edited)

New Member

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1 Message

3 years ago

Hey all,

Just to update this with the latest information... after reading here, I called AT&T from a separate line to switch my iPhone 11, and after 40 minutes with two techs, it came to light that they could not do it without sending me a physical card with the QR code on it through the mail. I then went to an AT&T store, and they were able to do it there, but only after undoing a bunch of stuff the online people had done to my account.

I also want to confirm that if you want to add a Verizon account to your phone, they won't add it as an eSim at all. The only way I could use both accounts on my phone was the physically go to the AT&T store and get that one moved to my eSim, then add Verizon as a physical sim.

What I thought was going to take about 30 minutes of my day turned into 5 hour marathon of three trips to the two stores, 40 minutes online with AT&T at my house and another hour with the AT&T person at the store on the phone with them.

Contributor

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6 Messages

3 years ago

I just noticed that iOS 15 takes care of this for you.   

Settings --> Cellular --> Convert to eSIM.

ACE - Expert

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23.9K Messages

3 years ago

Now the question is does it really work.

New Member

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1 Message

2 years ago

Just did that on my iPhone, it worked perfectly fine.
why on earth ATT representatives have no clue about it?  I went to 3 att stores and they said they can’t help tax they ran out of those preprinted esims. Ridiculous.

New Member

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1 Message

2 years ago

go to Verizon, if at all possible. ATT is THE WORST: worse even than Spectrum. Customer service is performed by uneducated and incompetent fools. It's diabolical and I would avoid them if I were you. Long term it'll definitely be worth it. 

New Member

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2 Messages

2 years ago

I completely agree....AT&T is THE WORST.   Only AT&T could defeat the entire purpose of downloadable SIMs by pairing them with physical  activation cards you have to wait to receive in the mail.   

IF AT&T was an airline company, they'd probably prohibit E-ticket printing unless customers first go to the airport and get a physical boarding pass!  

If AT&T was E-trade, they'd probably prohibit online stock trades unless customers first order physical stock certificates in the mail! 

ACE - Professor

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3K Messages

2 years ago

@ejleo  Why would you want to go to an AT&T store when Apple with iOS 15.X allows you to move to an eSIM without any carrier interaction. Just follow the directions from Apple. 

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210655

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