Moving your eSIM between an iPhone and an Android phone, in both directions

You can now transfer an eSIM from iPhone to Android, and back, without a new QR code, if both phones run recent software and your carrier is on the supported list. Apple, Google and Samsung each publish the steps and carriers, and the lists differ. This guide sets them side by side, as checked on 16 October 2026.

Can you transfer an eSIM from iPhone to Android directly?

Yes, since iOS 26.3, but only to an Android phone with a compatible version of Android 17 and only with a supported carrier. Apple's page Transfer an eSIM and data from your iPhone or iPad to an Android device says: "In iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, you can transfer your data and eSIM to an Android device using the built-in camera or Settings app." It adds that "you need a compatible version of Android 17" and tells you to check with the phone's manufacturer.

The carrier list on that Apple page is short: AT&T, FirstNet, T-Mobile and Verizon in the United States, KDDI in Japan, DT-DE (Deutsche Telekom) in Germany, SFR in France and EE in the United Kingdom. Apple ends the page with "Availability of eSIM transfer varies by carrier."

Google released Android 17 on 16 June 2026, "available on most supported Pixel devices", according to the Android Developers Blog. For other phones, the post only says to "look for new devices running Android 17 in the coming months", so a Samsung, Xiaomi or Motorola phone may still be on Android 16. If your Android phone does not offer the transfer, the classic route still works: ask your carrier for a new eSIM, as explained further down.

What you need in each direction

The two directions do not have the same requirements, because Apple documents them on two different pages. This table puts the official conditions side by side.

Table checked on 16 October 2026 on Apple pages 123878 (published 17 September 2026), 126058 and 118670 (both published 11 May 2026).

Two practical points come out of it. First, the iPhone side is broad: Apple's minimum for Android to iPhone is the iPhone 11 with iOS 26, so most models on our iPhone page qualify once updated. Second, the Android side is the bottleneck: Apple does not name any Android model and sends you to the manufacturer each time.

Which carriers support the transfer?

It depends on who you ask: Apple, Google and Samsung each publish their own list, and a carrier can be on one and missing from another. The table below crosses the four official lists, country by country. A carrier must be on the list that matches your two phones and your direction.

Lists checked on 16 October 2026 on Apple 123878 and 126058, on Google's Transfer a SIM to a new phone page for Pixel and on Samsung's SIM cards for your Galaxy phone page. Samsung's Canadian version of the same list also names 1&1 in Germany and Cricket in the US.

Spain, Italy and Portugal do not appear on any of the iPhone and Android lists above. Movistar, MasOrange, TIM Italy and MEO only appear on Samsung's general list for transfers from another phone to a Galaxy (Transfer SIM from another phone), not on its iPhone list. In those countries, moving a line between an iPhone and an Android phone still means asking the carrier for a new eSIM.

Google adds a warning under its list: "For details about supported models and minimum software versions, please contact your carrier." A carrier on the list may still exclude some plans or models, which is a separate problem covered in our guide to phones that support eSIM but that the carrier won't activate.

How to move the eSIM from an iPhone to a Google Pixel

Google describes two moments for the transfer: during the Pixel's first set-up, where "this may be automatic during the onboarding process", or later from the Settings app. The Settings route, in Google's own wording, goes like this:

1. Open your Pixel phone's Settings app.
2. Tap Network & internet, then SIMs, then Add SIM.
3. Tap Transfer a SIM from another phone, then iPhone.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen and turn on your iPhone.
5. Pair your Pixel with your iPhone through a QR scan.

In the AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile sections of the same page, Google states that "Your iPhone must have iOS 26 or above". If you bought the Pixel directly from Verizon or AT&T, Google says the carrier assigns an eSIM to the phone at purchase, and the Pixel offers to download it during set-up, so there is nothing to transfer.

Several US carriers also offer a transfer inside their own app: My Verizon, MyAT&T, Google Fi, Xfinity, Visible and Mint. For all of them except Google Fi, Google warns that "Your iPhone might need to be turned on and connected for verification purposes". Keep the old iPhone charged until the Pixel shows the line as active.

All recent Pixels are on our Google Pixel eSIM page. Note that Google lists the US Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL as eSIM-only on its eSIM overview, so on those models a transfer or a new eSIM is the only way to bring your number across.

How to move the eSIM from an iPhone to a Samsung Galaxy

Samsung calls the feature "eSIM Instant Transfer from an iOS device" and says it works "without contacting your network carrier", but "only for supported carriers". Its condition is short: "Both of your devices must be updated with the latest software. Both also must be connected to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth." Samsung gives no One UI version number on that page. The steps, copied from Samsung's US page:

1. On your new device, go to Settings, then Connections, then SIM manager, then Add eSIM.
2. Tap Transfer SIM from iPhone, then tap Next on the instructions screen.
3. The Galaxy generates a QR code for connecting the devices. Scan it with the iPhone. If you cannot scan it, tap Enter a passcode instead on the Galaxy and follow the instructions.
4. On the iPhone, select a phone number from the list, then tap Continue.
5. On the iPhone, confirm the SIM transfer by tapping Continue again.
6. Back on the Galaxy, tap Settings to return to the Settings menu once the number has moved.

Samsung's next sentence matters if your carrier is missing: "In the case that your carrier is not on the list, you need to contact your network carrier to help move your eSIM to a new device." Galaxy models with eSIM, such as the Galaxy S26 series, are listed on our Samsung Galaxy page.

What the iPhone shows during the transfer

Apple documents the iPhone side in three ways, depending on whether you also move photos and messages or only the line.

Full transfer from the Android set-up screen

Start setting up the Android phone, then use the iPhone's Camera app to scan the QR code on the Android screen. Choose the data to move, such as photos, contacts, calendars, call history or messages, and tap Continue. "After your data transfer is complete, tap Continue to transfer your eSIM." The final step is physical: double-click the side button on your iPhone when prompted to confirm the eSIM transfer.

Full transfer started from iPhone Settings

The same flow can start on the iPhone: Settings, General, Transfer or Reset iPhone, Transfer to Android. Place the phones next to each other, tap Continue, scan the set-up QR code on the Android phone, pick the data, then confirm the eSIM with a double-click of the side button.

eSIM only, no data

1. On the Android phone, go to Settings and start setting up an eSIM.
2. On the iPhone, open Settings and tap Cellular.
3. Under Transfer to Android, tap Transfer eSIM.
4. Place the phones next to each other and tap Continue.
5. Scan the QR code on the Android phone with the iPhone's camera.
6. Select the phone number to move, tap Continue, then double-click the side button to confirm.

If the camera cannot read the code, Apple's fallback is to tap Other Options on the QR code screen, then type the session ID and the pairing code displayed on the Android phone. If the Android phone does not show them, tap Other Options there too. This is the "session ID" that some searches mention: it is displayed by the phone during the transfer, not sent by your carrier.

How to transfer an eSIM from Android to iPhone

Apple's page 123878 gives the Settings route for an iPhone that is already set up. It requires an iPhone 11 or later on iOS 26, an Android phone on Android 16 or later, and "You must connect your iPhone and Android smartphone to a Wi-Fi network and enable bluetooth."

1. Place the two phones next to each other so you can see both screens.
2. On the iPhone, open Settings, tap Set Up Cellular, then Transfer from Android. If the iPhone already has another SIM, tap Cellular, then Add eSIM, then Transfer from Android.
3. Tap Transfer From Android. The iPhone generates a QR code.
4. Scan that QR code with the Android phone's camera.
5. On the Android phone, select the phone number to move and tap Transfer.
6. If asked, tap Yes to use the transferred SIM as your primary eSIM.
7. When the transfer is complete, tap Done on the iPhone, then OK, and make a phone call to check the line.

If the Android camera cannot scan the iPhone's code, tap Other Options under the QR code on the iPhone. Then, on the Android phone, open Settings, Google services, All services, Pair with iPhone or iPad, and Transfer eSIM. Enter the session ID and pairing code shown on the iPhone, tap Next, select the number and tap Transfer.

You can also move the line while setting up a new iPhone. Apple's page 118670 describes a Transfer without App option: on the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen, tap From Android, then Transfer without App. Apple adds "If you want to transfer an eSIM, select the number on your Android device and tap Transfer". That set-up flow needs "a compatible version of Android 17 or later"; with an older Android version, Apple sends you to the Move to iOS app, and says you "might be directed to your carrier's website" to finalise the activation of your number.

When neither method works, page 123878 ends with the same advice: "contact your carrier". Apple's eSIM set-up page explains that the carrier will then move the number "either by eSIM Carrier Activation or by providing a QR code".

What happens to the eSIM and the QR code on the old phone?

The line stops working on the old phone as soon as the transfer completes: there is no period where both phones carry the same number. Apple's wording for each direction is explicit. From Android to iPhone: "After you transfer your eSIM to your new iPhone, the SIM on your Android deactivates." From iPhone to Android: "Once you select a number and complete the transfer process, the number will no longer work on your iPhone or iPad."

A failed attempt is less dramatic. Google states that "Your existing device or eSIM can still work even if your eSIM transfer isn't successful", so a transfer that stops halfway does not leave you without service. Do not delete the eSIM from the old phone to "make room" before the new phone confirms the line: the direct transfer starts from the number listed on the old phone.

As for the QR code your carrier gave you when you first set up the line, do not count on it. After a direct transfer, the line lives on the new phone and, in Apple's words above, no longer works on the old one. Whether an old code can ever be reused is the carrier's decision; our guide to why eSIM QR codes expire explains the mechanism. If you already deleted the line by mistake, read our page on getting a deleted eSIM back before calling your carrier.

Can you move a travel eSIM between iPhone and Android?

No: the main travel eSIM sellers say their eSIMs stay on the first phone they are installed on. The cross-platform transfer is designed for lines from your own carrier, and the travel providers' help centres say so plainly.

• Airalo: its help centre says "The Airalo eSIM can only be installed on one device. Once it has been installed, it cannot be transferred to another device." It suggests sharing the remaining data from the old phone through a personal hotspot. If the old phone is broken, Airalo says the remaining data cannot be recovered and you need a new eSIM.
• Holafly: its FAQ allows reinstalling "up to 4 times in total on the exact same phone", but adds that the eSIM "cannot be transferred to a different phone".
• Nomad: its help centre says "Nomad eSIMs are one-time use and can't be transferred", with one exception: an eSIM that has not been installed or activated yet "may still be used on a new phone". After a lost phone, Nomad says it refunds unused data as Nomad Points, at 1 point per US dollar, and that a new eSIM can be requested from support case by case.

The practical rule follows from this. If you are changing phone shortly before a trip, install the travel eSIM on the new phone, not the old one. If the travel eSIM is already on the old phone, finish the trip with it, or turn on its hotspot as Airalo suggests. Airalo also recommends disabling an eSIM you are not using rather than removing it, because "eSIMs typically can't be reinstalled", according to its reinstall page.

If your carrier or phone is not supported

The fallback is the method that existed before iOS 26: the carrier issues a new eSIM for the new phone, by QR code, by a link, or inside its app. Google's Pixel page lists carrier apps that handle the move (My Verizon, MyAT&T, Google Fi, Xfinity, Visible, Mint) and tells customers of other carriers, such as US Cellular or Cox, to "contact your carrier directly".

EE in the UK shows what this looks like on a carrier's own help page. For an iPhone, its eSIM help page lists downloading the eSIM from the EE app as "Best for" "Moving from an Android device": log in, then Manage, Mobile and SIMs, Check Settings, and Replace my SIM/eSIM. EE's business device list also confirms that its lines can be transferred "as part of the device set up journey now between Apple and Android".

On the Android side, once you have the new QR code, the installation is the standard one described in our step-by-step guide to activating an eSIM on Android. For a move between two iPhones, which uses a different Apple feature, see our guide to transferring an eSIM between two iPhones.

Checklist before you start

Most failed transfers come from a missing condition rather than a bug. Run through this list first, using only the conditions the official pages state:

• Software: iOS 26.3 or later to move from iPhone to Android; iOS 26 or later to move from Android to iPhone. On Android, Android 17 for iPhone to Android and for the set-up flow, Android 16 or later for Apple's Settings flow.
• Carrier: yours must appear in the list for your direction and your Android brand, in the carrier table above.
• Connections: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on. Apple requires Wi-Fi on the iPhone in both directions, and on both phones for Android to iPhone.
• Both phones in hand: the old phone confirms the move, and some carrier apps send a verification code to it.
• A phone with eSIM: check the new phone on our list of eSIM-compatible phones before buying it for this purpose.

If you switch between an iPhone and an Android phone regularly, nothing on the official pages limits how many times you can repeat a direct transfer, but each move deactivates the line on the phone you leave. Plan the switch when you have Wi-Fi and both phones charged, and make a test call on the new phone straight away, as Apple recommends after a move to iPhone.