How to Transfer eSIM to a New Android Phone (2026 Guide)

Moving an eSIM to a new Android phone used to mean a call to your carrier. Since Android 13, most Samsung and Pixel phones can hand the profile over wirelessly in about a minute. We tested the flow on a Galaxy S24, a Pixel 9, and a OnePlus 12 on T-Mobile and Verizon lines.

#Before You Start: The Five Pre-Checks

Most transfer failures are environment problems, not carrier problems. Run through this list on both phones before you tap a single button.

The new phone must be carrier-unlocked. A phone that’s still locked to a different carrier will accept the eSIM profile but refuse to register on the network, which looks like a transfer failure but isn’t. If you’re not sure, our guide on carrier lock and no SIM restrictions walks through the checks. Both phones need Android 13 or newer, Bluetooth on, the same Wi-Fi network, and at least 50% battery.

Proximity matters too. Wireless eSIM transfer uses Bluetooth to pair and Wi-Fi to move the profile, the same combination Quick Share uses for files. If you’ve set up Quick Share between two Android phones, the eSIM flow should feel familiar.

Sign in to the same Google account on both phones first. For two Galaxies, have your Samsung account ready on both. Smart Switch and the Pixel migration tool bundle eSIM transfer into the larger device-setup flow, so a fresh phone often gets the eSIM moved during first-boot rather than a separate trip into Settings later on.

#Transfer Between Two Samsung Galaxy Phones

Samsung calls this eSIM Instant Transfer, and it’s the fastest path between any two Galaxy phones that both support it.

According to Samsung’s official Galaxy eSIM support page, the new device drives the flow:

1. On the new Galaxy, go to Settings, Connections, SIM manager, Add eSIM
2. Tap Transfer SIM from Galaxy or Android phone
3. Wait for the prompt on the old phone, then tap Transfer
4. Enter the 6-digit verification code shown on the new phone
5. Pick the phone number you want to move from the list on the new phone
6. Tap Transfer to confirm
7. Wait for the new Galaxy to download and activate the profile, usually 30 to 60 seconds

The old phone will display a confirmation, and at that point the line will go dead on the old device. Samsung’s supported list covers Galaxy S20 through S26, Z Fold and Z Flip, FE, A-series in select regions, Xcover, and Tab S. If your model is on that list and your carrier is on Samsung’s supported-carriers chart, this flow should work on the first try.

Samsung also added an eSIM recovery option on the S25 and S26. The new phone can redownload a recently deleted eSIM from Settings, Connections, SIM manager, Add eSIM, Recover deleted eSIM. Useful if you accidentally wiped the profile during a botched first attempt.

#How Do I Move an eSIM to a New Pixel Phone?

Pixel uses the same wireless model as Samsung, but the menus live under different labels. The path is Settings, Network and internet, SIMs, Add SIM, Transfer SIM from another device.

Google’s Pixel support page confirms that Pixel can pull an eSIM from another Android device or an iPhone running iOS 26 or newer. If your carrier supports automatic onboarding, the Pixel may surface the eSIM during the device-setup wizard, which is the lower-friction path.

Otherwise, the manual settings path is the same shape as Samsung’s: open the SIMs menu, tap Add, pick Transfer.

One regional caveat. The Pixel 10 in the US has no physical SIM tray, which means eSIM transfer isn’t optional, it’s the only way to get a working line on the device. If wireless transfer hangs on a Pixel 10, see our notes on common Pixel 10 problems for the launch-window fixes.

For cross-brand transfers, say from a Galaxy to a Pixel, both wireless flows can talk to each other in most regions. The Pixel side initiates with Transfer SIM from another device and lists the Galaxy as a source. We tested a Galaxy S24 to Pixel 9 transfer on T-Mobile in three minutes from menu to signal bars.

#What If Wireless Transfer Does Not Work?

Three common reasons the wireless flow fails: the carrier hasn’t enabled it for your line, one of the phones is too old, or you’re moving across brands where the bridge isn’t yet supported.

The QR code path is the universal fallback.

Most US carriers will email or display a fresh QR if you ask. On the new phone, open Settings, SIM manager, Add eSIM, Scan QR code from service provider. Confirm, and the profile downloads in seconds.

The same menu has Enter activation code for carriers that send an SM-DP+ address instead of a QR.

#Carrier App Fallbacks for T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon

T-Mobile uses its T-Life app. T-Mobile’s eSIM support page confirms the steps: disable SIM Protection, open T-Life, pick the line, enter the new phone’s IMEI, then confirm through the interactive SMS prompt.

AT&T and Verizon have similar self-serve flows in their apps. If the in-app path stalls, a 5-minute call to support is usually enough to re-provision the profile to the new IMEI manually. Samsung also recommends contacting the carrier directly when Instant Transfer fails on a supported model.

A quick warning on travel eSIMs. Most one-time plans, including Holafly, Airalo, and ByteSim, are device-bound after first activation and can’t be transferred to a new phone. You’ll need to buy a fresh plan for the destination. Your home carrier’s primary eSIM doesn’t have this restriction.

#Keep Your Number Safe During the Handoff

The single biggest mistake we see is factory-resetting the old phone before the new eSIM is confirmed active. Don’t do that.

Keep the old phone powered on, connected to its network, and physically with you for the whole process. If the new eSIM downloads but doesn’t register, having the old phone still alive lets you abort, repeat the transfer, or call the carrier from the line itself. Samsung’s doc states that a failed transfer leaves the eSIM in a stuck state where neither phone has the live profile, and recovering usually means a carrier call.

Watch for signal bars on the new phone, then send a test SMS and place a test call. Only after both succeed should you consider removing the eSIM from the old phone or starting Smart Switch’s data wipe. If Smart Switch itself stalls during the broader migration, our walkthrough on Smart Switch stuck issues covers the common fixes.

Keep your carrier’s account login and IMEI handy. The IMEI lives in Settings, About phone on both devices. Support will ask for it within the first 30 seconds of any call.

If you’re moving to or from an iPhone in the same session, our companion guide on switching a SIM card from Android to iPhone covers the cross-platform direction.

#Bottom Line

Try the built-in wireless transfer first. On Galaxy phones, that’s Settings, SIM manager, Add eSIM, Transfer SIM from Galaxy or Android phone. On Pixel, it’s Settings, Network and internet, SIMs, Add SIM, Transfer SIM from another device. Either flow takes about a minute when both phones are unlocked, on the same Wi-Fi, and on a supported carrier.

If wireless transfer fails twice, don’t keep retrying. Ask the carrier for a fresh QR code or use their self-serve app to re-provision the profile to your new device’s IMEI.

Above all, keep the old phone alive on its network until the new eSIM shows signal bars and passes a test call. Skip that one habit and a 60-second transfer turns into a 60-minute support call.

#Frequently Asked Questions