If you’ve ever owned a mobile phone, chances are you’ve dealt with a SIM card - that tiny piece of plastic you pop into your device to connect to your network.
But as phones evolve, so does the tech behind them. Enter the eSIM - short for embedded SIM - a built-in, digital version of your SIM that does everything a physical one does, minus the hassle.
Your mobile number, data, texts, and calls all stay the same - it’s simply stored inside your device instead of on a removable chip.
It's already supported on most newer iPhones (from iPhone XS and up), and networks across the UK including O2, Three, Vodafone.
In this guide, we’ll explain how to convert your current physical SIM to an eSIM on iPhone - all from the settings menu in just a few minutes.
How to convert to eSIM on iPhone.
Here's how to convert a physical SIM to eSIM on iPhone, step-by-step:
1) Open Settings on your iPhone.
2) Tap Mobile Data (or Cellular, depending on your iOS version).
3) Select your current SIM/mobile plan - this will show as your phone number or network name.
4) Tap Convert to eSIM (If you don’t see this option, your carrier may not support in-phone conversion - check their app or website).
5) On the next screen, tap Convert Mobile Plan. You’ll see a message confirming your physical SIM will be deactivated and transferred to eSIM.
6) Tap Convert to eSIM again to begin the process. Your iPhone will activate the eSIM automatically - this can take a few seconds.
7) Once done, tap OK and restart your iPhone when prompted. After rebooting, your number will be running on eSIM. The physical SIM will no longer be active.
That’s it. You’re now running on eSIM - no tray, no card, no fuss. You can now remove the physical SIM from your phone if you want - or leave it in as a backup.
