How To Use Dual SIM and eSIM on iPhone 11, XR, & XS

If You Enter eSIM Information Manually

1. Go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile)
2. Scroll down the list of options and tap Add Cellular Plan
3. At the bottom of your screen, tap Enter Details Manually
4. Enter in the eSIM information (like phone number and other account information) provided by your eSIM carrier 
5. Don’t forget to label your new plan so you can differentiate your plans
   1. Your main SIM defaults to the label Primary–but you can change that
   2. For example, label one as work/business and the other as home/personal or one as home and another as travel
   3. Labels help you identify which plan is active, what number is receiving a call or text message, and so forth
6. Open Control Center, you should see both of your plans in the top right or when you go to Settings > Cellular

How to set up eSIM on Verizon Wireless

Only monthly post-paid plans are eligible for eSIM service. Pre-pay plans do not qualify.

To use eSIM on your iPhone with a Verizon Wireless plan, use the My Verizon App.

1. Download and install the My Verizon app via the App Store
2. Copy your iPhone’s IMEI by going to Settings > General > About and locate your Digital SIM IMEI
   1. Tap and hold this number and copy it
3. Open the My Verizon App
4. Choose Join now
5. When asked, paste or enter your Digital SIM IMEI
6. Select Check Eligibility
7. If eligible, choose Let’s Go
8. Follow the on-screen instructions to activate your eSIM service by selecting a phone number, creating a PIN, and selecting a plan and so forth
9. When complete, you get an email with a QR code
10. Follow the instructions listed above in the section If You Have a QR Code

How to set up eSIM on AT&T

1. Copy or write down your iPhone’s IMEI number by going to Settings > General > About
2. Order and activate a new eSIM activation plan via AT&T’s website
   1. Enter your iPhone model or its IMEI number
   2. Order a new eSIM activation and activate it
3. Go to Settings > Cellular > Add Cellular Plan
4. Scan the QR Code
5. Follow the instructions listed above in the section If You Have a QR Code

Change eSIM Label Information for Dual SIM and eSIM on iPhone

1. Go to Settings > Cellular
2. Tap the number whose label you want to change
3. Select Cellular Plan Label and choose one of the default labels or create your own custom label
4. Tap Done when finished
   

Change Your iPhone’s Mobile Plan Line Defaults

By design, your iPhone uses your physical SIM as your primary phone number for things like iMessage, FaceTime, and for calls and texts to people not in your contacts.

But you can change this default setting to use your eSIM instead

1. Go to Settings > Cellular
2. Scroll down to Default Voice Line (you can also tap Cellular Data to make changes for your mobile data plan’s number)
3. Change to the phone line you want to use by tapping “Use (line label) as your default line”
   1. You can also specify if you want to use a line for cellular data only
   2. “Use Primary as your default line” means your primary line is used for SMS, Data, iMessage, and FaceTime while your Secondary line is available just for voice and SMS
   3. “Use Secondary as your default line” means your Secondary line is used for voice, SMS, Data, iMessage, and FaceTime while your Primary line is available for voice and SMS
   4. “Use Secondary for cellular data only” is great for folks that travel outside of their home country or region. It sets your Primary line for voice, SMS, iMessage, and FaceTime and the eSIM line as cellular data only 

Switch Cellular Plan SIM or eSIM with Ease

1. To switch eSIMs, go to the Settings > Cellular
2. Scroll to Cellular Plans 
3. Tap on the plan you want to use or change
4. Select Turn On This Line 

Change which SIM or eSIM iMessage or FaceTime uses

1. Go to Settings > Messages or Settings > FaceTime
2. Tap iMessage & FaceTime Line
3. Select the phone number you want to use

You can also change numbers within Messages or FaceTime by tapping the blue Phone Line Button in your new message or FaceTime session. 

Quickly Change which SIM or eSIM To Make Calls From

1. Change phone numbers on the fly before making a call by tapping on the Primary button at the top of your dialer
2. Choose the SIM or eSIM line you want to use 
3. You can specify a specific line for people in your Contacts App

Quickly Change Your Cellular Data Plan

• Go to Settings > Cellular
• Tap Cellular Data
• Tap the number you want to use cellular data
• Toggle on Cellular Data Switching to automatically switch cellular data lines when you’re on a call 

Need More Than One eSIM?

If you travel a lot for business or pleasure and frequently need to switch between plans and carriers, you can store more than one eSIM on your iPhone.  However, you can use only one at a time.

And remember that each eSIM requires its own unique carrier plan.

How To Switch Between eSIMs?

1. Tap Settings > Cellular > Cellular Plans
2. Select the plan you want to use now
3. Tap Turn On This Line

Want or Need To Remove an eSIM or nano-SIM for Dual SIM iPhones?

If you remove one of the two SIM cards or delete one or more of your eSIMs, your iDevice shows a message confirming your removal and lets you know that any eSIM (or dual SIM) line-associated contacts need to be reassigned.

Instant HotSpot Not Working After eSIM Installation?

Some users have found that after switching to eSIM on their iPhones, they are unable to access instant hotspot service. The instant hotspot simply doesn’t show up on the connected Apple devices.

Interestingly, users with active data plans associated with their eSIM account are able to set up personal hotspot but the instant hotspot fails.

There are a few workarounds for this issue.

• The first is to use a physical SIM. When you plug in a physical SIM Instant Hotspot works without any issues. Some users have overcome this handicap by keeping a random prepaid SIM from a different carrier in the SIM slot as a workaround.
• Other users have successfully been able to use the instant Hotspot feature by simply signing out of their Apple ID on all the devices and then logging back in. Give it a try and see if that works for you.

Wireless carriers that support eSIM

Not all mobile carriers and plans support eSIM. So it’s a good idea to check Apple’s eSIM support list to ensure your phone company supports this feature.

Can you use eSim on phones with payment plans?

Since iPhones purchased on payment plans are usually locked to the carrier, you can only use eSIMs on a locked phone that are from the same carrier.

However, some carriers (like Verizon) no longer lock their SIMs so it’s possible that you can have an eSIM from another carrier on a Verizon iPhone that still under a payment plan.

The best course of action is to call your mobile phone carrier and ask them about eSIM support–before you go ahead and get an eSIM plan from another carrier.

What wireless carriers offer eSIM service worldwide?

Check Apple’s current list of mobile phone carriers that currently support eSIM for your iPhone.

Reader Tips 

• I want to transfer my primary line out from my nano-SIM and reprogram it to my iPhone’s eSIM. That way I can free up the SIM card slot and use a physical nano-SIM when traveling. I think this is possible but not sure–any thoughts?
• Once Apple releases iOS 12.1.1 (or higher), you should be able to designate the eSIM as your primary line and keep the physical SIM slot open for traveling and so forth. I think this since you can choose which one (physical or eSIM) is your primary number/service