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. For cusotm labels, tap done on the keyboard 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.

For folks using iOS 13, both of your phone numbers can make and receive Phone app and FaceTime calls and send and receive messages using iMessage, SMS, and MMS. iOS 13 usesDual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS) technology allowing your phone to both SIMs can make and receive calls.

However, as with previous iOS versions, your iPhone can use only one cellular data network at a time.

Change your default settings to use your eSIM

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. Checkmark the line your want as your default (for iOS 13 +)
4. During set-up and for iOS 12 versions, 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 (charges may apply, so check with your carrier)

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 

Make & Receive calls with eSIM and Dual SIM iPhones

If you use iOS 12, update to iOS 13+ so you can receive calls when you using your other number.

With iOS 13+, when you’re on a call, if your carriers support WiFi calling and you enabled it, you can answer incoming calls on your other number.

For this to work, you must toggle onboth WiFi Calling AND Allow Cellular Data Switching when you are on a call that isn’t your default data line.

If you ignore the call and previously set-up voicemail, you get a missed-call notification and the call automatically routes to voicemail.

If your carriers do not support WiFi calling, you have Allow Cellular Data Switching off, or you don’t have WiFi calling turned on, all your incoming calls go to voicemail when you are on a call.

Quickly Change which SIM or eSIM To Make Calls From

By default, your iPhone uses the same number that you used the last time you called that contact. And when calling a new number, your iPhone uses your default voice line.

But you can change your number on the go!

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

You can also specify a specific line for people in your Contacts App

1. Tap the contact
2. Tap the Edit button
3. Choose Preferred Line
4. Tap the number you want to use with that contact

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 

When you Allow Cellular Data Switching and you get on a voice call on your voice-only number, that number automatically switches to use voice and data. So you use both voice and data while on that call.

If you turn off Allow Cellular Data Switching, when you on a voice number that isn’t your designated cellular-data number, cellular data won’t work while you’re on that call.

Change which SIM or eSIM iMessage or FaceTime uses

With iOS 13+, users can use either phone number for iMessage and FaceTime.

If using iOS 12 versions, you can only use one phone number for iMessage and FaceTime. You need to set a default line for iMessage and FaceTime to use.

For iOS 13+

Go under Settings > Messages > Send & Receive, and enable iMessage for both your phone numbers.

Both Messages and FaceTime are “sticky,” meaning they remember which number you texted from or called from the last time.

You can use iMessage or SMS/MMS to send messages with either phone number and can switch phone numbers before you send an iMessage or SMS/MMS message

How to switch numbers in Messages

1. Open Messages
2. Tap the New button, in the upper right corner of the screen
3. Enter your contact’s name
4. Tap the current phone number or its label (primary, secondary, business, and so forth)
5. If a previous thread open up, tap open the contact card, press Edit, and choose Preferred Line
6. Choose the number you want to use

For iOS 12

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.

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.Re

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for iPhone eSIM and Dual-SIM

If I’m on a call using one line and I get a message from the other line, do I get the message?

Yes, you should get messages while you’re on a phone call

Can I accept calls when on the other line?

For iOS 13, yes as long as your have WiFi calling enabled and allow cellular data switching.

You can also place calls on your two different lines at the same call. And call waiting works for incoming calls on your other line.

If I receive a call from my SIM line and make another call from my eSIM line, can the calls be joined?

No, this doesn’t work right now.

Can we set different ring tones for the physical SIM and eSIM?

You’d think so but unfortunately, no! You cannot set a different ringtone for your eSIM service. Both numbers use the ringtone set-up in Settings > Sounds & Haptics > Ringtone.

I have two iPhones–one for work and one for personal. Can now use one iPhone for and send/receive messages?

Or iOS 13, yup! Both your lines can send messages–you do not have to choose a line as you did in iOS 12.

Both Messages and FaceTime now support your two phone numbers. You can start iMessage conversations or FaceTime calls using either number.

I don’t see both my phone numbers under Settings > Messages > Send & Receive? How do I  enable iMessage formy two numbers?

You only see this setting when using iOS 13+. If your devices runs iOS 13+, try rebooting your phone and check for that option.

Can I use two different Apple IDs when I have an eSIM? Like one Apple ID for my SIM card and another one for the eSIM?

Nope, when you use an eSIM or Dual-SIM, both phone numbers get attached to a single Apple ID–the one your device is signed into or if you use a different Apple ID for iMessage/FaceTime, that Apple ID.

If I factory reset my iPhone, does the eSIM survive?

When you Erase All Content and Settings, you get options to remove the eSIM entirely (Erase All) or keep its settings (Erase All & Keep Data Plans.)

I need to do a DFU restore, does my eSIM get removed?

Yes, your eSIM should make it through a DFU restore, normal restore or update, and through recovery mode.

Also, your eSIM details persist when you Resetting Network Settings, Reset All Settings, or Restoring via iTunes/Finder app.

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?
• You need to update to iOS 12.1.1 or higher, then you should be able to designate the eSIM as your primary line and keep the physical SIM slot open for traveling and so forth. You can then choose which one (physical or eSIM) is your primary number/service