What is an eSIM? How Does it Work?

If you’ve been shopping around for a phone, then you’ve probably come across the term eSIM quite a bit. It's not surprising, as according to OpenSignal, while only 0.5% –1.5% of all devices in the US had dual-SIM usage in 2023, that usage is growing rapidly, nearly doubled in the past year alone.

And if you don’t know what eSIM or dual-SIM means, we’ve put together this guide to answer your questions of: What is an eSIM, what are the advantages of an eSIM, what carriers support eSIM (and more!) so you can make the best decision on the phone – and the plan – that works best for you.  

What is an eSIM?

An eSIM is a digital version of a SIM card that is embedded directly into your device. The “e” stands for “embedded,” which just means that it can be activated on your phone without the physical card. If you didn’t know how SIM cards work, they’re a tool that is issued out by specific carriers that is then inserted into a phone and connects to the corresponding carrier’s network to give you data (and cellular) access.

Essentially, without a SIM card, you’re not able to use your phone away from Wi-Fi.  

Advantages of an eSIM

Flexibility: Without the physical SIM, you can easily activate your phone on any new carrier without having to physically obtain and then swap out SIM cards.

TextNow Tip: eSIMs are a great solution for travel! Purchase an eSIM ahead of your international trip, and activate it on location to continue receiving service (cheaper than roaming!).

Ease/Convenience: You can more easily remotely activate your new carrier's service with an eSIM, rather than following a physical SIM insertion process.

Eco-Friendliness: eSIMs manage to do away with the unnecessary packaging of a physical SIM, plus the emissions from shipping a physical SIM for a more environmentally-friendly solution.

Disadvantages of an eSIM

Limited Carrier Support: Currently, not all carriers support eSIM activation. While it is a growing technology, and that limitation will likely change in the upcoming years, it is still something you'd best look up directly with whatever carrier you're considering switching to.

Limited Device Support: Since eSIM is a relatively new technology, it stands that it's only supported by newer devices. For example, in 2022 Apple announced that all their phones, starting with the iPhone 14 model, will now only support eSIM (no physical SIM slots.)

While it's expected that by 2025, 60% of all smartphone sales will be eSIM compatible, the reality is that the amount of people with actual eSIM compatible phones is much, much, lower than that.

No Physical Backup: While eSIMs can make your life easier, they can also make it harder when your phone no longer works. If you have issues with connecting to a network, or your phone truly is dead/damaged and you need to switch over to a new one, it's no longer as easy as taking out the SIM and swapping it over.

What carrier is best to use for eSIM support?

While all the big 3 carriers in the US support eSIM (Verizon, TMobile, and AT&T), we'd recommend looking into one of their cheaper MVNO carriers, like Visible and US Mobile to find an affordable plan that can also support eSIM.

How does an eSIM work?

The difference with an eSIM is that it’s programmable remotely, so you don’t have to purchase a physical SIM. It can be activated easily from the comfort of your home.  

How do I activate an eSIM?

Once you pick the phone plan you want, contact that carrier to activate your eSIM. They will then provide you with the instructions that involve scanning a QR code to activate your eSIM on that plan.  

Can I use eSIM on any phone?

Since this is a newer technology (widely made more recognizable when Apple introduced their eSIM-only iPhone in 2022), only newer models –both iOS and Android – will be able to recognize and use eSIMs (over physical SIM cards).  

How do I know if my phone supports eSIM?

Apple: If you're getting an iPhone 14 or newer, you can bet 100% it supports eSIM. However, their older models also supported it in a dual-SIM capacity, so those would be: iPhone XR, XS, iPhone 11, 12, and 13.

You can also check by heading over to Apple's website to make sure the phone you currently have (or are looking to buy) supports it.

Android: Since there are so many other Android models than iPhones, listing them off by each model gets a little long.

If you already have an Android phone, and want to check if it supports eSIM, you can easily undertake a quick search on your phone's settings:

1. Go to Settings: Open the Settings app, then navigate to Network & Internet or Connections.

2. Look for eSIM Options: If you see options like SIM Card Manager or Add eSIM, your phone supports eSIM.

You can, alternatively, head over to that manufacturer's website as well (Samsung, Google, Motorola, Huawei, etc) to confirm whether your model supports eSIM or not.

Can I have dual eSIM on my phone? Or physical SIM and eSIM?

The answer here is yes, yes, and no! Let's dig into that:

Apple: For an iPhone that is an iPhone 14 or newer (15, 16), they only support eSIM, so you will not have a physical SIM slot. The good news is that those phones support dual eSIM, so you can in fact have two phone carriers providing you service, or in this case, it can make travelling (without roaming) much easier.

For an older iPhone (iPhone 13 – iPhone X), you will only have single eSIM support, but they do also come with a physical SIM slot, so you have more flexibility.

Android: The good news here is that Android is more flexible/available to be used with more carriers, as most eSIM-enabled phones do also come with a physical SIM slot, making them dual SIM phones (one eSIM, one physical).

eSIM vs. Physical SIM

The main difference between eSIM and a physical SIM is the convenience of activation. An eSIM can be easily and quickly activated remotely, without having to walk through a step-by-step insertion and activation process. When it comes to the quality of service after activation, though, there is no difference.

There are enough pros and cons to both that if you're looking for a new phone, we'd recommend finding a dual-SIM one that supports both eSIM and physical SIM, so your options are broad for a carrier plan, and you never have to worry about swapping over carriers, and/or phones.

Frequently asked questions about eSIM