Can you transfer an eSIM to a new phone?

It depends on the eSIM. A carrier line (your home number on an eSIM) can usually be moved to a new phone using your phone’s built-in transfer tools or your carrier’s app. A travel data eSIM is different: its activation code normally installs once, so you generally can’t re-scan it onto another device. The good news for travellers is you rarely need to — the eSIM lives on the phone you set it up on, ready for your next trip.

Moving a carrier eSIM (your phone number)

• iPhone → iPhone: during setup of the new phone, choose Transfer from nearby iPhone, or go to Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM → Transfer from another iPhone. Both phones must be nearby and on recent iOS.
• Android → Android: many phones support eSIM transfer during setup or via the carrier’s app; some carriers require you to re-download the profile.
• Across ecosystems (iPhone ↔ Android): there’s usually no direct transfer — you contact the carrier to re-issue the eSIM for the new device.

Moving a travel data eSIM

Most travel eSIMs bind their activation to the first device that installs the QR code. Because a code typically can’t be scanned twice, you usually can’t lift a travel plan off one phone and drop it onto another. What you can do:

• Keep using the original phone for that plan — the eSIM stays installed and reusable for future top-ups and new plans.
• Install a fresh plan on the new phone if you’re switching devices mid-trip. It’s a new activation, not a transfer.
• Ask support before you delete anything — some providers can help in specific cases, but deleting the eSIM first usually forecloses the option.

Getting a new phone before a trip? Just install a fresh eSIM on it. And check it’s eSIM-compatible first — most phones from 2018 on are.