New iPhone, same number. Moving your mobile line should be one part of the switch, not the part that leaves you without a connection.
Can you transfer an eSIM from Android to iPhone? Yes, with a supported phone and carrier you can move the line directly. Otherwise, ask your carrier to activate it on the iPhone. A separate travel eSIM needs its own provider check: moving your main number does not automatically move every data plan.
Which eSIM are you moving?
Start with the line, not the QR code. Your everyday number and the data-only eSIM you bought for a trip may need different instructions.
| Your situation | Next step | Keep handy |
|---|---|---|
| Main line, supported phones and carrier | Use the direct transfer option below. | Both phones and access to your mobile account. |
| Direct transfer is not supported | Ask your carrier for its iPhone activation method. | Your account details and the new phone. |
| A separate travel or data eSIM | Check whether that provider allows moving the existing plan. | The installed profile and your order or account details. |
| You no longer have the old phone | Contact your carrier for account recovery and activation. | Another way to access your account; do not rely on a code sent only to the missing phone. |
Check your phones and carrier first
For the direct transfer described here, Apple currently requires an iPhone 11 or later with iOS 26 or later, a compatible Android phone on Android 16 or later, and a supported carrier. Both phones need Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Check Apple’s current carrier list and requirements, then confirm your exact Android model with its manufacturer.
An eSIM-compatible phone is not automatically eligible for this transfer method. Think of these as two separate checks: can the phone use an eSIM, and can this operator move this line between these devices? Our device compatibility guide helps with the first.
Phone and carrier requirements checked September 21, 2026. Use the linked official instructions for later changes.
How to move your eSIM after setting up your iPhone
Keep the phones beside each other. Once you have confirmed eligibility:
- On the iPhone, open Settings and its cellular setup. If another line is already installed, go into the cellular menu and choose Add eSIM.
- Select Transfer from Android. Your iPhone displays a QR code.
- Scan it with the Android phone’s camera. On Android, choose the number you want to move and confirm.
- Follow any prompts about your primary line, then finish on both phones.
- Make a call from the iPhone to check the line works. If it does not, contact your carrier.
T-Mobile’s documented Google-to-iPhone flow is one example: its current instructions name Pixel 9-series devices and exclude Government accounts. Do not apply that example to every Android phone or account.
If the QR code will not scan
Apple also provides manual pairing: choose Other Options below the iPhone’s code, then use Android’s Google-services pairing controls to enter the displayed session ID and pairing code. Follow the official manual-pairing instructions. This pairs the phones; it is not an old QR code from a travel-eSIM purchase.
If you are still setting up your new iPhone
Follow Apple’s Android-to-iPhone setup guide. The new-phone setup flow and the later transfer through Settings are not the same procedure. Apple’s app-free setup path has its own compatible Android 17 requirements; other devices can use Move to iOS for supported content migration. You may still need the carrier to complete line activation.
What if the transfer option is missing or the move fails?
Check your exact model, software version, carrier and account type before trying again. If the combination is unsupported, the next step is carrier activation, not repeatedly scanning the same code. Ask: “How do I move my current number to an eSIM on this iPhone?”
Using a Samsung phone? Do not assume that instructions for a Pixel apply. Confirm the Android-to-iPhone route with Samsung and your carrier. An option to add an eSIM on the Samsung itself does not establish that it supports moving the line to an iPhone.
For T-Mobile specifically, its eSIM help page also covers account security checks and alternatives when switching platforms or when the old device is unavailable. Follow your own carrier’s instructions rather than changing account security settings on generic advice.
Can you move a travel eSIM to the new phone?
Check with the travel provider before deleting anything. Keeping an eSIM for your next trip and moving it to another device are different questions. Do not assume that the original activation QR can be used again.
Ask three things: can the installed profile move, will any remaining data stay available, and what must happen on the old phone first? Wait for the provider’s answer before removing the existing setup.
If you are keeping the same phone and just returning from a trip, you probably need a different action: turn off the travel eSIM without deleting it.
Before you erase or trade in your old phone
A successful transfer deactivates the old Android SIM for that line, according to Apple’s transfer guidance. Treat the move as changing where your service works, not making a second copy of the number.
- Check calls, messages and mobile data on the new phone, as included in your plan.
- Check each separate travel eSIM before wiping the old device.
- Make sure you can still sign in to important accounts and receive their verification codes.
Do not erase a working eSIM as a generic fix for a failed transfer. Apple’s eSIM removal guidance advises against erasing for troubleshooting unless the carrier directs it. Erasing a profile is also not the same as cancelling the plan.
Where Moontel fits
Complete surveys and get free mobile data on your eSIM. Moontel gives you a separate data line on a compatible, unlocked phone, so you can keep your main number and use free mobile data when you need it. See how Moontel works.
Already have a Moontel eSIM on your old phone? Contact Moontel before removing it to check the right steps for your account. Keeping the same eSIM between trips does not by itself confirm that its profile or data balance can move to another phone.
Sources
- Apple: Android-to-iPhone eSIM transfer — eligibility, manual pairing and what happens to the old line.
- T-Mobile: SIM and eSIM support — transfer procedure, device/account limits and activation alternatives.
- Apple: moving from Android to iPhone — initial setup and content migration.
- Apple: erasing an eSIM — removal versus troubleshooting and plan cancellation.
- Moontel: how it works — survey-powered mobile data and compatible-phone requirements.
Sources checked September 21, 2026.
Related reading
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to buy a new plan just because direct transfer is unavailable?
Does copying my apps also move every eSIM?
Which provider should I contact about a travel eSIM?
Get free mobile data on your new phone
Complete surveys. Get free mobile data with Moontel on a compatible, unlocked phone. Keep your main number and add a data line for your next trip.