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This article was reviewed by Luigi Oppido and by wikiHow staff writer, Rain Kengly. Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
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If you have an iPhone XR or newer, your device supports eSIM. An eSIM allows your iPhone to have a cellular plan with your carrier without a physical SIM card. Here's how to check if eSIM is activated on your iPhone.
Knowing If Your iPhone Has eSIM
To check if your iPhone has an eSIM activated, go to Settings and tap Cellular. If you have an eSIM, you'll see it below your carrier settings. If you don't see an eSIM or see Add eSIM, it hasn't been activated yet.
Steps
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![Step 1 Open the Settings app.]()
Open the Settings app. This is the grey cog icon.- eSIMs are only supported on iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, or newer.
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![Step 2 Tap Cellular.]()
Tap Cellular. You can find this in the first group.Advertisement -
![Step 3 View your eSIM.]()
View your eSIM. You can find your eSIM underneath your carrier's header.- If you don't see an eSIM or you see Add eSIM, it hasn't been activated yet.
- If you see an eSIM, tap it to view its details.
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![Step 1 Meet the requirements.]()
Meet the requirements. An eSIM is a digital SIM that allows you to activate a cellular plan for your carrier without a physical SIM card. To activate an eSIM, you must have the following:- An iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, or newer
- A carrier or service provider that supports eSIM[1] .
- A connected Wi-Fi network
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![Step 2 Set up...]()
Set up your iPhone. When you turn on your iPhone for the first time, the setup process will activate the eSIM as long as you have a supported device.- If you purchased an iPhone 14 or later model in the United States, the iPhone will activate with an eSIM.
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![Step 3 Use eSIM Carrier Activation (optional).]()
Use eSIM Carrier Activation (optional). Your carrier will need to start this process. When you purchase an iPhone, an eSIM is assigned to your iPhone. Contact your carrier to set up eSIM Carrier Activation.[2] Afterwards, do the following:- Make sure both devices are signed in with the same Apple ID, are unlocked, are nearby with Bluetooth turned on, and have iOS 16 or later.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Carrier Cellular Plan Ready to Be Installed.
- Tap Continue.
- Test your iPhone's cellular connection by making a call.
- Remove the physical SIM card if required.
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![Step 4 Use eSIM Quick Transfer (optional).]()
Use eSIM Quick Transfer (optional). You can use this method to manually transfer your previous SIM to your new iPhone. Not all carriers support this option, so be sure to confirm with your carrier. Do the following:- Go to Settings.
- Tap Cellular.
- Tap Add Cellular Plan.
- Select a number to transfer over. You may be asked to enter a verification code from your old device.
- Wait for the cellular plan to activate on your new device.
- Finish setting up your device.
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