Moving cellular service to a new iPhone depends on whether you use eSIM or a physical SIM and whether your carrier supports Apple’s transfer features. On supported carriers, eSIM Quick Transfer can move a phone number from a nearby old iPhone without a separate carrier visit.
How to do it
- Keep both iPhones nearby, connected to Wi-Fi, and signed in as required during setup.
- On the new iPhone, open Settings > Cellular.
- Tap Set Up Cellular or Add eSIM.
- Choose Transfer From Nearby iPhone or select the number offered for transfer.
- Approve the transfer on the old iPhone and follow the onscreen instructions.
- Wait for the new iPhone to activate. Once the number transfers, it normally stops working on the old iPhone.
When Quick Transfer is unavailable
Your carrier may instead use eSIM Carrier Activation, a QR code, its own app, or direct customer support. If you are moving service from a non-Apple phone, carrier involvement is more likely to be required.
Physical SIM users
If both phones support the appropriate physical SIM, your carrier may allow you to move the SIM card. Recent U.S. iPhone models may be eSIM-only, so check your specific model and carrier before assuming a physical transfer is possible.
Before you finish
Menu names can change slightly between iOS releases, iPhone models, carriers, and app versions. If your screen does not exactly match these instructions, install available software updates and look for the same feature under the closest matching Settings section. Avoid changing unrelated security, privacy, or account options simply to make a missing control appear.
After making the change, test the feature once so you know the result is what you expected. If the setting affects an account, cellular service, privacy protection, or device security, keep your account credentials and a recent backup available before doing additional troubleshooting.