You can convert your SIM card to eSIM without leaving your home and without the help of your operator.

The eSIM standard was first launched in 2016. Since then, the version has grown to the point that some countries already have smartphones that don’t have a slot for a physical SIM card. Apple, for example, has ditched the card tray starting with the iPhone 14 in the US.

This has caused many users switch to eSIMIn Spain, you can still use a SIM card in any mobile phone. But it’s a matter of time before this is no longer the case, and that shouldn’t be bad news, since the electronic version is better.

If you don’t know how to do this, it’s easier than you think and you don’t even need the help of your carrier. Before you do this, you’ll need to make sure your device is compatible with eSIM. To do this, you’ll have to check if the terminal has an identification number (Embedded identity document).

EID is a 32-digit number that appears when you dial the code. *#06# as if it were a call on your smartphone. The IMEI or ICCID and EID will be displayed on the screen. If the latter is not displayed, your mobile phone is not compatible. If so, we will explain how to set up eSIM.

Activate eSIM on a compatible smartphone

Once you know that your phone is suitable for using an embedded SIM card, you should check whether your operator offers this service. Most brands do in Spain, so you shouldn’t have any problems, but just in case, here’s a list:

• Digital
• Jazztel
• Movistar
• More detailsMobile
• O2
• Orange
• Pepephone
• Vodafone
• yoygo

If your carrier allows you to switch to eSIM, you will need to contact them. You can do this from a physical store or remotely, over the phone. To protect your privacy, they will ask you to provide personal information to confirm that it is you, and then all you have to do is wait for them to send you a message. QR code by e-mail.

Once you receive the QR code, you simply need to scan it using your mobile operator’s app. There are times when it is enough to scan the code from the camera app on your smartphone. On the screen, you will be asked Activation PIN code.

From SIM to eSIM

If you want to convert a physical SIM card to an eSIM, there are different routes to take. The most common option usually involves going to Settings > Connections / Mobile Data / Networks & Internet > SIM Manager. From there, you will need to go into the physical SIM card settings and tap Convert to eSIM.

However, not all smartphones provide the ability to switch from a SIM card to an eSIM. Another of the most common ways to access is to contact the SIM card administrator. Once in this section, we must select “Add SIM card” and select “Transfer SIM card from another device”, Scan QR code o Search for eSIM cards. If you have just been given a QR, you will need to select the second option and enter the PIN code that your carrier has sent you.

If you already have an eSIM and want to transfer it from your old terminal to a new and compatible one, you are interested in the first of the options we mentioned. In this case, you will have to unlock your old device and scan the code that appears on your new mobile phone to enter your PIN later.

Advantages of eSIM over SIM card

If you haven’t yet dared to switch from a SIM card to an eSIM, you’ve already wasted too much time. Thanks to the development of the subscriber identification module, which is becoming increasingly compatible with more and more mobile phones, we have gained a number of interesting advantages:

• Optimizes portability. Mobility is a process we do when we change operators but keep our current phone number. Usually we have to wait for the physical card to arrive, which can delay the transfer of the company, but with eSIM everything is easier.
• In case of mobile phone theft They won’t be able to delete the data. eSIM: This is very useful for remote location functions.
• Mobile phones that have completely eliminated the physical SIM card slot, more space for other hardware elements.
• Makes terminals easier two sim cardsby combining a physical card with an eSIM.

Despite its advantages, we must also take into account flaws that can generate. If we want to make the transition from SIM to eSIM, it is worth knowing that there are problems that have not yet been solved since the implementation of this mobile technological evolution.

For example, if your phone breaks or you change it, you will have to return it. activate eSIM in your new terminal. With eSIM, it’s no longer as simple as taking the card out of your smartphone and inserting it into a new one. However, the activation process is as simple as calling your operator and requesting a QR code, as we mentioned above.

Likewise, while portability times could theoretically be reduced, it appears that operators have not yet finished implementing this in practice. In most cases, the waiting time to switch companies continues even if a physical SIM card is not required.

In any case, eSIM is the future of mobile lines. So if your smartphone is compatible, we recommend you change and continue the digital transformation of SIM cards.