Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR
- eSIM transfers are finally here, letting you easily migrate your eSIM from an old Android phone to the new Pixel 8 series.
- You will also be able to convert a physical SIM to an eSIM, which will be required for dual-SIM functionality.
- However, these features will not work on all phones across all carriers, so discretion is advised.
The new Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro are here, and they are pretty exciting. In addition to some significant hardware upgrades, we are also being treated to several new software features thanks to the accompanying Android 14 update. In addition to the announced changes, there are many unannounced new features. As users are finding out, the Pixel 8 comes with an eSIM transfer tool and the ability to convert your physical SIM into an eSIM.
Google announced back in February 2023 that Android would be getting the capability to transfer eSIM profiles from an old Android phone to a new Android phone. This feature is finally here! As mentioned by Mishaal Rahman, a user nicknamed “winner00” was able to transfer their T-Mobile eSIM from the Pixel 7 Pro to the Pixel 8 Pro during device setup.
Further, Mishaal also mentions that you will be able to convert a physical SIM card into an eSIM. He shared screenshots of the process flow of the conversion process.
However, before you get too excited, the eSIM transfer process and the physical SIM to eSIM conversion features will not work between every Android device and across all carriers. You will have the best luck moving from an old Pixel smartphone to a new one on T-Mobile and Deutsche Telekom in Europe (which holds a majority stake in T-Mobile in the US).
eSIM gets a lot of hate for being a botched implementation of a great idea. eSIMs are convenient, but only if the phone also includes a physical SIM slot. The iPhone 14 skipped the physical SIM slot and went eSIM-only in the US, which is a pain to deal with. Giving users the option is the right way to go with eSIMs, as that way, they wouldn’t need to choose between a physical SIM vs an eSIM.
The Pixel 8 supports dual-SIM with eSIM on supported carriers, so it’s great to see eSIM migration and conversion features also coming over to Android. We hope to see a platform-wide rollout of the same.
