How to transfer your SIM and phone number to an iPhone 14

Apple’s iPhone 14 range brings a pretty significant change for US customers. For the first time, you won’t find room for a physical SIM card in your new iPhone. Instead, you need to provision your line with an eSIM.

However, don’t let that put you off. Implemented properly, eSIM technology is a lot easier than messing with physical SIM cards, and the good news is that Apple has made sure all major US carriers are ready to embrace this new feature on the iPhone 14 new iPhone is easier than ever.

Note that you only need to switch to an eSIM for iPhone 14 models sold in the US as they no longer have a physical SIM card slot. If you buy your iPhone 14 outside of the US, you still get a physical SIM card slot and two internal eSIM cards. You can continue to use your physical SIM card in this case, but if you want to switch to eSIM instead, the instructions below may still work as long as your carrier supports the required eSIM capabilities. Apple’s support pages provide a helpful list of which providers support which eSIM features.

How to transfer your SIM card from your old iPhone using eSIM Quick Transfer

If you’re an AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, C Spire, or US Cellular customer, you can transfer your phone number directly from your old iPhone to your new iPhone 14 in seconds during setup, without the need to contact your carrier .

Step 1: Make sure your current iPhone is close to your new iPhone 14.

Step 2: Swipe up from the Welcome screen to start setting up your new iPhone 14.

Step 3: Follow the setup process until you reach that Set up eSIM Screen.

Step 4: Beat Transfer from another iPhone.

Step 5: If you have more than one line configured, select the line you want to transfer to your new iPhone. During the initial setup, you can only transfer one line. You can transfer the second line later from the Settings app.

Step 6: If prompted, tap referral number on iPhone 14.

Step 7: Choose Transfer SIM from the message displayed on your old iPhone. Depending on your carrier’s settings, you may also see a six-digit verification code on your new iPhone 14 that needs to be entered on your old iPhone.

Step 8: Double click the side button on your old iPhone to confirm the transfer.

Your new iPhone 14 should display a status message stating that it is activating your eSIM, followed by connecting to the cellular network.

Step 9: When this is complete, tap Continue on the iPhone 14 to continue with the rest of the new iPhone setup process.

How to activate your eSIM with Cririer activation

If you bought your iPhone 14 directly from your carrier and not Apple or another retailer, it might be ready to go with a new eSIM right out of the box. Note that you need access to a Wi-Fi network in order for your iPhone to contact your carrier’s activation servers to automatically provision your eSIM.

US wireless carriers supporting Apple’s Carrier Activation feature include AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile, as well as Boost Mobile, Cellcom, Credo Mobile, C Spire, FirstNet, H2O Wireless, Spectrum Mobile, Straight Talk, Strata, Tracfone, US Cellular and Xfinity Mobile.

Step 1: Swipe up from the Welcome screen to start setting up your new iPhone 14.

Step 2: If prompted, select a Wi-Fi network to connect to and enter the Wi-Fi password.

Step 3: Wait for the iPhone 14 activation process to complete.

Step 4: Choose Continue when the “Cellular Setup Complete” message appears.

Here’s how to set up your eSIM using other methods

Quick Transfer and Carrier Activation are by far the easiest way to get an eSIM working on your iPhone 14, but unfortunately only 15 US carriers support one or both of these features. Luckily, all is not lost if your wireless service provider isn’t on this list. There are 25 other US carriers that support eSIM technology, but you still need to clear a few hurdles to set up an eSIM with them.

The exact steps will vary depending on which carrier you’re using, but you’ll usually need to contact the carrier directly to get the information you need. Some carriers have their own apps to streamline this process, while others require you to enter the information directly. In the latter case, your eSIM activation information is usually provided as a QR code, which you can obtain by visiting a carrier store or, in some cases, even in the customer account portal on your carrier’s website. Once you have this QR code, you can scan it with your iPhone camera during the setup process to get your eSIM working.

Step 1: Swipe up from the Welcome screen to start setting up your new iPhone 14.

Step 2: Follow the setup process until you reach that Set up cellular Screen.

Step 3: Choose Use QR code.

Step 4: Follow the instructions to point your iPhone camera at the QR code. You can do this with a printed code or directly from a second screen like your old iPhone or tablet or computer.

Step 5: Wait for the iPhone 14 eSIM activation process to complete.

Step 6: Choose Continue when the “Cellular Setup Complete” message appears.

The steps above will help you move your primary line from a physical SIM or eSIM on your old iPhone to an eSIM on your new iPhone 14. However, the iPhone 14 also has an additional eSIM to support a second phone line. If you have a second line on your old iPhone, or want to set one up, you can do that later from the Settings app. For more information, see our guide to setting up and using a second line on an iPhone with eSIM.

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