eSIM Transfer Tool Goes Live With Google Pixel 8: Here’s How It Works?

Silicon giant, Apple ditched the physical SIM card slot when the iPhone 14 series was launched in the US in 2022. The company wanted to boost eSIM adoption. No doubt, most of the best Android phones out there also feature eSIM support. Still, many manufacturers have not taken the bold step of eliminating the SIM card slot from their handsets. Now, it seems as if Android needs to streamline its eSIM migration process as well. The search giant promised to bring the eSIM transfer feature at MWC 2023 and fulfilled it with the launch of the Google Pixel 8 series. Yes, you heard right! Google eSIM switching tool has gone live.

New Google eSIM Switching Tool Is Finally Here

Reports claim that the Pixel 8 on first boot will prompt users to migrate their existing eSIM from the current Google Pixel phone to the new one. Transferring eSIM between phones should have been an easy process but it was pretty complicated. You need to first unregister the eSIM from your old phone and then reactivate it again on the new smartphone when there is no migration tool. Moreover, in some cases, you even have to contact your carrier to do so. Due to all this hassle, eSIM adoption could not exactly take off among consumers unless forced upon by the device manufacturer. Anyhow, the new eSIM migration tool in Pixel 8 is tipped to simplify the eSIM migration between phones to a great extent.

eSIM transfer is finally here, as Google promised! When you set up the Pixel 8, it seems you have the option to transfer certain eSIM profiles from your old Pixel phone to your new one.

Tipster winner00 transferred a T-Mobile eSIM from a Pixel 7 Pro to a Pixel 8 Pro. pic.twitter.com/KRraIZPwDN

— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) October 11, 2023

The all-new tool offers an option to convert your physical SIM into an eSIM profile. As the technology is new, you may face teething troubles according to reports. The migration tool may not work between every device and network operator, so your mileage may differ.

It is pertinent to mention here that Google is not the first in the Android ecosystem to launch an eSIM migration tool. Samsung’s One UI 5.1 lets you convert your physical SIM to an eSIM. It also expanded carrier support for eSIM transfer between compatible Galaxy devices. It is still unknown whether Google’s eSIM migration tool works with other non-Pixel devices and iPhones. Moreover, we have no information about carrier support as some operators charge a small fee for transferring eSIMs between devices. If eSIM adoption picks up among customers, transferring your eSIM between phones from different device manufacturers would become much easier. Until then, you will have to cling to your physical SIM card or be prepared to face a few issues while migrating to eSIM.