Transfer Your eSIM to a New Phone Before a Trip (2026 Guide)

To transfer your eSIM to a new phone before a trip, keep both phones side by side, open the SIM or Cellular settings on the new phone and choose the transfer option: eSIM Quick Transfer on iPhone, Transfer SIM on Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel. Your Canadian line moves across in a few minutes, and the old phone’s SIM stops working once the new one activates.

The part that catches travellers out is the second eSIM. A travel eSIM is not the same as your carrier line: an ArriGo eSIM installs on one phone only, so it belongs on the phone you will carry through the airport. This guide covers both moves, in the right order, with a timeline that leaves room for something to go wrong before you fly.

Why switching phones before a trip needs a plan

A new phone right before a holiday is common, and it now carries two kinds of SIM that behave very differently.

Your Canadian carrier eSIM (Bell, Rogers, Telus or their brands) holds your phone number. Carriers and phone makers have built tools to move it between phones. Your travel eSIM is a data plan for the destination. It is installed from a QR code, and with ArriGo it installs on one phone only. If you understand that difference, the rest of this guide is simple: move the carrier line with the official tools, and install the travel eSIM once, on the right phone.

If you are not sure what an eSIM actually is, our explainer on how an eSIM works covers the basics. And before you rely on the new phone abroad, run it through our eSIM compatibility checker: phones imported from some regions ship without eSIM support.

How to transfer an eSIM from an old iPhone to a new iPhone

Apple calls this eSIM Quick Transfer. Its eSIM setup guide lists what you need before you start:

• both iPhones signed in to the same Apple Account;
• the old iPhone unlocked with its passcode;
• both phones near each other with Bluetooth turned on;
• iOS 18.4 or later on both phones;
• a carrier that supports eSIM Quick Transfer.

The last point is easy in Canada. Apple’s list of carriers that support eSIM shows Bell, Rogers and Telus, along with Fido, Koodo, Virgin Plus, Freedom, Lucky Mobile, PC Mobile, Eastlink and SaskTel, as supporting Quick Transfer.

Steps after the new iPhone is set up

1. On the new iPhone, open Settings and tap Cellular.
2. Tap Set Up Cellular or Add eSIM.
3. Choose the number to transfer. If none appears, tap Transfer From Nearby iPhone.
4. On the old iPhone, confirm the transfer or enter the code shown on the new one.
5. Wait for the plan to activate. If a banner asks you to finish setting up your carrier’s plan, tap it and complete the step on the carrier’s website.

You can also do the same transfer during the new iPhone’s initial setup, when it offers to move your cellular plan. Apple notes that once the plan activates on the new iPhone, the SIM on the previous iPhone is deactivated.

How to move an eSIM from Android to iPhone

Switching from Android to iPhone used to mean calling your carrier. Apple’s guide to transferring an eSIM from Android now describes a built-in route, with tighter requirements: an iPhone 11 or later on iOS 26 or later, an Android phone on Android 16 or later, and both phones on Wi-Fi with Bluetooth on. In Canada, Apple lists Bell, Koodo, Lucky Mobile and Telus among the supported carriers.

1. On the iPhone, go to Settings and tap Set Up Cellular, or Cellular, then Add eSIM if a SIM is already installed.
2. Tap Transfer from Android to show a QR code.
3. Scan that QR code with the Android phone’s camera.
4. On the Android phone, choose the number and tap Transfer.
5. Finish on the iPhone, then make a test call.

Apple says the SIM on the Android phone deactivates after the transfer. If your carrier or phone is not supported, the instruction is simple: contact your carrier to activate the eSIM.

How to transfer an eSIM to a new Samsung Galaxy

Samsung calls its tool eSIM Instant Transfer. Samsung Canada’s page on Galaxy eSIM and supported carriers lists Bell, Rogers and Telus, plus Fido, Koodo, Virgin Plus, Freedom, Lucky Mobile, PC Mobile, Eastlink, SaskTel and Tbaytel, as carriers that may allow it. The same page stresses one requirement: the new phone must be unlocked.

1. On the new Galaxy, open Settings, tap Connections, then SIM manager.
2. Tap Add eSIM, then Transfer SIM from Galaxy/Android phone.
3. On the old phone, accept the transfer pop-up.
4. Enter the six-digit code shown on the new phone into the old phone.
5. On the new phone, pick the number, confirm on the old phone, and tap Done when it finishes.

The eSIM then downloads and activates on the new Galaxy. Samsung’s page also describes a transfer from iPhone to Galaxy, with a shorter Canadian carrier list (Bell, Koodo, Lucky Mobile, Telus and Virgin Plus) and both phones updated and on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

How to transfer an eSIM to a new Google Pixel

Google’s guide to transferring a SIM to a new phone asks for Android 12 or later on both phones, current Google Play services and a screen lock on each.

• During setup: keep the old phone nearby, choose the SIM you want to move when the setup screens offer it, then tap Transfer and Activate.
• After setup: open Settings, tap Network & internet, then SIMs, Add SIM and Transfer SIM from another device.

Google notes that automatic transfer can depend on your carrier, and that your existing phone or eSIM can keep working if a transfer fails. If the new Pixel does not detect the transfer, contact your carrier to activate the eSIM.

Transfer methods at a glance

Moving from → to	Tool	Software needed (per official pages)	Where to start
iPhone → iPhone	eSIM Quick Transfer	iOS 18.4 or later on both	Settings > Cellular > Add eSIM
Android → iPhone	Transfer from Android	iOS 26 on iPhone 11 or later; Android 16 or later	Settings > Cellular > Add eSIM
Galaxy/Android → Galaxy	eSIM Instant Transfer	Unlocked new phone; check carrier list	Settings > Connections > SIM manager > Add eSIM
Android → Pixel	Transfer SIM	Android 12 or later on both	Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > Add SIM

What Bell and Rogers say about moving your number

Your carrier has its own rules on top of the phone maker’s, and they explain why the transfer belongs at home rather than at the gate.

Bell’s page on changing your SIM or eSIM sets its own minimums for quick transfer: iOS 18.4 or later between iPhones, and Android 14 with One UI 6.1 or later, or a Pixel 8 series or later, between Android phones. If the quick route does not work, MyBell can move the service, but you need the new phone’s IMEI and a device or another number on your account that can receive a verification code by text.

Rogers describes a similar fallback in its guide to setting up or switching to an eSIM: in the MyRogers app you choose Activate eSIM, confirm a verification code sent by text, and scan a QR code with the new phone. On rogers.com the option sits under Change SIM. If your SIM is lost or damaged and you cannot receive texts, Rogers says you need to visit a store.

Notice the pattern: verification codes arrive by text message to your number. Start the switch abroad, and a failure can leave you waiting for a code on a roaming line or a phone that has just lost service. For Telus, Koodo and the other brands, follow the phone maker’s steps above; all three phone makers list them as supported. Our guide to keeping your Canadian number with dual SIM covers how texts reach you once you are away.

Tip: Do not erase or trade in the old phone until the new one has made a call, received a text and loaded a web page on mobile data.

Where should your travel eSIM go?

This is the part most transfer guides skip, and the one that matters most for the trip.

A travel eSIM is a separate data plan. Each ArriGo eSIM installs on one phone only, so the rule is simple: install it on the phone you will actually travel with. If you have a new phone arriving next week, wait for it and install the travel eSIM there. The QR code reaches your email within about a minute of purchase, and the plan’s days only start when the eSIM first connects at your destination, so installing a week early costs you nothing.

Do not expect the phone makers’ transfer tools to carry a travel eSIM across. Those tools move lines from carriers that support the feature, and the official pages above describe them for your carrier number.

If you already installed it on the old phone

If you installed your plan early and then upgraded:

1. Do not delete the eSIM from the old phone yet, and do not try to scan the same QR code on the new one.
2. Contact us through the help centre with your order details and explain that you changed phones.
3. Wait for our answer before you remove anything.

We will look at your order and tell you what is possible. We cannot promise a transfer or a refund in every case, which is why it pays to settle which phone is travelling before you install.

Timeline: when to switch phones before your flight

Use this as a checklist. The earlier steps are the ones with the most room for delays, so start them first.

When	What to do	Why it matters
2 weeks before	Confirm the new phone supports eSIM and is unlocked; update the old and new phones	Older software or a locked phone blocks the transfer
2 weeks before	Move your Canadian carrier eSIM using the steps above	Leaves days to fix a failed transfer through your carrier
1 week before	Test the new phone: a call, a text and mobile data	Confirms your number really lives on the new phone
1 week before	Buy your travel eSIM and install it on the new phone over Wi-Fi	The plan’s days start only when it first connects abroad
1 week before	Re-add banking, authenticator and airline apps; sign in to messaging	Two-factor codes and boarding passes must work on the new phone
Day before	Check both lines appear in SIM settings; label the travel line clearly	Avoids picking the wrong line for data on arrival
Day before	Charge the new phone and a power bank; leave the old one at home or as a spare	Old phone has no service once the transfer completes
On landing	Turn on the travel eSIM and its data roaming; set it as the data line	Keeps your Canadian line off data and roaming charges

For the install itself, our step-by-step guide to installing an eSIM before you fly covers iPhone, Samsung and Pixel. The sibling article on a phone checklist before your flight adds the non-SIM items, from offline maps to backups.

Watch: setting up an eSIM on iPhone

Apple Support’s official video shows the eSIM set-up screens, including eSIM Quick Transfer and QR code installation, the two methods in this guide.

Common transfer problems and quick fixes

Before you call anyone, check these common causes:

• Software too old. The quick transfer paths need recent iOS or Android versions, as listed in the table above. Update both phones first.
• Bluetooth or Wi-Fi off. Apple’s methods rely on both. Keep the phones close together.
• Locked new phone. Samsung states the new device must be unlocked. Our guide on whether your phone is eSIM compatible shows how to check lock status.
• Carrier not supported for that route. Android-to-iPhone and iPhone-to-Galaxy transfers have shorter carrier lists than same-brand moves. Use your carrier’s app or website instead.
• Transfer stalls. Google suggests trying again, then contacting your carrier. Do not delete the line on the old phone while you wait.

If the trouble starts after you land rather than at home, our guide to fixing an eSIM that is not working abroad walks through data roaming, the data line and network selection.

Your next step

Move your Canadian line first, test it, and only then install your travel eSIM on the phone that is coming with you. If you are not sure the new model will work, check it in our compatibility checker. Then pick a plan for your destination from our destinations list, or a multi-country plan if you are crossing borders:

If anything goes wrong, especially if your travel eSIM is on the wrong phone, contact us through the help centre before you delete it.