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The SIM card has been associated with a piece of plastic inserted into the socket for over 30 years. The appearance of an eSIM — a cellular module embedded right inside the device – came as a surprise to subscribers.
Many of you have probably heard that there is such a thing as a digital SIM, and maybe you even use it. This technology is actively developing now, but some do not know what is it and how it works. Everything is simple here — this is a 5 x 5 mm electronic module built into the motherboard of a smartphone at the production stage. Thanks to eSIM, you can use communication services without installing a plastic SIM card or going to the operator’s office to conclude a contract.
Related: “eSIM vs Physical SIM: What’s the Difference?“
But is it possible to activate not one but several eSIM cards? How many eSIM can be used and how to switch between two virtual modules at once? Learn about all this from the blog below.
An eSIM module — How Much Can I Connect to The Device?
With the advent of eSIM technology, we can use not a single but several numbers on one device. However, the number of eSIMs available for connecting each phone depends on a particular maker and device model. Most mobile gadgets support just a single physical card and one eSIM. However, some support two virtual cards at once. For example, in 2023, iPhone users can install eight or more eSIM cards and use two phone numbers simultaneously.
Using multiple eSIMs can be convenient if the user has various phone numbers or needs to divide private and business calls. However, before connecting one more digital module, learn the specifics and limitations of your mobile gadget.
Possible Limitations of Connecting Several eSIMs
There are restrictions on using several digital cards for one mobile at once:
| The limitation is related to the device’s hardware features and the software that controls the operation of the eSIM. In some models, only one eSIM can be connected; in others — two or more. |
| If your smartphone has a small amount of RAM, the number of connected eSIM cards may be limited. Some smartphone makers restrict the number of active eSIM cards depending on the amount of memory. |
| The technology may limit the number of eSIM cards per phone. For example, Apple gadgets allow one to use a plastic SIM chip and an eSIM. At the same time, devices with support for two eSIMs are not so common yet, but their number is gradually increasing. |
| Also, when using multiple electronic SIMs, there may be problems with the device’s performance. If your smartphone has a small amount of RAM (Random-access memory), the processor may encounter overload when processing all active eSIM cards. |
Can I use 2 eSIM at The Same Time?
Connecting multiple cellular chips can be helpful for those who travel frequently or need different rooms for personal and work purposes. It may also be convenient to use various service providers to choose the most suitable offer for the price and quality of communication. However, before using multiple eSIMs, ensuring that the device and your carrier’s services are compatible is essential.
Can i use 2 eSIM at the same time and how to manage this? Let’s look at this feature using the iPhone 13 as an example. Owners of a given device can now use 2 active eSIM cards from different operators.
Same way the second digital chip is added:
- Run the “Settings” section.
- Find the “Cellular” line, tap it and click “Add new tariff.”
- Next, use a particular QR code given by your operator or enter it manually.
After that, a second eSIM card is activated, and that’s it. You can use both modules at the same time!
If a plastic cellular chip is installed in the iOS device simultaneously, it must be disabled before the second eSIM card will work. Besides, the iPhone 13 can also easily “split” electronic sims into preferred for calls and selected for cellular data transmission and switch between them for efficient operation of the mobile Internet. That is, when one module stops catching the LTE or 3G signal or outputs too low a speed, the iOS device switches the data transmission priority to the second one.
An important caveat: using multiple eSIMs on one device may require additional technical settings and connection of services. For example, you will need to enable the function of switching between numbers or using separate profiles for each digital card.
Guide to eSIM Activation and Data Plan Switching
The main idea of using a digital SIM card is to easily change the operator and the tariff at any convenient moment. Depending on the specific smartphone model, the user can install from one to seven electronic profiles on Android. Apple owners are even more lucky, as they can install up to eight eSIM plans on one gadget.
Let’s take a detailed look at how many eSIM can be used, how to activate the electronic module and switch between SIM cards on one device.
To set up eSIM for data transfer on your phone, you can follow these steps:
- Find out if your Apple device supports eSIM. Your device model must be compatible with eSIM and free of carrier restrictions.
- Choose a reliable website or provider app to purchase an eSIM plan. For example, such as ESIM-man, Airalo, Holafly and others.
- Choose one of the countries/regions and available data package depending on your desires, then make the purchase.
- Scan a QR code or enter the eSIM details provided by your mobile carrier for activation to add a data plan to your Apple gadget.
- Go to iPhone’s Settings, click on Cellular and select the eSIM you want to utilize for data transfer.
How to Switch between eSIMs on iPhone
To switch between digital modules on iPhone, perform these steps:
- Run “Settings” on your Apple gadget, click “Cellular”, select the eSIM you want to use, and switch it on.
- Can you have more than one eSIM? If you have two active electronic modules, you should determine one eSIM to work for calls, messages, and the second one for providing data. For this, open “Settings”, then run the “Cellular” section and pick cellular data functions or mobile calls and textings for each eSIM.
- When using 2 electronic sims while traveling to avoid unintentional expenses when switching cellular data automatically, discover “Allow Cellular Data Switching” in “Settings” and “Cellular”, and then switch it off.
How to Switch between eSIMs on Android
If you already have several digital modules installed on Android and now you want to switch between cards at any time to activate the appropriate eSIM for your needs, here’s how you can do it:
- Open the “Settings” tab on your device and head to “Connections”.
- Pick a “Mobile Network” function.
- Turn on the desired card or tap “Preferred SIM Card” and choose the selected eSIM card.
- Make sure your eSIM roaming is enabled.
Remember, you can install several digital chips on your cellular phone, but use only two simultaneously! You can find out how many eSIM can be used and activate an electronic module during the device setup process, but your mobile operator must support such an activation.
