Your phone number belongs to your carrier’s account, not to the phone, so it only moves to an eSIM when your carrier releases it and the checks (passcode, connection, no account locks) pass. When it won’t move, ask your carrier for a replacement eSIM, or leave the number on your home line and add a Maya eSIM for data on the trip.
The progress bar sits there. The flight boards on time anyway.
Only your carrier can move your number to an eSIM
Your phone number is tied to your carrier account, not stored in the phone. An eSIM transfer needs the carrier to release the number to a new eSIM profile.
Apple’s own steps show this. When a new iPhone can’t finish the job, a banner sends you to your carrier’s webpage to transfer the eSIM, and once the plan activates on the new phone it deactivates the old SIM (Apple Support). The switch happens on the carrier’s side, so a phone setting can’t force it.
What should you check first when your number won’t transfer to an eSIM?
Check Apple’s four requirements first. The old iPhone must be opened with its passcode, both phones must be nearby with Bluetooth on and signed in with your Apple Account, and both need iOS 18.4 or later (Apple Support). If all four hold and the number still won’t move, the carrier is your next stop.
Small setup steps are where installs stall. In a one-star Trustpilot review of aloSIM from August 13, 2026, Osman D. wrote: “No Russian manuals available. I purchased aloSIM for my family while they were traveling, but none of them could set up the eSIM. As an experienced Windows and Android user, I could have probably figured it out by trial and error, but my family couldn’t. It’s way too complicated with English-only instructions. Plus, after my payment successfully processed, the app still asked me to buy the plan again. # update since you are planning to add Russian instructions, I’ll give aloSIM another try. My family is heading to Turkey at the end of August, and if everything goes well, I’ll update my review to 5 stars.”
How do you get your carrier to move your number to the new eSIM?
Ask your carrier for a QR code, then scan it on the new phone. Apple’s published steps for a new iPhone start at setup (Apple Support, Set up eSIM on iPhone):
- Turn on and set up your iPhone.
- When the Set Up Cellular screen appears, tap Use QR code.
- Follow the onscreen instructions.
To activate your eSIM after setting up your iPhone, contact your carrier to get a QR code, then:
- Open the Camera app and scan your QR code. Tap the Cellular Plan Detected notification when it shows up.
- If you are using an iPhone with iOS 17.4 or later and receive a QR code from your carrier in a default email app or browser, tap and hold the QR code. Then, tap Add eSIM.
- Tap Continue at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap Add Cellular Plan.
- If you’re asked to enter a confirmation code to activate your eSIM, enter the number that your carrier provided.
Do you need to move your phone number to use a travel eSIM abroad?
No. Maya runs alongside your existing SIM, so your home number and carrier plan stay unchanged.
If data is all you need on the trip, there is nothing to transfer. The number stays home on the home line, and the eSIM does the work.
What do travelers say went wrong installing another travel eSIM?
Installing is where many trips start badly. In a two-star Trustpilot review dated October 5, 2026, a Nomad customer wrote: “I purchased 2 esims – one worked well but second one I couldn’t install. I tried to extend the one that did work but when you don’t have reliable Wifi unable to extend. To hard to use”
If you are moving a carrier eSIM between two iPhones, Apple publishes this order (Apple Support, “Set up eSIM on iPhone”):
- Make sure both iPhones are signed in with your Apple Account.
- Open your previous iPhone with its device passcode.
- Make sure both devices are nearby with Bluetooth turned on.
- Make sure both devices are on iOS 18.4 or later.
- Open the Settings app on your new iPhone.
- Tap Cellular.
- Tap Set Up Cellular or Add eSIM.
- Choose a cellular plan to transfer from another iPhone. If you don’t see a list of numbers, tap Transfer From Nearby iPhone.
- Follow the instructions on your previous iPhone. To confirm, tap Transfer, or, if prompted for a verification code, enter the code that your new iPhone displays.
- Wait for the cellular plan to activate on your new iPhone. The cellular plan on your new iPhone deactivates your previous SIM when it activates.
- If a banner appears on your new iPhone that says Finish Setting Up Your Carrier’s Cellular Plan, tap it. You will be redirected to your carrier’s webpage to transfer your eSIM. If you need help, contact your carrier.
Set up a travel eSIM before flying and keep your main number active
Install the travel eSIM on Wi-Fi before you leave, set it as your cellular data line, and turn off data roaming on your home line. Your number stays on the home line and Maya carries the data. Maya’s eSIM installs once and stays on the phone, with plans of 3, 7, 14 or 30 days from USD 9.99.
If you install before you arrive, set the eSIM as your primary Cellular/Mobile Data plan when you land. Your home carrier typically adds no roaming charges while Maya carries the data and Data Roaming is off on the home line. Apple publishes the settings (Apple Support, “Set up cellular service on iPhone”):
- Open Settings.
- Tap Cellular (or Cellular Data).
- For a single SIM or eSIM: turn on Cellular Data, then tap Cellular Data Options, and turn off Data Roaming.
- For Dual SIM or Dual eSIM: tap Cellular, then tap Cellular Data, and choose a default line. Turn on Allow Cellular Data Switching if you want iPhone to use either line depending on coverage and availability.
- For Dual SIM or Dual eSIM: choose the line you want to modify (the home line), then tap Cellular Data Options and turn off Data Roaming.
Apple’s warning: you may incur roaming charges if Data Roaming is on and you’re outside the region covered by the carrier’s network.
Which travel eSIM should you buy if your home number stays put?
Maya sells one global eSIM at a flat price by trip length, from USD 9.99 for 3 days to USD 49.99 for 30. The others publish per-country, per-region and global plans, some per gigabyte, in their own words below.
| Travel eSIM | How plans are sold | Unlimited plan allowance, as published | Calls, texts and phone number, as published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maya Mobile | One Global eSIM for 165+ countries, unlimited data at a flat price by trip length: USD 9.99 for 3 days, USD 19.99 for 7 days, USD 27.99 for 14 days, USD 49.99 for 30 days | A daily high-speed data allowance (the Daily Quota) at up to 4G LTE or 5G where local networks offer it, reset every 24 hours; unlimited data at standard speed once the Daily Quota is used | Data only, with no local number; your own SIM stays in the phone for your calls and texts |
| Airalo | Per country, per region, or one global plan; priced in USD | Our unlimited data packages don’t have a fixed total data cap. However, to keep the network running fairly for everyone, when you use more than 3GB in a day, we’ll slow down (or “throttle”) your internet speed to 1 Mbps for the rest of that day. | We offer flexible data packages — some have calls and texts. |
| Holafly | Per country, per region (Europe, Latin America, Cruise plans), and unlimited monthly/annual global plans | Unlimited data means there is no fixed limit on the amount of data you can use. However, some network operators may temporarily reduce your speed after a certain amount of high-speed data usage, as explained above. | Unlimited Plans purchased on November 4, 2025, or later include a phone number for US, UK, or Canada. Please note that this service supports inbound SMS only and VOIP-based calling (traditional incoming cellular calls are not supported) |
| Saily | Per country and per region, plus one global plan; by the gigabyte, unlimited, or both | The Unlimited plan gives you 5 GB per day at full 4G/5G speed, then keeps you online at 1 Mbps for the rest of the day — fast enough for navigation, messaging, and standard browsing. | Yes, you can keep your own number while using a Saily eSIM plan. If you want to make calls and send SMS messages abroad without worrying about extra carrier fees, you can add a US phone number to your Saily eSIM plan. |
| Nomad | Per country, per region and global plans; by the gigabyte | How many GB of high-speed data you wish per day. You can continue to use your data at a throttled speed of 512kbps after you’ve used up your daily allocation. | Some of Nomad’s eSIMs include a local phone number. Check the plan details for more information of what your plan includes. |
The rival cells carry each provider’s own published words or a short summary of them, and the Maya Mobile cells carry Maya’s own wording.
Maya’s plans are data only, so no local number comes with them, and Maya offers eSIM data plans only, with no physical SIM cards. Keep your primary line as the Default Voice Line and use the eSIM as the secondary line for data. Speed after the daily allowance is standard speed with no speed guaranteed, and service in any one country is not guaranteed.
How Maya keeps your data on while your number stays put
Your number stuck at the carrier doesn’t have to hold up your trip. Maya Mobile is a travel eSIM giving unlimited data in 165+ countries and 20+ cruise lines through a single eSIM permanently installed on the phone. Every plan includes a daily high-speed data allowance (the Daily Quota), at up to 4G LTE or 5G where local networks offer it. Pick your days, switch it on, and your home line stays right where it is.
Persad gave us four stars on Trustpilot on August 26, 2026: “I purchased the 30 day unlimited plan for data only and it was extremely easy to activate as they provided very clear instructions. I will continue to use this service for my future travels and I would highly recommend it to anyone.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you move an eSIM from an Android phone to an iPhone?
Yes, if your carrier and phone support it. Apple’s support page says that with iOS 26 and later, some carriers and select Android makers support moving an eSIM straight from Android to iPhone. If yours don’t, you contact your carrier to activate the eSIM (Apple Support, “Transfer your eSIM from Android to iPhone”). On the iPhone, the route starts in Settings with Set Up Cellular, then Transfer from Android.
How do you keep getting calls and texts on your home number while abroad?
Yes, if your carrier supports Wi-Fi Calling and you turn it on. Your phone then reaches your home carrier over the internet using the eSIM data connection, so calls and texts keep using your regular number. Set your home line as the Default Voice Line in Settings under Cellular, and keep the Maya line for data only (Apple Support, Use Dual SIM on iPhone). Some carriers may charge international SMS fees even over Wi-Fi calling, though that is not common.
How do you find your phone’s EID and IMEI?
Open Settings, tap General, then tap About. Scroll to find the EID, IMEI/MEID and ICCID, and touch and hold a number to copy it (Apple Support, Find the serial number, EID, or IMEI on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch). Your carrier may ask for them when it issues a replacement eSIM.
Do you need to take your home SIM out to use a Maya eSIM?
No. Maya runs alongside your existing SIM, and your home number and carrier plan stay as they are. Your phone runs two lines at once, so your home line stays primary and Maya is the secondary line that carries your data.
Will a Maya plan charge you after your trip ends?
No. Maya plans are one-time purchases, and customers are not charged automatically after a plan ends unless they turn on Auto Top-Up. Auto Top-Up is opt-in and off by default.
Maya gives you unlimited data in 165+ countries and 20+ cruise lines through one eSIM that stays on your phone, so your home number never has to move.
