I switched my dad from Android to iPhone last year. He’s in his seventies, still swears by Windows XP, and considers Gmail a scam.
So when I told him we were getting rid of his Galaxy and moving to an iPhone, he looked at me like I asked him to join TikTok.
The biggest pain point was his phone number. It lived on an Android device as an eSIM, and moving it over to the iPhone involved more steps than he was willing to take.
We spent over an hour digging through carrier menus, scanning QR codes, restarting phones, and arguing over what a “cellular plan” even meant. It worked in the end, but not without a headache.
That’s why a small change in iOS 26 caught my eye. In the second beta, Apple quietly added an option to transfer an eSIM from an Android phone during setup.
You’ll find it here:
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Cellular
- Select Add eSIM
- Choose Transfer from Android
This new feature solves a real-world problem. You no longer need to hand your phone over to a carrier rep and hope they get it right. Just follow the prompts and your mobile plan comes along for the ride.
It’s not perfect. You still need the Android phone on hand, and some carriers might not support it yet. But it’s a clear step in the right direction.
Apple often gets criticism for being a walled garden. And that’s not unfair. But this is one of those rare moments where the company looks over the wall and makes life easier for people who want to come inside.
I still wouldn’t bet on my dad ever switching again, but if he does, at least I won’t have to explain what an eSIM is.
I’ll just tell him to tap the screen and follow the instructions. That’s a win in my book.
Does the new eSIM transfer from Android feature fix one of your biggest headaches when switching phones?
