Transfer an eSIM From Android to iPhone: Session ID and Pairing Code

Moving to an iPhone from an Android phone? You can often transfer your eSIM in a few minutes, right from your iPhone's settings. With iOS 26 and Android 16, the iPhone shows a QR code that you scan with your Android. If the scan doesn't work, the iPhone gives you a session ID and pairing code instead, and you type them into your Android. This guide shows you where to find them, where to enter them, and what to do if your carrier doesn't support the transfer yet.

Session ID and pairing code: what they are and where to enter them on Android

The session ID and pairing code are a one-time pair of codes that link your iPhone and your Android phone for the eSIM transfer. They are the backup for the QR code. You don't get them from your carrier: your iPhone shows them, and you enter them on your Android.

1. On your iPhone, start the transfer (see the steps below) until the QR code appears.
2. Tap Other Options under the QR code. Your iPhone now shows a session ID and a pairing code.
3. On your Android phone, open Settings.
4. Tap Google services, then All services.
5. Tap Pair with iPhone or iPad, then Transfer eSIM.
6. Enter the session ID and the pairing code shown on your iPhone, then tap Next.
7. Select the phone number you want to move and tap Transfer. If asked, tap Yes to use it as your primary eSIM.
8. When the transfer is complete, tap Done on your iPhone, then OK.

These steps come from Apple's guide (Apple: Transfer your eSIM from Android to iPhone). Menu names can differ a little between Android brands. If you don't see Pair with iPhone or iPad, your phone or Android version may not support the transfer yet. Use your carrier's method instead (see below).

Before you start: what you need

• An iPhone 11 or later with iOS 26 or later. Check in Settings > General > About.
• An Android phone with Android 16 or later that supports the feature. Apple says to check with your phone's manufacturer.
• Both phones on Wi-Fi with Bluetooth on, placed next to each other.
• A supported carrier. Apple's list includes:
  • USA: AT&T, Cricket, FirstNet, T-Mobile, Verizon, Xfinity Mobile
  • Canada: Bell, Koodo, Lucky Mobile, Telus, Virgin Mobile
  • UK: EE
  • Some carriers in Austria, Brazil, Czechia, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Switzerland

Indian and Pakistani carriers aren't on Apple's list at the moment, and in the UK only EE is. If your carrier isn't listed, use your carrier's method further down.

Not sure your new iPhone takes an eSIM, or need its EID? See how to check eSIM compatibility and what an EID number is.

How to transfer an eSIM from Android to iPhone with the QR code

This is the quickest way if your carrier and phones are supported. You can do it while you set up your new iPhone, or later in Settings.

1. Place both phones next to each other.
2. On your iPhone, open Settings and tap Set Up Cellular (called Mobile Service in some countries). If you already have another SIM on the iPhone, tap Cellular > Add eSIM.
3. Tap Transfer From Android. A QR code appears.
4. Scan the QR code with your Android camera.
5. On your Android, select the phone number and tap Transfer. Tap Yes if asked to make it your primary eSIM.
6. Tap Done on your iPhone, then OK.
7. Make a test call from your iPhone.

If your Android can't scan the code, tap Other Options and use the session ID and pairing code as shown above.

What happens to the eSIM on your Android?

Apple says the SIM on your Android deactivates once the eSIM moves to your iPhone. You keep the same phone number on the new phone.

If your carrier isn't supported: get a new eSIM from your carrier

An eSIM can't be copied from one phone to another by hand. If the built-in transfer doesn't work for you, your carrier issues a new eSIM for your iPhone. Apple says they can do it by eSIM Carrier Activation (a "Carrier Cellular Plan Ready to Be Installed" notification) or with a QR code (Apple: Set up eSIM on iPhone).

Use your carrier's app or website

Many carriers let you move your number to a new phone in their app or online account. You'll usually need your iPhone's EID and IMEI, which you find in Settings > General > About.

Scan a new QR code

Your carrier sends you a QR code. On your iPhone, open the Camera app and scan it, then tap Cellular Plan Detected. If the QR code is in an email on the same iPhone, touch and hold it, then tap Add eSIM. Can't scan it? You can enter the SM-DP+ address and activation code by hand. More help: how to get a QR code from your carrier.

In India: Jio and Airtel

• Jio says a Jio eSIM can move from Android to iPhone. You request it in the MyJio app ("Switch to eSIM") or by SMS to 199 with your iPhone's EID and IMEI, then confirm on an automated call. Jio says it takes about 2 hours, and SMS can be unavailable for up to 24 hours (Jio: transfer your eSIM).
• Airtel asks you to send an SMS to 121 with your registered email, confirm the request and the consent call, then scan the QR code it emails you. Your old SIM keeps working until the new one is active (Airtel: transfer an eSIM to another phone).

On other networks, including in Pakistan, ask your carrier how to move your eSIM to your new iPhone.

Going the other way? Read our guide to transferring an eSIM from iPhone to Android, or see how to move an eSIM from one phone to another for every case.

Can you transfer a travel eSIM from Android to iPhone?

Not with Apple's Transfer from Android tool. It only works with the carriers on Apple's list, and travel eSIM providers aren't on it. Whether you can install a travel eSIM again on a new phone depends on the provider and the plan. So before you delete a travel eSIM from your Android, ask the provider what to do.

For SimOptions eSIMs, our eSIM FAQ says that depending on the eSIM you bought, you may be able to scan the same QR code again. Contact our support before you remove it from your old phone, and we'll tell you what works for your plan.

Planning a trip with your new iPhone? It can hold your home eSIM and a travel eSIM at the same time, so you keep your number for calls and texts and use local data abroad. Here are data-only plans for some of the trips our readers take most.

10 GB plans for the USA, Europe (including the UK) and the Middle East (including the UAE and Saudi Arabia) · Going somewhere else? Find your destination

If the transfer fails

• Don't delete the eSIM on your Android until your iPhone shows signal and you can make a call. If you erase an eSIM, you need a new one from your carrier (Apple: How to erase an eSIM).
• Check Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both phones, and keep them close together.
• Update both phones to the latest iOS and Android version.
• Use Other Options and the session ID and pairing code if the QR code won't scan.
• Contact your carrier. Apple says that if neither method works, your carrier can activate the eSIM on your iPhone.

Installed but no signal? See how to fix an eSIM that's not activating.

FAQs

What is the session ID and pairing code?

They are two codes your iPhone shows when you tap Other Options during a Transfer from Android. You enter them on your Android phone to link the two phones, instead of scanning the QR code.

Where do I enter the session ID and pairing code on Android?

On your Android, go to Settings > Google services > All services > Pair with iPhone or iPad > Transfer eSIM. Enter both codes and tap Next.

Where do I find the session ID and pairing code?

On your iPhone, not your Android. Start the transfer in Settings, wait for the QR code, then tap Other Options under it.

Why don't I see Transfer eSIM on my Android?

Your phone may run a version older than Android 16, or your phone maker or carrier may not support it yet. Ask your carrier for a new eSIM for your iPhone instead.

Do I need to contact my carrier to transfer my eSIM from Android to iPhone?

Not if your carrier is on Apple's list and both phones are compatible. Otherwise, yes: your carrier sends the eSIM to your iPhone by carrier activation, app or QR code.

Will I keep my phone number?

Yes. You move the same line to your iPhone. The eSIM on your Android stops working once the iPhone takes over.

Why are my iMessages sending from my email and not my number?

On your iPhone, go to Settings > Apps > Messages, make sure iMessage is on, then tap Send & Receive and select your phone number. It can take a moment to activate (Apple: Add or remove your phone number in Messages or FaceTime).

Can I move a travel eSIM from Android to iPhone?

Not with Apple's built-in transfer. Ask your travel eSIM provider before you delete it. With SimOptions, some eSIMs can be scanned again from the same QR code, depending on the plan, so contact our support first.