If you have iPhone XS or above, you can have eSIM activated in your iPhone. When you get a new iPhone, Apple have a feature called "Quick transfer" when you can do a quick eSIM to eSIM transfer between the phone.
Example:
1. You have iPhone XS Max with eSIM
2. You get a new iPhone (12 Pro or 13 Pro) either from Apple or Verizon
3. You can transfer the eSIM from iPhone XS Max to iPhone 13 Pro during the phone setup.
HOWEVER, Verizon does NOT support this quick transfer (T-Mobile and AT&T do) and searching this forum, there seems to be a LOT of difficulties doing eSIM transfer.
So as of September 2021, can anyone provide insight how to do eSIM transfer? I am getting iPhone 13 Pro soon and I need to activate it with eSIM. I currently have iPhone XS Max with eSIM and Verizon service.
For some reason I cannot edit my original post, but here is the update after my research.
This is problematic because on the day of new iPhone release (September 24th), Verizon customer service will be inundated and you will have to WAIT for a LONG TIME just to do the eSIM transfer.
However, since Verizon CS is not trained on eSIM transfer, they may just tell you it does not work and you have to call again or be at the store for a long time.
Can confirm. It took me over an hour to complete this with my new phone, and I was escalated four levels because their reps were not trained or enabled to handle this.
All of the reps I dealt with were professional but the first few were so clueless about what I was asking. They kept asking for the ICCID on the new phone, which doesn’t exist until they activate it for me on their end.
My coworkers in the IT department who deal with this on a regular basis with Verizon all confirmed that it’s the same ordeal every time they have to do it.
Verizon, please enable your reps. Also, please work with Apple to support the eSIM transfer capability. It will save your company money because customers won’t even have to call in, and also won’t be so annoyed at the process to be tempted to dump you for another carrier.
nathanrawlings, thanks for the feedback and we've lifted this up to our management team. We want customers to have the flexibility for eSIM transfers when possible. Thank you. - Alan
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