iOS 19: eSIM transfer from Apple iPhone to Android set to become easier

With iOS 19, Apple could let iPhone users transfer their eSIM to an Android smartphone by scanning a QR code-similar to how it works between Android devices today

Apple is reportedly working on a new feature that would make it easier for iPhone users to switch to Android smartphones—starting with wireless eSIM transfers. According to a report by Android Authority, Apple’s upcoming iOS 19 system update is expected to add a “Transfer to Android” option in the Settings app, allowing users to wirelessly move their eSIM to a non-Apple device.

 

The report points to evidence found in Google’s SIM Manager app within the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 release, which includes strings referencing iOS 19’s support for wireless eSIM transfers to Android. Currently, iPhones only offer a “Transfer or Reset iPhone” option limited to switching between Apple devices.

 

With iOS 19, Apple is expected to introduce a new ‘Other Options’ button on that same page (Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone), enabling users to manually initiate an eSIM transfer to an Android phone.

This process would reportedly involve scanning a QR code displayed on the Android device, similar to how eSIMs are transferred between Android phones today. The iPhone will likely generate a “session ID” and “passcode,” which users would input on the Android device to complete the transfer. Notably, this feature would require the iPhone to be running iOS 19.

 

Currently, transferring an eSIM from iPhone to Android typically involves contacting the carrier and manually re-provisioning the service—an often tedious process. The upcoming iOS 19 update could dramatically simplify this with a native, user-friendly solution.

 

While Apple has made it easier to switch to an iPhone with its Move to iOS app (last updated with iOS 18), switching from iPhone to Android has remained cumbersome. The new eSIM transfer functionality could mark the beginning of Apple making that transition easier as well.

These changes are likely part of Apple’s effort to comply with the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which requires companies to open up their ecosystems. Apple has previously acknowledged that it is “developing a solution that helps mobile operating system providers develop more user-friendly solutions to transfer data from an iPhone to a non-Apple phone.”

 

However, it is still unclear whether the upcoming eSIM transfer feature will be rolled out globally or limited to users in the EU.