Google has recently rolled out the second Android 13 QPR2 beta update to supported Pixel devices, which includes a number of underlying changes. According to Mishaal Rahman, among these changes is a new system property called ‘euicc.seamless_transfer_enabled_in_non_qs’, suggesting that Android could soon gain support for seamless eSIM transfers.
Currently, Android users have to deactivate their eSIM profile on their old phone and activate it on their new phone. This process is not seamless and may require the user to contact their carrier to activate the eSIM on their new phone.
In contrast, iOS offers a built-in Quick Transfer feature that allows users to transfer physical or eSIMs from their old iPhone to a new model without contacting their carrier.
It seems that Google is taking inspiration from this iOS feature and working on bringing similar functionality to Android.
You might soon be able to transfer an eSIM profile from an old Android phone to a new phone, or convert a profile on a physical SIM card into an eSIM profile. Support for transferring profiles is being implemented in Google's SIM Manager app the LPA on Pixel and many GMS devices.
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) January 9, 2023
The feature is being implemented in the SIM Manager app on Pixel phones and several other phones that ship with Google Mobile Services. However, the complete compatibility details are not available yet. It’s likely that Google’s Pixel lineup will support both eSIM profile transfers and converting a physical SIM to an eSIM profile.
Devices from other OEMs will also get support for eSIM profile transfers, but the ability to convert a physical SIM to an eSIM profile might be limited to a few models.
It’s not yet clear when Google plans to release this feature. It could arrive with the March 2023 Pixel Feature Drop or later in the year with Android 14. The company has not yet commented on the matter, and it’s not known when more information will be available.
Overall this feature will make the transition of eSIM profile to new phone much easier and more seamless, by not requiring users to contact their carrier and make activation. This could make the transition process much more user-friendly and less time-consuming.