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iPhone 13 pro - e sim card

What exactly is an E SIM card?

Posted on Apr 14, 2022 5:15 AM

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Question marked as Apple recommended

An eSIM is a digital SIM that allows you to activate a cellular plan from your carrier without having to use a physical nano-SIM.


You can install multiple eSIM profiles on an iPhone that supports eSIM. If your iPhone is unlocked, you can subscribe to several cellular plans. 



Posted on Apr 14, 2022 5:25 AM

2 replies

May 5, 2022 11:17 AM in response to kellyannmilo

I watched one of the Apple support videos on Youtube on how to set up eSims on the iPhone and found it extremely confusing. I can’t post the video link to avoid this post being rejected, but here is a summary of what’s clear or confusing in it.


  • Set up new cellular plan using link received from carrier - Clear;
  • Choose Primary and Secondary plans (for phone calls and text/SMS) - Clear;
  • Choose a Default plan - Huh? Then what does “Primary” in the bullet above mean?
  • Choose how you want to use iMessage and FaceTime, i.e., with one plan only OR both if you choose auto-switch - Unclear. Shouldn’t we talk cellular data first? These two apps run on cellular data (unless you’re on WiFi), right? Oh, but these apps are associated with a phone number, now this makes sense.
  • Choose the plan for cellular data (one only) - Makes sense, unless you read the bullet above. Hold on, what about the auto-switch option?
  • Calls to numbers not on your Contacts will use the Default plan - Why? I want to be able to chose when I make each call.


I’m assuming that cellular data is available on one plan only if I don’t choose the auto-switch thing. For phone calls and texts, the Default (Primary?) plan will be used for outgoing items unless I set a per-contact preferred plan; for incoming items, each plan will use its own line.


Can one temporarily disable roaming for any of these cellular plans, and I don’t mean for roaming data only but also for calls and texts? Unclear.

iPhone 13 pro - e sim card

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