eSIM issues and workarounds?

For those not yet aware, Apple introduced eSIM functionality exclusively for the iPhone 14 and newer models (with no physical SIM card slot), currently restricted to the USA – seemingly their test market. While the concept appears promising, the reality reveals several issues.

Let me share my recent experience and challenge. My iPhone 15 Pro, equipped with eSIM compatibility and running the latest iOS 17.x, is restricted to using only an eSIM. My carrier supports eSIM, and I've scanned the QR code as instructed. My carrier does not support "Quick eSIM Transfer". About eSIM on iPhone - Apple Support

The problem I currently face is that the iPhone is stuck in an endless "Activating..." loop. I've diligently tried all suggested workarounds provided by my carrier, including toggling Airplane mode, ensuring all other connectivity options are disabled, and being on a strong 1 GBs Wi-Fi connection, among other attempts.

It has been more than a day, and my iPhone remains stuck in the "Activating..." phase. I've encountered similar setup challenges with other eSIMs and cellular connections, though they eventually worked after initial struggles.

Regrettably, Apple lacks an option within the Settings to halt or cancel the eSIM activation attempt. The only recourse for the user is to navigate to Settings, Reset, and Delete ALL SIMS. However, once you successfully activate an eSIM, you can delete any of them, but not during the activation process.

While this is manageable if you have only one eSIM, it becomes problematic if you have multiple. To further add to the frustration, many carriers charge for an eSIM to be activated and regenerated should you run into an issue like mine.

During a conversation with an overly confident carrier tech support representative who asserted, "You don't need more than one eSIM," I explained my travel needs that I in fact do, to which he hesitantly responded with a mere "hmm."

Looking ahead, I hope that a forthcoming iOS update will address these eSIM limitations on the iPhone. Additionally, there is a pressing need for a method to back up the eSIM, reducing reliance on carriers to regenerate new eSIMs, given that eSIMs can only be used once.

Despite the iPhone's capability to transfer eSIMs from an old device to a new one (introduced with iOS 16 and higher), this process is dependent on having access to the device where the eSIM was initially activated. Not everyone reinstalling the eSIM is transitioning between devices; some are switching between operating systems, such as moving from Android to iOS or vice versa. Others had to perform a factory or DFU reset and start fresh.