# How to Set Up or Transfer an eSIM in Australia > Choose the right eSIM setup method, transfer your service and check calls, texts and data before removing the old SIM. - Canonical URL: https://techxtelco.com/mobile-plans/mobile-insights/how-to-set-up-an-esim-in-2024/ - Published: 2024-10-11 - Updated: 2026-09-11 - Topics: Mobile, Guides, Explainers - Author: David Everson - Image: https://anrkjmgqmwfosbvyzrzc.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/article-images/how-to-set-up-an-esim-in-2024/hero-v1.webp - Publisher: Tech X Telco (https://techxtelco.com) Before you scan a QR code or remove your old SIM, work out which job you are doing: activating a new service, moving an existing service to another phone, or converting a physical SIM in the phone you already own. They can use different activation steps. Start with your provider’s instructions for your exact handset. **Quick answer** Check that both your phone and your provider support eSIM. Use the provider’s activation method, or a supported phone-to-phone transfer. Keep the old phone available until the new service works. A completed photo transfer does not prove your mobile number has moved. ## Start With the Right Kind of Setup For a brand-new service, follow the activation instructions supplied with that service. For an existing number on a replacement phone, look for transfer or restore instructions. Converting a physical SIM is a third option: it changes how your existing service is installed, where your provider supports it. Do not use a new-service purchase flow just because it is the first eSIM button you see. Write down the number you intend to move, then check it at each confirmation screen. That is especially useful when a family account contains several services. Source: [Apple: Set up eSIM on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/en-au/118669). ## iPhone: Use Quick Transfer When Your Provider Supports It **Step by step** 1. Check Apple’s current prerequisites. Its guide requires supported carrier service, both iPhones signed into the same Apple Account, the old phone unlocked, Bluetooth on, the phones nearby and iOS 18.4 or later on both. 2. On the new iPhone, open Settings, then Mobile, Cellular or Mobile Data (the label varies), then Set Up Mobile or Add eSIM. Select the plan offered, or Transfer From Nearby iPhone, and follow the confirmation on the old phone. 3. Complete any carrier activation page you are shown. Apple says activation on the new phone deactivates the previous SIM. Keep the old handset to hand while you confirm the result. Source: [Apple: Set up eSIM on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/en-au/118669). ## Telstra: Transfer Through My Telstra Connect the new phone to reliable Wi-Fi first. In My Telstra, the transfer route is: open My Telstra, choose Services, then Set up or manage eSIM, then Transfer or restore eSIM. Follow the prompts for the existing service. The account owner can use that transfer option. If it is missing because you have Full Authority rather than ownership, Telstra directs you to a store with the device and photo ID. If you are the owner and the option is still missing, Telstra also suggests updating or refreshing the app before seeking help. Telstra says the old eSIM becomes inactive after transfer even if it remains listed on the old phone. Delete it after the move succeeds, rather than deleting it in an attempt to start the transfer. Source: [Telstra: Transfer or restore your eSIM](https://www.telstra.com.au/support/mobiles-devices/transfer-esim). ## Samsung Galaxy: Installing a Provider QR Code Samsung’s Australian instructions use Settings, Connections, SIM card manager, Add mobile plan, then Scan carrier QR code. Menu labels can differ between software versions. Use the QR code issued for your service and follow the activation prompts. If the option is missing, check the exact model, purchase region and carrier support. Samsung cautions that eSIM availability depends on those factors. A Galaxy family name alone is not enough to establish compatibility. Have the code available on a second screen or printed page before starting, so you are not trying to scan the display of the phone you are holding. Avoid putting an activation code into a shared photo album or a support forum. Source: [Samsung Australia: Install a SIM or eSIM](https://www.samsung.com/au/support/mobile-devices/install-nano-sim-card-and-esim/). ## Check the New Service Before Tidying Up **Checklist** - Confirm the mobile number shown in the provider account is the number you intended to move. - Make a normal outgoing call and ask someone to call your number back. - Send and receive a normal SMS. Do not count an internet messaging app as the SMS test. - Briefly turn Wi-Fi off and load a web page using mobile data. Turn Wi-Fi back on afterwards. - With two services installed, check which line is selected for calls and mobile data. - Only after those checks, remove the inactive old profile according to your provider’s instructions. ## If Activation Stalls **If something goes wrong** No transfer option: check provider support and account authority before trying another method. A missing feature is not proof that the whole phone lacks eSIM. Old phone has lost service, new phone has none: use Wi-Fi to contact the provider. Record the error and the point at which it appeared. Do not delete both profiles to see whether that helps. Calls work but mobile data does not: check the selected data line, particularly if you installed a travel eSIM alongside your Australian service. Samsung’s SIM manager lets you choose preferred services. If the old phone is lost or broken, ask the provider about recovery. The nearby-phone procedure assumes you can still use that phone; it is not a lost-device recovery method. Source: [Samsung Australia: Install a SIM or eSIM](https://www.samsung.com/au/support/mobile-devices/install-nano-sim-card-and-esim/). ## Sources and How This Was Checked Checked against the official pages below on 11 September 2026. We have not performed these steps on a device or tested a customer account. The suggested test order and final checklist are editorial advice; provider and device requirements come from the linked documentation. **Sources and further reading** - [Apple: Set up eSIM on iPhone](https://support.apple.com/en-au/118669) - [Telstra: Transfer or restore your eSIM](https://www.telstra.com.au/support/mobiles-devices/transfer-esim) - [Samsung Australia: Install a SIM or eSIM](https://www.samsung.com/au/support/mobile-devices/install-nano-sim-card-and-esim/)