In iOS 17.4 Orange and Vodafone allow you to transform the physical SIM into an eSIM

After Movistar and O2, Orange and Vodafone are now the companies that allow you to transform a physical SIM into an eSIM

Apple will release iOS 17.4 in early March, enabling alternative app stores on iPhone for the first time in history, in addition to many other new features. And one of these innovations will allow Orange and Vodafone users turn the physical SIM card they have in their iPhone into an eSIM.

Movistar and O2 have already activated this option a few weeks ago and now it is the turn of two other major operators in USA. From now on, setting up an eSIM on the iPhone will be easier for millions of users since the “eSIM Quick Transfer” functionality

which allows both transforming a physical SIM into an eSIM and transferring it from one iPhone to another, is already compatible with 4 major operators in USA.

The eSIM card is a standard electronic SIM card with which you can activate the cellular data plan provided by your operator without the need to use a physical SIM card. You can install eight or more eSIM cards on an iPhone and use two phone numbers at the same time.

eSIM is now easier to get on Spanish iPhones

How to Convert iPhone Physical SIM to eSIM

Thanks to Fast eSIM transfer You can convert a physical SIM to eSIM from the iPhone itself. In USA, from iOS 17.4, Movistar, Orange, Vodafone and O2 are compatible with this function. The steps to transfer your physical SIM to an eSIM are as follows:

On your iPhone, go to Settings > Mobile data.
Press on Convert to e SIM

.
Press on Convert mobile plan.
Then press Convert to eSIM.
Wait until it does eSIM activated. The old SIM card will be deactivated when activating the mobile plan on the iPhone.
Remove the physical SIM from the iPhone and restart the device.

An eSIM and a SIM are basically the same, but it might be worth it if your primary number is on an eSIM. This will allow you to quickly insert a SIM from any other operator and have both numbers available. Furthermore, eSIM Fast Transfer is completely freenot like you go to an operator to ask for it, which has a cost.

iPhone models are compatible with eSIM

The eSIM card arrived on iPhone with the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR generation, all models released since then are therefore compatible with the electronic SIM: