This guide will show you how to transfer cellular plan to new iPhone 16, 15, including the methods to transfer cellular plan during or after setup.
In the past, we didn't need to take much action to transfer cellular plan to new iPhone. The cellular plan is bundled with the SIM card. Therefore, we can simply insert SIM card into the new iPhone to complete the transfer. However, this changed with the advent of eSIM.
eSIM is an industry-standard digital SIM that allows you to activate a cellular plan without the need for a physical SIM card. It is etched onto the device’s motherboard and you cannot either remove or insert an eSIM. In some ways, eSIM makes it easy to set up cellular service. You do not have to worry about losing SIM card and you can install eight or more eSIMs on an iPhone.
While it is not difficult to transfer cellular plan to new iPhone from a physical SIM to eSIM, if you've never used eSIM before, then you may be confused about the exact steps. Take it easy! Here in this guide, we will show you how to transfer cellular plan to new iPhone 16, 15 during or after setup.
★Tips:
If your carrier supports eSIM Quick Transfer, then you transfer cellular plan to new iPhone 16, 15 during the setup process. All you have to do is follow the onscreen instructions.
Most carriers support eSIM transfer, including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, C Spire, U.S. Cellular. Therefore, in most cases, you can easily transfer cellular plan to new iPhone without contacting them. During the setup process, you will be asked to transfer your cellular service plan, just follow the steps below to transfer cellular via eSIM Quick Transfer.
1. Place two iPhones near each other.
2. Set up your new iPhone.
3. On the Transfer Cellular Plan screen, tap Continue and follow the instructions to complete the transfer.
After that, you can make a phone call on your new iPhone to check cellular connectivity. If you meet any problem, you can contact your carrier.
If you miss the eSIM transfer during the setup process, don’t worry, you can transfer cellular plan to new iPhone after setup. You can choose one of these methods to learn how to transfer cellular data to new iPhone depending on your situation.
If you purchased your iPhone from a carrier or from Apple in the United States, then you can transfer cellular plan to new iPhone via eSIM Carrier Activation.
When you see Carrier Cellular Plan Ready to Be Installed, tap it. Or you can go Settings app > Tap Carrier Cellular Plan Ready to Be Installed.
If you do not see that notification, you can contact your carrier and let them set the eSIM on your iPhone. After that, make a phone call to check cellular connectivity.
If there is no problem, you can remove the SIM card and restart your iPhone. If it does not work, please contact your carrier.
If your old iPhone has installed iOS 16, then you can transfer cellular plan to new iPhone via Bluetooth. However, not all carriers support this feature.
1. Place two iPhones near each other.
2. On your new iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular and tap Set Up Cellular.
3. Choose Transfer from Another iPhone.
4. Check the message and make sure you already know the conditions that need to be met for the transfer.
5. Then follow the instructions to transfer eSIM to new your iPhone.
If you cannot use the above two methods to transfer cellular plan to new iPhone, you can contact your carrier and activate eSIM via QR code or the carrier’s app. It’s also a good choice if you cannot access your old phone.
1. On your new iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular and tap Set Up Cellular.
2. Choose Use QR Code.
3. Position your iPhone so the QR code appears in the frame.
4. Enter the confirmation code provided by your carrier.
5. Tap Continue to complete the transfer.
If you can’t transfer cellular plan to new iPhone, you can contact your carrier or you can try to fix the problem yourself.
? Update the carrier. Go to Settings > General > About to check the status. If there is an update available, just tap it to update the carrier.
? Force restart your iPhone. Press and quickly release the volume+ button > Press and quickly release the volume- button > Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.
? Please make sure you have connected to a stable Wi-Fi network.
? Update iOS to the latest version. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to make it.
? For more details, you can go to this guide: How to Fix eSIM Did Not Transfer to New iPhone 16/15.
Now you know how to transfer cellular plan to new iPhone. As you can see, Apple allows you to complete the transfer during or after the setup process. However, Apple does not provide an easy way to let you transfer data to new iPhone after setup.
Usually, you can use QuickStart or Move to iOS to transfer data new iPhone during setup. However, what if you have already set up your new iPhone? If you do not want to reset your iPhone, then you can use AOMEI FoneBackup, one professional iPhone data management tool to help you transfer data.
With AOMEI FoneBackup, you can select the files you need on your new iPhone and then transfer them to your new iPhone. It will not erase any existing data on the device.
Click the download button to get AOMEI FoneBackup and see how to transfer data from iPhone to iPhone after setup.
Step 1. Transfer data from old iPhone to PC
1. Launch AOMEI FoneBackup > Connect your old iPhone to computer via USB cable.
2. Choose Phone Transfer > Go to iPhone to PC and click Get Started.
3. Select the files you need.
4. Click Start Transfer > Select a destination and click Transfer.
? If you want to manage your contacts via Excel, you can choose to export iPhone contacts to CSV.
Step 2. Transfer data from PC to new iPhone
1. Plug in your new iPhone.
2. Click Phone Transfer > Go to PC to iPhone and click Get Started.
3. Choose Photos, Videos, Music or Contacts icon > Drag the files you need to the box. Or you can click anywhere in the box to browse your PC and select the files you need. (If you want to add contacts, please choose Contacts icon first.)
4. Finally, click Start Transfer to add data to your new iPhone.
When you do not have a computer at hand, you can use AOMEI FoneBackup for iOS to transfer data from iPhone to iPhone wirelessly. This tool allows you to transfer data without Wi-Fi or cellular. You can download the tool from App Store.
Please note that you need to download AOMEI FoneBackup for iOS on both iPhones. After that, you can open the app and start transferring contacts, photos, videos, songs and any files in Files app.
This way is also applied to transfer data from Android to iPhone.
That’s all about how to transfer cellular plan to new iPhone 16/15. Usually, you can transfer cellular plan during the setup. If you missed the step, you can use eSIM Carrier Activation, Bluetooth or QR code to set up eSIM. Once your cellular plan is activated on your new iPhone, iOS will automatically deactivate it on your old iPhone.