iPhone 13 Pro Max Two iPhone 13's - eSIM Switcheroo

[crellion]

Ok - so I have two iPhone 13's on my ATT post-paid plan - and I want to switch the phone number between the two phones.

Both phones are on eSIM, so I can't just swap the SIM cards out from one to the other (and vice-versa).

How would this switcheroo of phone numbers work between my two iPhones?

 

[menist]

Got to call customer service or go to your local AT&T store. They have to swap both IMEI on their system.

 

[crellion]

Im confused - why do they need to swap IMEI? I thought swapping eSIMs is the same as swapping out the physical SIM cards with the other phone...

 

[menist]

eSim is a digital sim, your imei# is locked to it when activated. Only customer service can swap them out.

 

[crellion]

then what is all this about iOS 16 allowing easy eSIM swapping? why does this need to go through customer service if iOS 16 allows you to do it freely yourself?

 

[menist]

We’ll see with iOS 16 and how carriers implement this in the future, but as of now you have to go through customer service.

 

[Gsxr750]

Im on the ios16 beta, and there's an option to transfer number from a nearby iPhone in the cellular options under add esim

 

[chabig]

IMEI is "International Mobile Equipment Identifier". It's a unique number that identifies every handset.
IMSI is "International Mobile Subscriber Identity". It identifies individual users and is stored in your SIM.

The two number together represent your identity on the network. Your carrier associates your user identity with your equipment identity. To swap phone numbers, you have to tell your carrier to make the swap. iOS allows your phone to maintain multiple eSIMs and turn them on/off in software. I don't think it let's you move them between devices, except when transferring an old iPhone to a new iPhone.

 

[crellion]

I thought the whole point of SIM is you can swap the numbers easily without even going thru the carrier?

 

[kenny7]

If both devices are on the same icloud account, you can remove both cellular plans from both devices. The cellular plans are still on your icloud. Then you can add cellular plans back

 

[Momof9]

any more update on this? I am trying to switch my phone numbers iPhone 13 PM is my number, extra line has my new 14 PM.... Verizon says I have to wait 8 days. I don't think the tech knew what he was doing....