Carrier Used Wife's Line for ATT Upgrade - Steps for Swapping into iPhone 13

[Timenprayer]

Need some help.

I upgraded my line last year into the iPhone 12 Pro using the $800 in credits that ATT was offering.

This year, I used my wife's upgrade to pre pre order the iPhone 13PM. Going to trade in her 11PM.

My question is - with my current iPhone 12 Pro having a physical SIM, and the new iPhone 13PM shipping with an eSIM (but attached to her ATT line of service) - what are my steps next Friday on launch day?

I'm guessing that I'll put my physical sim into her phone before I power it up, and then transfer my physical SIM into an eSIM on the 13PM. But then - how would I get the iPhone 12 Pro over to her line of service?

Thoughts from those that know what they are doing?

 

[IconIc215]

Good question. Sometimes I upgrade my phone on other lines on my account and before just swapped the physical sims. I am curious how that will work with the Esim now. I believe this is the first phone shipping this way as my 12PM came with a physical nano sim.

 

[kanga1622]

I swapped devices on my Verizon plan last night. You may be able to do it yourself. There’s a video on the Verizon FAQ page that walks you through the steps or I have had their reps do it while chatting from a laptop. Took me about 2 hours to swap 4 phone numbers last year and then restore from backups.

It comes up often on family plans so I am sure AT&T has some directions on their site.

 

[Steve686]

I think I've read line switching somewhere on ATT's site.

You can always drop by a store and pick up a physical sim for a few bucks each just to make it even easier.

 

[Timenprayer]

When the new iPhone 13 PM arrives under my wife’s number and eSIM, do I need to activate that eSIM? I signed up to get the $1000 in bill credits this ATT as long as I keep the line active. Do I first activate her line, and then put the physical sim from my line into the new 13 PM?

 

[BrettDS]

I think you’ll need to call ATT one way or another. When you first turn on the iPhone 13 it will activate it’s eSIM, which will then deactivate her current physical SIM. Once a physical SIM has been deactivated then it is dead and cannot be reactivated. At that point you will either need to call ATT and have them activate the eSIM in the iPhone 12 with your wife’s line and deactivate the eSIM in the iPhone 13, or go to an ATT store to get a new physical SIM for your wife. Then you could use your physical SIM in the iPhone 13, or you could have ATT put your line on that physical SIM.

You also may be able to call ATT *before* you first turn on the iPhone 13 and have them associate the eSIM in the phone with your line. That way when you first turn on the iPhone 13 it will activate the eSIM with your line (and deactivate your physical SIM), but it will leave your wife’s SIM alone. She can then move that SIM to your old iPhone 12.