eSIM is a great feature, as it lets you switch carriers without needing a physical SIM card. However, transferring an eSIM from one device to another is a chore, as you have to jump through hoops and follow several instructions, and those instructions vary for each cellular network carrier. To solve this issue, Google launched an eSIM Transfer Tool last year at MWC 2023, and Samsung implemented it in One UI 5.1. However, Samsung's eSIM Transfer Tool only worked between Galaxy devices. Now, that limitation is being removed.
eSIM Transfer Tool in One UI 6.1 works with non-Samsung devices
It appears that Samsung is making its eSIM Transfer Tool compatible with other (non-Samsung) Android smartphones. This feature seems to have arrived with One UI 6.1, and the first devices to run the new version of One UI are the Galaxy S24, Galaxy S24+, and Galaxy S24 Ultra. Mishaal Rahman was able to get a pop-up menu to transfer their eSIM from the Pixel 8 Pro to the Galaxy S24 Ultra. This feature uses a QR code that can be scanned to transfer eSIM from one Android smartphone to another. However, it needs to be noted that the feature currently only works with T-Mobile eSIMs in the US.
Google said last year that Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile's parent company, would be the first carrier to support Android's eSIM Transfer Tool. So, it is possible that more carriers around the world will start supporting the eSIM Transfer Tool for Android smartphones. Samsung was using its own method for eSIM transfer in One UI 5.1. However, the company now seems to be using Google's eSIM transfer mechanism, which pops up a Google Play Services-powered menu on an Android smartphone nearby.
This is a major step towards the normalization of eSIM registration and transfer on Android devices. All Android phones that now come with Google's eSIM Transfer Tool will support eSIM transfer between Android devices from any brand, but the dependability on the network carrier still remains. It would be great if Apple and Google worked together to make eSIM transfers between iOS/iPadOS and Android possible.
Watch all other One UI 6.1 features that Samsung introduced a few days ago with the Galaxy S24 series in our video below.
