If you use two phones, say one for work and one for personal activities, you know that can be a juggling act, especially if you’re on the go. International travelers faced fiddling with a paper clip to open a phone’s SIM tray to switch SIM cards when they wanted to use a local card to save on calls. While there are several phones that offer dual SIM card trays and allow users to switch between the two, eSIMs (electronic subscriber identity modules) eliminate any physical hassle and are very easy to set up.

Apple first introduced eSIM support in the iPhone XS back in 2018, but those phones still had a SIM tray for use with a physical SIM card. Beginning with the iPhone 13, owners could have two eSIMs activated at the same time and still have the tray. But last year, with the release of the iPhone 14 the physical tray was eliminated and Apple went all in on eSIM. Samsung is still struggling with eSIM support but Google Pixel phones have had the eSIM support since 2017.

The benefits of eSIM support are significant. eSIM makes it easy to switch carriers — making the switch can be done over the air (no waiting to receive a card in the mail), gives manufacturers the opportunity to save space inside the device for other uses and, of course, eliminating that slot means one less place for dust, dirt and water to enter your phone. Further, you can subscribe to two carriers at the same time, which may mean better coverage, along with being able to choose a carrier other than the one used by your company.

For phones with both eSIM and a physical SIM slot, eSIM often leads to “dual-SIM” support, allowing users to subscribe to two carriers at once. This is good for people who want to juggle multiple numbers or for someone who wants to combine the best coverage of two carriers. Note that you can only use two carriers on an unlocked phone. To check the status of your phone, go to “Settings,” “General,” “About” and the “Carrier” lock. If it says “No SIM restrictions” then your phone is unlocked. If it names a network, however, then it’s locked to that one.

Like with a physical SIM card, an eSIM carries a 17-digit code that shows your country of origin, carrier and unique user ID. This is how your monthly bill is created.

So how do you do it? First, make sure your phone supports eSIM technology and that it is unlocked as described above. If you are in the market for a new phone, buy from a retailer such as Apple, BestBuy or Amazon, rather than from a carrier. When you buy from a carrier, your phone will be locked, meaning it can only be used with the carrier you purchased it from. An unlocked phone is carrier-agnostic and can be used with any carrier. Review cellular plans and make your selection. My phone had an AT&T physical SIM card and I was able to add a second number through Verizon.

Purchasing a second plan for my existing phone was simple and took no more than five minutes. Once I’d selected my plan and added coverage in case of loss or damage, I specified I would be bringing my own phone and was asked to type in the model and IMEI number. Both of these can be found in “Settings,” “General” and then “About.” You’ll choose a new number. Make sure to write this down because you’ll only see the last four digits in your confirmation. Reading the terms of the provider agreement took the bulk of the time. Once I “signed” the contract, I received a confirmation by text and email.

At that point, nothing happened on my phone. There was no indication that I’d added a new line. Be patient. It took about an hour for the number to be activated. You’ll find this in “Settings” under “Cellular.” Now you can go into your contacts and choose which number to use with each of them. Remember to let people know that you’re using a new number!

Leslie Meredith has been writing about technology for more than a decade. As a mom of four, value, usefulness and online safety take priority. Have a question? Email Leslie at asklesliemeredith@gmail.com.

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