A bespoke mobile from Create Numbers is eSIM-compatible. The number is an ordinary UK mobile. The eSIM is the credential your network downloads into the phone, usually from a QR code, an install link, or the network's app. Create Numbers sends a PAC by email so you can put that number on the network and plan you choose, including an eSIM plan. You still need a live account with that network. A travel data eSIM is a different product and does not carry the number.
| Fact | A UK eSIM |
|---|---|
| What it is | A secure chip in the phone that holds a downloaded network profile |
| What it is not | The mobile number, and not a file Create Numbers emails you |
| Create Numbers' part | A PAC, so the number can be ported onto a UK network's eSIM. An optional plastic PAYG SIM if you want a card |
| Who installs the profile | The network that bills the line |
| Phones | iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later. Many recent Android phones. Check for an EID |
| UK networks | EE, O2, Vodafone, Three and many MVNOs. Rules differ for pay monthly and pay as you go |
| Moving phones | Sometimes phone-to-phone. Often a new single-use QR code from the network |
| Price of the airtime | The plan price. O2 and giffgaff say an eSIM costs the same as plastic |
Setup steps for each platform are in How to install an eSIM on an iPhone and How to install an eSIM on an Android phone. Moving the profile is in How to transfer an eSIM to another phone.
What an eSIM is
An eSIM is a secure chip already fitted inside the phone, which stores a mobile profile downloaded from your network, so the phone can make calls, send texts and use data without a plastic SIM card. The mobile number stays in the network's records, and the profile is only the credential that lets this handset use it.
The GSMA, the mobile industry body that writes the specification, says an eSIM's job is the same as a plastic SIM: it authenticates the device so the operator can connect calls, messages and data. On a consumer phone the user starts the download. A server called the SM-DP+ prepares the profile, and the phone's Local Profile Assistant passes it to the chip. The GSMA's architecture guide says that download is encrypted end to end, and only the chip in the phone can decrypt it (GSMA, 2024). Apple describes the same part, on iPhone, as an industry-standard digital SIM that can hold eight or more profiles (Apple Support (UK)).
The chip and the number are different things. Ofcom's numbering rules still apply to the digits. A UK mobile is an MSISDN in the 07 ranges, linked to a separate identity on the SIM or eSIM called the IMSI, which is why you can change the credential and keep the number (UK mobile numbers).
| Term | What it identifies |
|---|---|
| Mobile number (MSISDN) | The digits people call and text, such as 07700 900123 |
| eUICC | The secure chip in the device. "eSIM" is the everyday name for this chip and the way it is provisioned |
| Profile | One network's subscription data, downloaded onto that chip. A phone can store several and use more than one |
| EID | The chip's own 32-digit serial. It identifies the chip, not your phone number or your bill (GSMA SGP.29) |
| ICCID / SSN | The serial of a particular profile or plastic SIM. Networks ask for it during a swap |
| QR code or install link | The one-time instructions that point the phone at the network's profile server |
| Confirmation code | An extra code some networks, including Three, send separately. It is not the QR code |
Using a Create Numbers mobile on an eSIM
A Create Numbers mobile works on an eSIM because it ports onto any UK network, and that network can issue the line as a downloaded profile on a compatible phone. Create Numbers delivers a PAC by email so you can complete that port, and the network installs the eSIM once you hand the PAC over. The fulfilment email contains the PAC, and the QR code or install link comes from the network afterwards.
Order the number, wait for the PAC, then give that PAC to the UK provider you want the line to live with, and ask for an eSIM on a plan that includes calls and texts. Delivery of the PAC is usually 2 to 4 weeks, and most arrive within 2 weeks (Delivery). Once the gaining network has a valid PAC, Ofcom expects the switch within one working day (Ofcom). The full porting sequence is in Number porting, and the handover itself is Get connected.
If the Create Numbers email names a network and includes an SSN, you are staying on that network and the code to hand over is the SSN, not the PAC. That path is a same-network move, covered in SIM swap.
| You want | What to arrange | What happens to any number already on that SIM |
|---|---|---|
| The bespoke number as a new line, including as a second number beside your personal SIM | A new eSIM plan, then port the PAC onto it | The new line takes the bespoke number. Your other SIM is untouched |
| The bespoke number to replace the number already on your eSIM | The network's "keep your number" form, using the PAC, aimed at that existing line | The old number on that line is replaced and you cannot have it back |
| To stay on the network named in a Create Numbers email that includes an SSN | A same-network activation with the number and the SSN | Follow that email. Do not also start a PAC port |
| The number on a dashboard, with SMS to email, and no handset profile | A virtual host such as gosimless | No eSIM download. See Virtual number hosting |
| A plastic card, because the phone has a tray | The optional PAYG SIM from Create Numbers, then the PAC | The card is only useful if the phone has a SIM tray |
Porting onto an eSIM you already use replaces that line's current number. To keep both numbers, add a second line. iPhone 13 and later can use two eSIMs at once, and Apple says an iPhone can store eight or more (Apple Support (UK)).
How widely eSIMs are used
Most people in the UK have now heard of an eSIM, and a smaller share have actually joined a UK network with one. Ofcom does not publish a split of UK mobile subscriptions between plastic SIMs and eSIMs, so there is no official "percentage of UK numbers on eSIM". The published figures are surveys of people, and a global count of smartphone connections.
In December 2025, FDM CCS Insight surveyed 1,006 UK mobile users aged 16 and over. Nearly three-quarters, and in CCS Insight's own briefing 73%, had heard of eSIM, up from 27% in the 2022 survey. Among the people who had heard of it, almost a third had used one to sign up with a UK provider, and iPhone owners were the heaviest users. Almost a quarter had used a travel eSIM, rising to 32% among people who had holidayed abroad in the previous three years. 73% said they would consider a travel eSIM for their next trip, including 86% of those who had used one before (CCS Insight, 2026).
Told what an eSIM can do, interest is higher still. In a YouGov survey for BICS in February and March 2025, 56% of UK adults said they were interested in eSIM services, against 49% across the UK, the US and China combined (BICS / YouGov, 2025).
Globally the installed base is behind the awareness. GSMA Intelligence puts eSIM at 5% of smartphone connections at the end of 2025, 10% at the end of 2026, and doubling again in 2027. By 2030, GSMA Intelligence expects eSIM smartphone connections to outnumber those on removable SIMs. The same GSMA report says 73% of mobile operators have launched commercial eSIM for smartphones, while only 8% of consumers who already know about eSIM first heard of it from their own operator's marketing (GSMA, 2026).
Ofcom expected this shift earlier than the connection figures show. In its December 2022 conclusions on mobile markets, Ofcom wrote that within five to ten years most consumers would be using eSIMs instead of physical SIMs, with physical SIMs eventually phased out (Ofcom, 2022). November 2026 is inside that window. Awareness in Britain has moved. The share of lines worldwide has not caught up with the forecast.
| Measure | Figure | What it counts |
|---|---|---|
| UK adults who have heard of eSIM | 73% in December 2025, up from 27% in 2022 | People, not lines (CCS Insight, 2026) |
| Heard of eSIM, and used one to join a UK provider | Almost a third of that aware group | A UK network signup, not a travel data pack |
| Have used a travel eSIM | Almost a quarter of UK mobile users; 32% of recent holidaymakers | A trip, which is not the same as your main number |
| Would consider a travel eSIM next trip | 73%, and 86% of people who have used one | Intention |
| Interested once the benefits are explained | 56% of UK adults | BICS / YouGov, 2025 |
| Share of smartphone connections on eSIM, worldwide | 5% at the end of 2025; 10% at the end of 2026 | Connections, not a UK-only series (GSMA, 2026) |
| Operators offering smartphone eSIM | 73% | Launched service, not how many customers use it |
Which phones and UK networks support an eSIM
An iPhone XS, XS Max or XR or later can use an eSIM, and so can many Android phones sold in the last few years, but only if the UK network offers eSIM on the plan you buy. EE, O2, Vodafone and Three all issue eSIMs, and so do MVNOs that publish an eSIM path. The plan type, the install method and the transfer rules are not the same on every brand.
Apple's UK SIM guide, updated on 25 October 2026, is the list that matters for iPhone. Models from the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR upwards support eSIM. iPhone 13 and later support dual eSIM, meaning two eSIM lines active together. In the UK, iPhone 14 through the current iPhone 17 and iPhone 18 Pro models still have a nano-SIM tray as well, with two exceptions that have no tray in any country: the iPhone Air and the iPhone Duo. The same iPhone 14 and later generations bought in the United States are eSIM-only. A US model can still take a UK eSIM if the network supports that model. It cannot take a plastic SIM (Apple Support (UK)).
Android support is a model-by-model list. EE publishes one: dial *#06# and look for an EID, and EE's own page includes Google Pixel 3a and later, Fairphone 4 and later, and selected Motorola, Nokia, OnePlus, Oppo, Sony and Xiaomi phones, with Samsung, Honor and Xiaomi referred to the manufacturer's list (EE). That is EE's list, not a promise that every network has certified the same handset. CCS Insight's December 2025 survey found that 85% of UK users' primary personal phone was an Apple or a Samsung, up from 80% a year earlier, which is why those two brands dominate eSIM questions (CCS Insight, 2026).
A phone locked to another network will not join a new one until it is unlocked. Check the lock before you order an eSIM plan. Network brands and who hosts their signal are in Mobile networks.
| Provider | eSIM on a consumer plan | How you usually install it | What is published about price |
|---|---|---|---|
| EE | Pay monthly phones, with the profile pre-installed, and SIM-only, downloaded in the EE app. A QR pack can be posted | EE app, QR pack, or convert a plastic SIM in settings | EE's guide does not state a separate eSIM fee |
| O2 | Pay Monthly, SIM Only and Pay As You Go | QR code in My O2, pre-installed on a new Pay Monthly phone, or Convert to eSIM | "Using an eSIM costs the same as a plastic SIM — there are no hidden fees." Page updated 26 August 2026 (O2) |
| Vodafone | Vodafone documents eSIM replacement and setup for its customers | Follow the live Vodafone eSIM page for the plan you are buying | Confirm on that page. Do not assume another network's rule |
| Three | Three issues an eSIM as a replacement, including by email | QR code plus a confirmation code, sent in separate emails, each usable once (Three) | Confirm on Three's current plan page |
| giffgaff | Yes, through the giffgaff app. There is no QR code | App, on the phone that will use the eSIM. A new eSIM needs a plan, not credit alone | "No differences in pricing" between a plan on plastic and a plan on eSIM (giffgaff) |
Rules move. Read the provider's own eSIM page on the day you order. A data-only travel eSIM, including the visitor product EE sells for people visiting the UK, is not a home for a Create Numbers mobile.
How to install an eSIM on an iPhone
On an iPhone XS or later, connect to Wi-Fi, then add the network's eSIM from a QR code, a link, the network's app, a manual code, or a transfer from another iPhone. Apple's UK guide, updated on 28 October 2026, is the menu that iOS will show. The network decides which of those methods it has switched on for your account (Apple Support (UK)).
You need an iPhone XS, XS Max, XR or later, a UK provider that will issue an eSIM, and a data connection so the profile can download. Apple says to join Wi-Fi or a hotspot first. In some countries, eSIM-only iPhones can activate without Wi-Fi. Do not rely on that exception for a UK SIM-only plan. O2 says most activations finish within a few minutes and some take up to 24 hours (O2).
- Put the number on the account first if this is a Create Numbers mobile. The QR code arrives from the network after the plan exists, not from Create Numbers. See Get connected.
- Use a second screen for the QR code. O2 says the code is unique and should never be shared, and that you need another screen so the iPhone camera can see it.
- During iPhone setup, when Set Up Mobile appears, tap Use QR code and follow the prompts.
- After setup, open the Camera app, scan the code, and tap the Mobile Plan Detected banner. On iOS 17.4 or later you can also touch and hold a QR code in Mail or Safari and tap Add eSIM.
- If the network sent a link instead, tap it on the iPhone, on iOS 17.4 or later, tap Allow on the Activate New eSIM notice, then Continue.
- If the network uses its app, download that app from the App Store and follow its eSIM steps. EE's path is Manage, then Mobile and SIMs, then Replace my SIM/eSIM (EE).
- If you are asked to type the details, go to Settings, Mobile, Add eSIM, then Enter Details Manually, and use the SM-DP+ address and activation code from the network. Enter the confirmation code as well when the network supplied one. Three sends the QR and the confirmation code in separate emails, and each works once (Three).
- Name the line and choose the defaults for voice, messages and mobile data. On a dual-SIM iPhone the wrong default sends your bank codes to the other number.
- Make a call and send a text from another phone. Then check any app that binds to the number (WhatsApp verification).
A banner that says the network still has to finish setup means the profile downloaded and the account step is not done. Tap it, or contact the network. If this eSIM replaces a plastic SIM on the same number, remove the card only after the eSIM can make a call.
How to install an eSIM on an Android phone
On a compatible Android phone, connect to Wi-Fi, then add the eSIM from Settings by scanning the network's QR code, or finish the download in the network's app on the handset that will use the line. Menu names differ by manufacturer, and a few networks, including giffgaff, skip the QR code and complete the install in their own app. Google's path is usually Settings, Network and internet, SIMs. Samsung's is Settings, Connections, SIM manager.
EE's Android steps are a reliable model for a QR install. Connect to Wi-Fi, open Settings, then Network and internet, then SIMs, then Download a new eSIM, and scan the pack. On a Samsung the same job is Settings, Connections, SIM manager, Download a new eSIM. EE also lets you convert the plastic SIM already in the phone: Settings, Network and internet, the active SIM, Convert your SIM to eSIM. The phone needs Wi-Fi or mobile data, current software, and enough battery (EE).
O2's camera warning applies on Android too. Use photo mode. Video mode will not read the QR code. Stay on Wi-Fi until the profile has finished installing. If the code fails, O2 says you need a new one. The old code is not retried (O2).
giffgaff is the exception to the QR steps:
- Check the phone shows an EID, or is on giffgaff's compatible list, and that it is unlocked.
- Install the giffgaff app on that phone and sign in. Activation has to happen on the handset that will use the eSIM.
- New members activate in the app and buy a plan. giffgaff says you can no longer activate an eSIM with pay-as-you-go credit only (giffgaff).
- Existing members go to Account, SIM, Replace my SIM, Switch to a new eSIM. Switching runs from 4:30am to 9:30pm, usually within an hour, and can take up to 24 hours (giffgaff).
- Restart or toggle flight mode if the signal does not appear, then test a call and a text.
On a dual-SIM Android phone, set the new eSIM as the default for calls, texts and data before you retire the other line. giffgaff lists a wrong default SIM as a reason an activated line still looks dead (giffgaff).
How to transfer an eSIM to another phone
A transfer puts the number on the new phone and switches it off on the old one, by authorising a fresh download onto the new phone's chip. iPhone to iPhone often works on the setup screens, Android to Android works on many recent phones, and a move between the two is limited to networks that support it, with EE the only UK name on Apple's current list. Everywhere else, and whenever the on-screen option is missing, you ask the network for a new QR code or app install. That code is normally single-use, so the QR from the old install will not set up the new phone.
The profile is bound to the chip that downloaded it. GSMA's consumer design downloads a profile onto one eUICC. "Transfer" means the network, or the phone makers acting with the network, issues service on the new chip and disables it on the old one. It does not mean scanning the original QR a second time.
| Move | When the phones can do it | When you need a new code from the network |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone to iPhone | eSIM Quick Transfer. Both phones on iOS 18.4 or later, same Apple Account, Bluetooth on, phones nearby, old iPhone unlocked and with its passcode. From iOS 26, more than one number can move. The new plan deactivates the old SIM when it activates (Apple Support (UK)) | The network does not support Quick Transfer, or Transfer From Nearby iPhone never appears. Some networks then show a banner that finishes on their website |
| Android to Android | Both phones current, on Wi-Fi, Bluetooth on, and next to each other. Android's own transfer design expects a screen lock on the old phone, and the network has to mark the profile as eligible. EE's version is the setup flow with the phones side by side (Android Open Source Project, EE) | The profile is listed as non-transferable, or the menu is missing. Manufacturer and network both have to support it. O2 says options vary by model |
| Android to iPhone | iOS 26 or later on an iPhone 11 or newer, Android 16 or later on a compatible phone, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. As of Apple's UK article of 21 September 2026, the only UK network on the list is EE. The iPhone shows a QR code, the Android camera scans it, you confirm the number, and the Android SIM then deactivates (Apple Support (UK)) | Any other UK network. O2 says it does not yet support a move from Android to iPhone or the reverse, and that it is working on it (page updated 26 August 2026) |
| iPhone to Android | The same Apple article covers the reverse direction for those supported networks and software versions. EE also documents an Android install from the EE app when you are moving from an iPhone: Manage, Mobile and SIMs, Replace my SIM/eSIM | The option is absent, the Android version is too old, or the network is not EE. Ask that network for a replacement eSIM |
iPhone to iPhone, after setup:
- On the new iPhone, open Settings, tap Mobile, then Set Up Mobile or Add eSIM.
- Choose the plan from the other iPhone. If the list is empty, tap Transfer From Nearby iPhone.
- On the old iPhone, tap Transfer, or enter the code the new iPhone is showing.
- Wait until the new line is active. The old SIM is deactivated by that activation.
- If a banner says to finish the network's setup, tap it.
- Call and text the new iPhone before you erase the old one.
Android to Android, in outline:
- Update both phones, turn on Bluetooth, connect the new phone to Wi-Fi, and set a screen lock on the old one.
- On the new phone, start setup, or open the SIM menu and choose transfer from another device. Wording varies. Pixel phones use Network and internet, then SIMs. Samsung uses SIM manager.
- Scan the QR code shown on the new phone with the old phone, confirm the number, and unlock the old phone when asked.
- If the number is missing from the transferable list, stop. The network has to issue a new profile. Retrying will not make an ineligible profile eligible.
A failed transfer does not leave you free to reuse the old QR. O2 says a QR code can be downloaded once and is then locked to that device, and that a failed QR install needs a new code. EE says the same, so that nobody else can use a code you have already consumed. Three's QR and its confirmation code each work a single time. If you delete the profile, O2 will issue a new code in store with photo ID, or after security questions, and sometimes posts a plastic SIM instead (O2, EE). Ordering that replacement on the same network is a SIM swap. Changing network at the same time is a port.
Install the profile on the phone that will keep the number. A single-use QR scanned on the wrong handset is spent, and the line is now on that handset until the network moves it.
Why a UK eSIM usually needs an ongoing plan
The eSIM profile does not include airtime. It only lets the phone use an account the network is still billing or crediting, so a UK number on an eSIM almost always sits on a plan you renew or keep in credit. Ofcom's Communications Market Report 2026 found that 82% of UK mobile subscriptions were post-pay in 2025 (Ofcom CMR 2026). CCS Insight's December 2025 survey put SIM-only, which is still a plan you pay each month, at close to 45% of Britons, about 10 percentage points higher than five years earlier (CCS Insight, 2026).
Networks differ on pay as you go:
| Provider | What it requires before the eSIM works |
|---|---|
| giffgaff | A plan bought in the app. "You can no longer activate an eSIM with pay as you go credit only." (giffgaff) |
| EE | EE's public routes are a pay monthly phone or a SIM-only plan, downloaded in the app or from a QR pack (EE) |
| O2 | Pay Monthly, SIM Only, or Pay As You Go. PAYG eSIM can be ordered online or collected in an O2 store, at the same price as plastic (O2) |
| A travel eSIM | A prepaid data allowance for a trip. It is not your Create Numbers number, and it usually cannot receive the bank texts that number is for |
There is no separate national "eSIM rate" and "plastic SIM rate" for UK airtime. Where the networks have said so, the plan costs the same either way: O2 says an eSIM costs the same as a plastic SIM with no hidden fees, and giffgaff says there is no pricing difference between a plan on plastic and a plan on an eSIM. The Create Numbers charge is for the digits, and it is separate from the monthly network bill (Pricing overview).
If the plan stops, the calls and texts stop with it, on eSIM or on plastic. Ofcom warns that a pay-as-you-go number can be recycled after a period with no use, in some cases from as little as 70 days (Number porting). A monthly plan that you let lapse is the same practical risk for a number you have put on a website. Keep the account funded, or move the number before you cancel.
A virtual host is the other way to keep a number without a handset profile. That is a subscription too, and it is not an eSIM (Virtual number hosting).
How an eSIM compares with a physical SIM
Choose an eSIM when the phone supports it and you want the line without waiting for the post, or when the phone has no SIM tray. Choose a plastic SIM when you want to move the card between phones yourself. The mobile number, the calls and the texts are the same either way, and on O2 and giffgaff the plan price is the same too.
Apple has already removed the tray on two models sold in the UK. The iPhone Air and the iPhone Duo are eSIM-only in every country, so a Create Numbers optional PAYG SIM has nowhere to go in those phones (Apple Support (UK)). Every other current iPhone sold in the UK still has a nano-SIM slot beside the eSIM.
| eSIM | Physical SIM | |
|---|---|---|
| How it arrives | Download, often in minutes. O2 says most activations finish within a few minutes, and some take up to 24 hours. Three emails an eSIM straight away | Post. A wait of one to three working days is common. The optional Create Numbers PAYG SIM is posted |
| What you pay for the plan | The plan price. O2: same as plastic, no hidden fees. giffgaff: no pricing difference | The same plan price at those two providers. Confirm with any other network |
| Moving to another phone you own | Phone-to-phone if the network and both handsets support it. Otherwise a new single-use QR or app install | Move the card, if the other phone has a tray of the right size |
| Second number on one phone | Two active lines on phones that support dual SIM, with no extra card. A second line still needs its own plan | A second card, and a phone with two trays, or one tray plus an eSIM |
| Lost or stolen phone | Nothing to pull out and put in another handset. The profile is still inside the stolen phone until the network bars it. EE says that makes it more secure than plastic, and that you should call and bar the account immediately | The card can be taken out. A SIM PIN stops a stranger using the card. The number can still be moved by a fraudulent swap |
| Deleted or damaged credential | Delete is permanent. The network must issue a new profile. EE does this in the app or with a new QR pack | A damaged card is replaced by post or in store. The old card stops when the new one is activated |
| Best for | iPhone Air, iPhone Duo, any phone without a tray, a second line, or avoiding the post | A spare phone you swap by hand, or a handset with no EID |
| Poor fit | A phone you change every week by moving one card. A data-only travel eSIM used as if it were your UK number | A handset with no tray. A card that is the wrong size for the new phone |
The short version used when you are only replacing a lost or broken credential is in SIM swap.
How secure an eSIM is
An eSIM is harder to remove from a phone than a plastic card, and the download is encrypted so that only that phone's chip can read the profile. It does not stop someone who can pass your network's account checks from moving the number onto a SIM they control. Cifas recorded nearly 3,000 unauthorised SIM swaps in 2024, a 1,055% rise on 2023 (Cifas, 2025).
The GSMA's protection is on the download path. The profile is encrypted from the operator's server to the chip, and the GSMA says only the eUICC can decrypt it (GSMA, 2024). O2 describes the practical result: the eSIM cannot be taken out of the device, it is tied to the device and the account, and O2 can block it if the phone is stolen. EE says the same about theft, and tells you to call 07953 966 150 immediately so the account can be barred (EE).
The weak point is the thing that stands in for the card. A QR code is a bearer secret until it has been used. Whoever scans it first can install the profile, which is why EE, O2 and Three all make the code single-use, and why Three sends the confirmation code in a separate email. O2 tells customers never to share the QR. A screenshot in a chat, a photo album or a cloud backup is a copy.
Account takeover does not need the QR you were sent. The attacker asks the network to issue a new profile. Merseyside Police warns that an eSIM can be activated remotely, so the identity check matters as much as it does for plastic (Merseyside Police, 2025). Which? makes the matching point: an eSIM is harder to steal from a handset, and a handful of cases were a switch from plastic to eSIM, but the risk still depends on how strictly the network checks who is asking (Which?). Action Fraud figures shared with Which? show references to an eSIM in scam reports rose from 18 in 2022 to 763 in 2024, and Which? says that rise does not mean eSIM users are uniquely vulnerable (Which?, 2025). In 2024, 48% of account-takeover cases filed to Cifas involved a mobile phone account.
| Do | Why |
|---|---|
| Keep the QR and the confirmation code in the network account, not in email forwards or photos | A single unused code is enough to install the line |
| Ask the network for an extra account PIN or password before any SIM change | Which? recommends a check that store and phone staff must pass |
| Bar the line the moment the phone is stolen, then replace the eSIM | The profile is inside the missing phone until the network disables it |
| Prefer an authenticator app over SMS codes for banking where the bank allows it | A moved number receives the texts. See Mobile number fraud |
| Treat a surprise "your eSIM is ready" message as something to verify in the official app | The install prompt can be the moment a fraudulent swap completes |
The GSMA's 2026 eSIM review names SIM-swap fraud as one of the attacks that scales with eSIM, because the mobile number is now the anchor for one-time passwords. Its prescription is the networks' job: watch for behaviour that does not fit the customer, and add friction when it does not (GSMA, 2026). Yours is the PIN, the QR hygiene, and the bar call.
Common eSIM problems
Most failed installs are a code that has already been used, a phone with no data connection, a handset that has no eSIM, or a line that downloaded and was never set as the default for texts. O2 says the fix for a spent or failed QR is a new code from O2, not another attempt. EE says the usual fix is to download a replacement in the EE app, and otherwise to call.
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| "Already used", or the QR scans and then fails | The code has been consumed. EE, O2 and Three all treat a QR as single-use. A half-finished install still counts | Ask the network for a new profile. O2 can do this in store with a driving licence or passport, or after email security checks |
| QR not recognised | Video mode, a damaged print, or a photo that is too small. O2 says video mode will not read the code. EE says a torn or smudged code can be typed in from the app | Retake it from the network account on a larger screen, or enter the manual details. If it still fails, order a new code |
| Stuck on "activating" | The download needs Wi-Fi or mobile data, and the network may still be provisioning. O2 allows up to 24 hours. giffgaff's switch can take that long and only runs from 4:30am to 9:30pm | Stay online, restart, toggle flight mode, and wait out the 24 hours before you order a second profile |
No EID on *#06# |
The phone has no eSIM, or it is too old. iPhone X and earlier are plastic only | Use a plastic SIM, or a different handset. EE's compatibility page is the checklist for EE |
| Profile installs on the handset and calls fail | The phone is locked to another network, the PAC port has not completed, or the plan was never bought. giffgaff will not activate a new eSIM on credit alone | Unlock with the old network, confirm the port in Get connected, and check the plan is paid |
| Calls work and bank texts do not | Dual SIM is sending SMS on the other line | Set the new eSIM as the default for messages, then send yourself a text. giffgaff lists this exact check |
| Transfer menu is missing | The network or the Android version does not allow it. O2 does not yet move an eSIM between iPhone and Android. Apple's cross-platform list for the UK names EE | Order a replacement eSIM for the new phone. Same network: SIM swap |
| Deleted the eSIM by mistake | Delete removes the profile from the chip. It does not cancel the account, and it does not revive the QR | EE: replace it in the EE app, or request a QR pack on 07953 966 150 or in store. O2: new code after a security check |
| Number silent after a phone theft | The profile is still in the stolen handset | Bar it with the network immediately, then issue a replacement onto a phone you hold. Steps in SIM swap and Mobile number fraud |
Peak days are slower. The GSMA notes that eSIM activations jump to four or five times the normal volume at moments such as Christmas morning, because many phones are switched on together (GSMA, 2026). O2 asks customers to install during the day, because overnight network work can delay an activation until morning.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I port the PAC onto an eSIM I already use?
Only if you are ready to lose the number already on that eSIM. A port replaces it, and the old number does not come back. Add a new eSIM line, then give the PAC to that new line, if you still need both. iPhone 13 and later can keep two eSIMs active. The choice is set out in Number porting.
Should I scan the QR code before the new phone arrives?
No. Scan it on the phone that will keep the number. O2 says a QR code downloads once and is then locked to that device, and EE says a code works once so that nobody else can use it. Scanning it on the phone you are about to retire spends the code. Wait until the new handset is on Wi-Fi and signed into the network account.
Should I delete the old eSIM as soon as the new phone shows signal?
Wait until you have made and received a call and a text on the new phone. A transfer is meant to switch the old profile off when the new one activates, and a half-finished install can leave you with neither. O2 allows up to 24 hours. Deleting the old profile does not make the original QR code work again.
Should I keep a screenshot of the QR code?
Keep it only until the install succeeds, and keep it out of shared albums and chats. The code is the key to the line until it has been used. O2 tells customers never to share it. EE and Three both make it single-use, which limits the damage after a successful install and does nothing for a photo that someone else scans first. Prefer the copy inside the network account.
Should I buy a travel eSIM to carry a Create Numbers mobile abroad?
No. A travel eSIM is a short data plan, usually with no UK mobile number of its own. CCS Insight found that almost a quarter of UK mobile users had used one, which is why the two get confused. Your number stays on the UK plan you ported it to. EE says that once that eSIM is active it roams like a plastic SIM, on whatever roaming your plan includes.
Should I set the eSIM as the default line for texts?
Yes, if bank codes, WhatsApp and password resets should arrive on the Create Numbers mobile. A dual-SIM phone can put mobile data on one line and SMS on the other, and the codes follow the SMS line. Name the lines in settings, then text the number from another phone. The app check is in WhatsApp verification.
Should I still set an account PIN if there is no card to steal?
Yes. An eSIM cannot be popped out of a tray, which is the gain O2 and EE describe, and the number can still be moved by anyone who passes the network's checks. Cifas recorded nearly 3,000 unauthorised SIM swaps in 2024. Ask the network for an extra PIN that store and phone staff must hear. The wider pattern is in Mobile number fraud.
Should I change network if iPhone-to-Android transfer is missing?
You do not have to. O2 said in August 2026 that it does not yet move an eSIM between iPhone and Android, and Apple's UK list for that transfer named EE. Ask your current network for a new QR code or an app install on the destination phone. The number and the plan stay. That request is a SIM swap, not a port.
Should I let the monthly plan lapse between phones?
No, if you want to keep the digits. The profile does nothing without a live account, and Ofcom warns that an unused pay-as-you-go number can be recycled after as little as 70 days. giffgaff will not even activate a new eSIM on credit alone. Keep the plan running, or move the number before you cancel. The inactivity rules are in Number porting.
Should I buy a US iPhone to run this number as an eSIM?
Only after you have checked that exact model. Apple's UK guide of 25 October 2026 shows iPhone 14 and later bought in the United States as eSIM-only, while the UK versions of those generations still have a nano-SIM, except the iPhone Air and iPhone Duo, which have no tray anywhere. A US phone can use a UK eSIM if the network supports it. It cannot take a plastic SIM.
Should I order the plastic PAYG SIM as well as an eSIM plan?
Order it if the phone has a tray and you want a card in hand while you learn the network's eSIM steps. Skip it for an iPhone Air, an iPhone Duo, or any other phone with no tray, because the card has nowhere to go. The PAC in the email is what puts the number on the credential you actually use. Shipping is covered in Delivery.
Should I contact Create Numbers when the QR code fails?
Contact the network that issued the QR code. Create Numbers delivers the PAC, not the eSIM profile. O2, EE and Three replace a used or failed code themselves, and O2 may ask for photo ID in store. Contact Create Numbers if the PAC never arrived or the port instructions look wrong. The PAC steps are in Get connected.