eSIM explained: how it works and how to switch in India

An eSIM is a SIM that lives as software on a small chip permanently built into your phone, instead of on a plastic card you insert. Your operator sends a digital “profile” — the same identity a physical SIM carries — which your phone downloads, usually by scanning a QR code. In India, Jio and Airtel let you convert an existing number to eSIM through an app or SMS, with an email check, a confirmation call and a waiting period. The convenience is real, but so is a scam that tricks people into converting their number onto a fraudster’s phone.

What an eSIM actually is

Two terms get mixed up:

eUICC (embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Card) is the hardware: a secure chip soldered into the phone, which can hold one or more operator profiles. It has a permanent identifier called the EID.
eSIM is the everyday name for the whole arrangement: the chip plus the ability to download, store and switch operator profiles over the air.

The GSMA, the global mobile industry body that writes the standard, says the role of the SIM is not changing; only the way it is loaded is. The eSIM “offers an equivalent level of security” to a removable SIM and lets a device “store multiple operator profiles … and switch between them remotely, though only one can be used at a time.” Dual-SIM phones commonly combine an eSIM with a physical SIM slot so two numbers can be active together.

The GSMA publishes separate eSIM specifications for consumer devices, for machine-to-machine use and for internet-of-things devices. Phones, tablets and smartwatches follow the consumer specification, known as SGP.22, with the architecture set out in SGP.21.

How activation works

Under the GSMA consumer architecture, three pieces talk to each other:

Your operator creates a profile for your number and gives you an activation code, which the GSMA defines as information “issued by an Operator/Service Provider to an End User” to request the download of a profile. In practice this usually arrives as a QR code by email.
The SM-DP+ (Subscription Manager Data Preparation+) is the operator’s secure server. According to SGP.21, it prepares encrypted profile packages and links them to specific EIDs, so a profile can only be installed on the intended chip.
The LPA (Local Profile Assistant) is software on your phone. When you scan the QR code, the LPA opens a secure (TLS) connection to the SM-DP+, proves the chip’s identity, downloads the encrypted profile and installs it. Some operators also require a confirmation code before the download.

The design is sound. The weak point, as with SIM swaps, is not the cryptography but the human step where someone gets the activation code.

Benefits

No card to lose or swap. Nothing to fall out, damage or be removed by a thief.
Faster switching. Changing plans, adding a second number or moving to a new phone can be done without visiting a store, if the operator supports it.
Travel. You can add a local or roaming data profile abroad while keeping your Indian number on the phone.
Device design. Smartwatches and some tablets can have mobile connectivity without a SIM tray.

Satellite and IoT devices are a growing use case too; the GSMA’s IoT eSIM specification exists for devices with no screen or keyboard. For how phones may one day connect directly to satellites, see our explainer on how satellite internet works.

Risks

eSIM conversion fraud. In August 2025 the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, warned of a scam in which callers pose as telecom staff, send a fake eSIM activation link, and get the victim to approve a conversion. The victim’s physical SIM goes dead and their number — with every call, SMS and bank OTP — moves to an eSIM on the fraudster’s phone, as reported by India TV. The I4C’s advice: never let a third party convert your SIM, and request any conversion yourself through official channels.

This is the same weakness explained in our comparison of two-factor authentication methods: whoever controls your number receives your SMS codes. It is also a common step in the UPI frauds we have covered.

Built-in friction is a safety feature. Indian operators deliberately slow eSIM activation. Jio’s own guide says services on the new eSIM are activated “after 2 hrs. cooling period as per the guideline”, following email OTP and an automated confirmation call. Separately, the Department of Telecommunications asked operators to block incoming and outgoing SMS for 24 hours after a SIM swap or upgrade, according to a Tele.net report from November 2022. If your phone suddenly loses signal and you did not ask for any change, treat it as an emergency.

Phone damage or loss. If the phone breaks, you cannot move the eSIM by popping out a card. You will need the operator’s transfer process or a store visit with ID.

How switching works in India

Processes differ by operator and change over time, so always start from the operator’s own app, website or store. As of October 2026, the two largest operators describe these steps:

Jio (official guide):

In the MyJio app, search “eSIM” and tap “Switch to eSIM”.
Verify your registered email with an OTP.
Enter the EID of the phone that will hold the eSIM (on most phones, dial \*#06# to see it).
Confirm with an OTP sent to your Jio number and answer the automated verification call.
After the two-hour cooling period, install the profile from the phone notification or emailed QR code.

Jio also offers an SMS route that requires the phone’s EID and IMEI, and store visits with proof of identity.

Airtel (official guide):

SMS “eSIM” followed by your registered email ID to 121.
Reply “1” to confirm.
Give consent on the call you receive; missing it cancels the request.
Scan the QR code sent to your email; Airtel says activation takes around two hours.

Airtel warns users not to delete the eSIM profile from phone settings, as that permanently removes it.

Notice what both processes have in common: you start the request, from your own registered number and email. A genuine operator will not phone you and ask you to approve an eSIM request you never made.

Safety checklist

Start any conversion yourself, only through the operator’s app, SMS short code or store.
Never scan a QR code or click an “eSIM link” sent by a caller.
Keep your operator-registered email secure, ideally with an authenticator app or passkey on that email account.
Use the government’s Sanchar Saathi portal to check the mobile connections registered in your name, and its Chakshu facility to report suspected fraud calls and messages.
If money is lost, call the cyber-crime helpline 1930 or report at cybercrime.gov.in, and contact your bank immediately.

Physical SIM vs eSIM

	Physical SIM	eSIM
Form	Removable plastic card	Profile downloaded to a built-in chip
Getting one	Store, delivery or retailer	Operator app, SMS or store; QR code or in-app install
Moving to a new phone	Move the card	Operator transfer process
Multiple numbers	One per slot	Several stored; how many are active depends on the phone
If phone is stolen	Thief can remove the SIM	Cannot be pulled out, but the operator must still be told
Main fraud risk	SIM swap at a store	Being tricked into approving a conversion
Device support	Nearly all phones	Many newer phones; check your model

The point: An eSIM is a downloadable SIM profile secured by the operator’s server and a chip inside your phone. It is as secure as a plastic SIM, but only if you are the one who requests the switch. Any unsolicited call or link about “activating your eSIM” is a red flag.