Google’s Pixels are nearly ready to convert your SIM card to eSIM

In 2022, Apple made a bold move by ditching the physical SIM slot in the iPhone 14 and going all-in on eSIM. While Android phones haven’t fully embraced this change yet, it’s likely on the horizon. Despite the convenience of eSIM for users and carriers, the transition can be a headache. As eSIM becomes the norm, the process needs refining, and more carriers must get on board. Samsung and Google are stepping up to the challenge, with Samsung already allowing the conversion from a physical SIM to an eSIM. Now, Google is throwing its hat into the ring with its own eSIM conversion tool for Pixel phones.

The Android 14 Quarterly Platform Update (QPR) 2 Beta 3 includes some hints that Android users might soon be able to convert their regular SIM cards into eSIMs, as spotted by 9to5Google. Traditionally, phones have relied on physical SIM cards to connect to cellular networks. However, with this potential update, Android users will have the option to go all-in on eSIM, ditching the physical card. The idea is to make it a breeze to switch between phones and carriers without any major disruptions to your service.

However, the eSIM journey hasn’t been smooth sailing for everyone. Some users have experienced service disruptions at some point. Technical glitches have even pushed some people to trek to their carrier’s brick-and-mortar store for a fix.

Things might be looking up, thanks to a new eSIM conversion tool for Pixel phones. The handy option called “Convert to eSIM” has been spotted right in the SIMs menu of the Network and Internet section in the Settings app. This tool was spotted in an earlier beta last year, but the latest discovery suggests it’s now more visible and might be ready for public release.

The button doesn’t seem to be functional just yet, but if Android 14, especially on Pixel phones, lives up to the promise, this button could soon snatch up all the details from your physical SIM and transform it into an eSIM, making swapping cards between phones a thing of the past.

Seeing as the eSIM conversion tool is currently visible in a pre-release version of Android 14, it remains uncertain when or if it’ll roll out to everyone. In the meantime, Google already has a nifty feature that lets you transfer an eSIM from your old Pixel phone to a new one. The logical progression would be to dial up the convenience by making the whole physical-to-eSIM conversion a breeze. Now, let’s hope Google doesn’t hit the snooze button on the obvious next steps—expanding support to more carriers and devices.