Switching Phones — Moving Your SIM or eSIM to a New Device

Modified on Sun, 19 Apr at 12:33 AM

Got a new phone? Moving your Parrot Mobile line over is usually quick. The exact steps depend on whether you're using a physical SIM or an eSIM, and whether the new phone is iPhone or Android.

Before You Start

Make sure the new phone is unlocked and compatible. See Supported Devices & Compatibility.
Have both phones charged and on Wi-Fi if possible.
Sign in to https://www.parrotmobile.com/app on a computer or tablet so you can manage the line if needed.

Moving a Physical SIM

The simplest case — same SIM, different phone:

Power off the old phone.
Pop out the SIM tray (use the SIM ejector pin or a paperclip).
Put the SIM in the new phone, matching the same SIM size (nano-SIM in most modern phones).
Power the new phone on. Within a few minutes you should see Parrot Mobile signal bars.
If data, picture messages, or hotspot don't work after the swap, set your APN — see APN Settings for Android and iPhone.

If the new phone uses a different SIM size than your old one, request a SIM replacement from your dashboard — see Replacing Your SIM or eSIM. Don't try to cut a SIM down with scissors.

Moving an eSIM

eSIMs are tied to a specific device, so moving requires a bit more work. The cleanest path is to transfer or re-issue the eSIM:

iPhone to iPhone (eSIM Quick Transfer)

iOS supports moving an eSIM between iPhones during setup:

Set up the new iPhone normally.
When asked about cellular setup, choose Transfer From Nearby iPhone (or Transfer from another iPhone).
Approve the transfer on your old iPhone.
The eSIM moves to the new iPhone and is removed from the old one. No extra steps needed.

If Quick Transfer isn't offered or doesn't work, follow Re-Issue the eSIM below.

Android to Android, or Switching Between iPhone and Android

Android-to-Android eSIM transfer support varies by manufacturer (Samsung, Pixel, etc.) and is unreliable. The most dependable path in any cross-platform move is to re-issue the eSIM.

Re-Issue the eSIM

Sign in at https://www.parrotmobile.com/app.
Open the line, then Settings > Replace SIM.
Choose eSIM and confirm.
Follow the on-screen QR code or activation steps on your new phone (see Setting Up Your SIM or eSIM).
The old eSIM stops working as soon as the new one activates.

After the Swap

Run through these checks once the new phone is online:

Make a test call to a friend.
Send a regular text and a picture message to test SMS and MMS. (MMS requires data on your plan — see Group Messaging and MMS Troubleshooting.)
Turn off Wi-Fi briefly and load a website to confirm mobile data.
Update Wi-Fi Calling if you use it — your E911 Emergency Address needs to be re-confirmed on a new device. See Using Wi-Fi Calling with Parrot Mobile.
If you're moving from another carrier's iPhone to a non-iPhone (or vice versa), deregister iMessage so texts don't get stuck — see Deregistering iMessage After Leaving Another Carrier.

Need Help?

If your new phone won't activate, or your old phone keeps grabbing the line, email support@parrotmobile.com with the make/model of both phones and the steps you've already tried.