How To Delete An eSIM: 4 Basic Steps

How to delete an eSIM on iPhone, Android and other operating systems

| Communications and Content Expert

Updated on

January 7, 2025

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How to delete an eSIM: The summary

The steps to delete an eSIM are somewhat consistent across different devices and operating systems, although there might be slight variations. Here’s a summarized guide:

Step	Instruction
Access device Settings	Start by opening the “Settings” application on your device’s home screen.
Find Network Settings	Look for the menu titled “Cellular”, “Mobile Data”, “Network & Internet” or “Connections,” although the exact name might differ based on your device.
Locate eSIM Settings	Within this section, search for an option that might be listed as “SIMs”, “SIM & network” or “eSIM settings”.
Select and delete eSIM	Choose the eSIM option, then proceed to either deactivate or completely delete the eSIM profile.
Confirm the deletion	Finalize your choice.

Learning how to delete an eSIM from your device is a very useful skill, especially if you’re traveling around and need to constantly switch between mobile service providers and plans.

Just to clarify, deleting an eSIM doesn’t mean you’re getting rid of the actual embedded chip itself. When you set up an eSIM, your device saves all the network information, like your SIM details and such. Deleting it just means you’re erasing that specific network information, so your device can’t use that particular network anymore.

For example, let’s say that you go on a holiday, starting in the US, then hopping over to Europe and finally ending up in the Middle East. Each time you reach a new destination, you’ll need a new eSIM profile to connect to the local networks. That’s where deleting your old profiles comes in handy. You simply discard the previous ones to make room for the new ones. Don’t worry, though – deleting an eSIM profile won’t affect anything on your device. Everything else will continue working like normal, except for that specific network connection you just got rid of.

Reasons to delete an eSIM

As we mentioned, a common scenario would be deleting an eSIM purchased for a specific trip once the trip comes to an end and the eSIM is no longer required.

Another situation would be if you need to switch between providers, maybe because you found one with better coverage or cheaper rates.

We actually ran into this issue ourselves not too long ago. There’s a limit in how many eSIM profiles you can store in one single device. When it gets too “crowded”, the solution is to delete one (or more) of those profiles to make room for the new ones.

You might also be thinking about selling or transferring your device, in which case deleting the eSIM ensures that the new owner starts with a clean slate and your network details and data plans are not transferred along with the device.

Deleting and reinstalling your eSIM could also be useful for troubleshooting persistent network issues and connectivity problems when your provider suggests it

How to delete an eSIM

The steps to delete an eSIM profile can vary slightly depending on the device and operating system. However, it’s usually a simple process, which doesn’t involve more than 4 steps:

For iOS devices (iPhone)

Go to Settings.
Select Cellular or Mobile Data.
Tap on the eSIM profile you want to delete.
Select Remove Cellular Plan.

For Android devices

Go to the Settings app.
Tap on Network & Internet or directly on “Mobile Network,” depending on the device.
Select the SIMs option, and choose the eSIM you want to delete.
Tap on Delete or Remove next to the eSIM profile.

For Google Pixel devices

Open the Settings app.
Tap on Network & Internet, then on Mobile Network.
Choose Advanced to find more options.
Select the eSIM profile under Carrier and then choose Delete or Remove.

Hot Tip

Always double-check which eSIM profile you are deleting. You don’t want to accidentally remove the eSIM profile you’re currently using and relying on.

Is it possible to recover a deleted eSIM?

Typically, once an eSIM profile is deleted from a device, it cannot be recovered. However, all is not lost, it depends largely on the policies and capabilities of your eSIM provider. Our suggestion is to contact your carrier immediately if an unintentional deletion occurs. They will be able to assess if your eSIM can be reactivated to restore your connection, or if it’s gone for good.

Tips to prevent deleting your eSIM by accident

A little bit of eSIM organization and creativity can go a long way in preventing those accidental deletion disasters. Here’s what we do to keep our eSIMs in place:

Declutter: Check the eSIM profiles installed on your device every now and then to easily keep track of which eSIMs are still active, and which ones are no longer needed.

Name your eSIMs: Choose clear and descriptive names for each eSIM profile. You can even get creative and use emojis to help you to quickly identify each profile’s purpose, making it way harder to accidentally confuse and delete the wrong one. In the case of travel eSIMs, we always add a flag emoji to represent the country we’re visiting.

screenshot: Named eSIMS with flag emoji for clarity

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