Newer iPhones have a useful feature that you may not have known about: support for dual sim. In this article we explain what it is and what it will do for you.
What is iPhone dualsim?
As the name suggests, dual sim means that you can use two SIM cards on a smartphone. There are smartphones that simply have a larger SIM card tray for this, so that you can put two physical cards in it.
Apple takes a different approach. The company has opted for the eSIM for the iPhone: a digital SIM card that you can use in addition to the physical SIM card in your device. That way, no extra space is needed in the iPhone to accommodate two cards, but you as a user do have the advantages that two SIM cards bring.
Which iPhones support dualsim via eSIM?
Dual SIM support on iPhones is relatively new, so it depends on your device whether it supports the option. In the list below we have listed all iPhones that support dual sim in the form of an eSIM at the time of writing.
- iPhone XR
- iPhone XS
- iPhone XS Max
- iPhone 11
- iPhone 11 Pro
- iPhone 11 Pro Max
- iPhone SE 2020
What’s the benefit?
There are several times when an iPhone dual sim can come in handy. Think, for example, of people with a business and private number, who can now both use on the same iPhone.
Another advantage is especially relevant for people who travel a lot. If you are often in two different countries, it can be a lot cheaper to take out a subscription abroad and activate it on your device as a second eSIM.
How do you activate it?
If a provider supports eSIM, you can activate it digitally. If you want to work with eSIM in addition to your nano-SIM card, you can scan the QR code of your provider or use the provider’s iOS app. Sometimes you will receive an activation code with this QR code. You need it to activate your subscription. If you have received a QR code to activate your subscription, do this as follows:
- Open the Camera app and point your iPhone at the QR code;
- Your iPhone scans the code and displays ‘Mobile plan found’;
- Tap ‘Continue’;
- Add the subscription with the button ‘Add mobile subscription’.
If you do not have a QR code, you can also activate the subscription via the iOS app of your provider or enter it manually. To activate a subscription manually, go through the following steps.
- Open the Settings app;
- Go to ‘Mobile Network’;
- Tap on ‘Add mobile subscription’;
- Tap on ‘Enter info manually’;
- Fill in the necessary information and confirm your subscription.
Compare Dualsim offers
Many people buy an iPhone with a subscription, but if you want an extra subscription, it can be useful to take out a sim-only subscription. You do not pay for a new smartphone (you already have one), but purely for the calling minutes or MBs. Sim only is therefore ideally suited for dualsim. In our price comparison we list the best SIM only offers for you.
→ Compare sim only plans