If you own an iPhone XS, XR or newer, you can use Dual SIM. With the help of eSIM is it possible to activate two sim cards in just one iPhone. Not really interesting for the home-garden-and-kitchen user, but a solution for business users or people who travel a lot.
Dual-SIM is currently supported by Odidio, Vodafone, KPN and Simyo, among others. Belgium also offers Orange, Proximus, Mobile Vikings and Telenet eSIM on. Other Dutch or Belgian providers unfortunately do not support this technology yet. When other telecom providers will support the virtual SIM card is not known.
What is eSIM?
In short, eSIM is a built-in SIM card in the form of a chip. This offers numerous advantages, not only for Apple, but also for us as consumers. Apple does not have to take into account the design of the phone and provide it with a SIM card slot. As a consumer, you can easily and almost immediately switch providers from your armchair, which is why many providers are not yet in a hurry to support eSIM. However, this is a bit of an oversimplification, because you cannot just cancel, transfer and activate a subscription.
eSIM is not the same as Apple SIMthese are special provider-free and physical SIM cards that can be activated as a data-only subscription for some LTE iPads. The SIM card is available in most Apple Stores and can be activated via a special settings menu on your iDevice. The subscriptions then run via GigSky or Truphone.
eSIM support for iPhone and iPad
Currently, you can use eSIM on the iPhone XS, XR, iPhone 11 (Pro), iPhone SE 2020, iPhone 12 (Pro) or newer. In addition, most iPads from 2018 or newer have a digital SIM card.
Dual SIM, dual standby
When introducing the iPhone Xs/Xr, Apple announced Dual-Sim, but it was a special one. Most smartphones that support dual-sim can only activate one SIM card at a time. This means that when one SIM card is active, you are unreachable on the other. This is not the case for Apple’s dual-sim variant. The technology is called Dual-sim, dual stand-by (DSDS) and ensures that you can be called on both telephone numbers and can determine which data plan you use.
Activate and set up eSIM on an iPhone or iPad
You can easily activate an eSIM via the Settings application. Go to ‘Mobile network’ and tap on ‘Add mobile subscription’. Then use the camera of your iPhone or iPad to scan the QR code that your provider has given, if necessary fill in a confirmation code that belongs to the activation. You can then give each connection its own name so that you can easily keep both SIM cards apart.
Once the eSIM has been activated, you must indicate how both subscriptions should work together. This way you can choose a default number that is always used by iMessage and FaceTime or people who are not present in the Contacts app. You also have the option to only use the second number for mobile data.
Personalize eSIM
Via the contacts app you can also indicate which telephone number should be used when contacting this person. For example, you can distinguish between all your business and personal contacts and immediately link the correct number in the Contacts app. You can read in detail how this works and what other options there are between both subscriptions this Apple Support page.
Set second ringtone for dual SIM
Since iOS 17, it is finally possible to set a second ringtone for your second phone number. This way you can immediately hear which number is calling you. Handy to immediately recognize a business call. To do this, go to Settings ▸ Hearing & Haptic ▸ Ringtone ▸ select the desired number ▸ choose the ringtone.
Using data with dual sim
As mentioned earlier, both telephone numbers remain active when you activate dual-SIM. This allows you to receive and make calls at any time without any hassle. However, you can only use one number at a time for mobile data. All data traffic therefore only goes through one subscription. Fortunately, you can easily switch via Settings ▸ Mobile network ▸ Mobile data ▸ choose the desired telephone number. Please note that if you are active on a calling number that is not designated as a data number, you will not be able to use data during the call.
eSIM data plans
If your provider does not support eSIM, you can still use data services such as GigSky or Truphone. They offer various bundles to use data in other continents. For example, you can purchase a plan for North America or Asia, useful if you are going on a long trip and also want to remain reachable on your own number. Of course, these bundles simply work in your iPhone that you bought in NL or BE. You can read more information about these data plans on the website of GigSky or Truphone.
eSIM on holiday
Are you going abroad soon? Then you undoubtedly want to stay connected to the internet during your trip. Within the EU you can continue to use your data bundle without extra costs, but outside of the EU that is a different case. Fortunately, eSIM is the solution.
In most cases you cannot use your data bundle outside the EU and you will have to pay the costs. Some providers do offer special bundles that you can use outside the EU, but these are often expensive for what you get. Do you own an iPhone with dual SIM? Then you can use an affordable eSIM data bundle. You can read exactly how that works here.