How to Delete an eSIM on iPhone and Android, and Whether You Can Get It Back
Your trip is over and an old travel line is still sitting in your phone. Or you are about to trade the phone in. To delete an eSIM, open your phone's cellular or SIM settings, pick the line, and tap Delete eSIM, Delete Plan, Remove or Erase eSIM, depending on the phone. Slow down before you tap. You cannot undo this yourself, and on a US iPhone 14 or later, your main number lives on an eSIM too. If you may need the line again, turn it off instead.
In short:
- Turning a line off keeps the eSIM on your phone. Deleting removes it.
- Deleting does not cancel a plan. You cancel with the carrier.
- Once it is gone, a new eSIM has to come from whoever issued the first one.
- Selling or trading in? On an iPhone, choose to erase the eSIM when you erase the phone. On Android, delete it by hand first.
Turn it off or delete it?
A line that is turned off stops connecting, but the eSIM stays in the phone's memory. Deleting wipes it.
| Turn the line off | Delete the eSIM | |
|---|---|---|
| eSIM on the phone | Stays | Gone |
| How to bring it back | Flip the same switch | Get a new eSIM from the issuer |
| Plan with the carrier | Still active | Still active until you cancel |
| Best for | A trip that ended, a line you may use again | A plan you are done with, a phone you are selling |
Apple gives a short list of good reasons to erase an eSIM. You moved the plan or number to another device, or you are selling, trading in or giving away the iPhone.
Apple also gives one clear warning: do not erase an eSIM as a troubleshooting step unless your carrier tells you to. If a line has no signal, deleting it can leave you worse off, with no line at all. This matters most when you are abroad and have no other way to get online.
Check which line you are deleting
Look at this before you tap anything. Apple says iPhone 14 and later models bought in the US are eSIM only, and so are US iPhone 17 models, iPhone Air and iPhone Duo. In the US, Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL have no physical SIM either. So on these phones, the line you delete might be your real number.
Line names can be vague, like "Secondary" or "Travel." Check the phone number shown on each line. A Moosetrip eSIM is data only, so it has no number of its own. The line that shows your US number is the one to leave alone.
If you do delete your main line by mistake, your account with the carrier is still there. Contact the carrier and ask for a new eSIM.
How to delete an eSIM on iPhone
These are Apple's steps as of October 2026:
- Open Settings and tap Cellular.
- If you have one plan, tap Delete eSIM.
- If you have more than one, tap the plan you want to erase, then tap Delete Plan.
To turn a line off instead, go to Settings > Cellular, tap the line, and switch off Turn On this Line. Apple suggests this for travel eSIMs you no longer need.
How to delete an eSIM on Samsung Galaxy
Samsung's UK guide spells out the steps. US phones call the same screen SIM manager, and names can vary with your model and software.
- Open Settings and tap Connections.
- Tap SIM manager.
- Select the eSIM you want to remove.
- Switch its toggle off.
- Tap Remove.
The same guide lists Remove all mobile plans. It clears every eSIM, so skip it if your main line is on one.
To turn a line off without deleting it, stay in SIM manager and use the switch next to that eSIM. Samsung's US page says this switch turns the connection on or off, and you can flip it back later.
How to delete an eSIM on Google Pixel
- Open Settings and tap Network & internet.
- Tap Mobile network.
- Select the eSIM.
- Tap Erase eSIM.
To turn it off instead, use the same screen and switch off Use this SIM.
Pixel has a safety step that is worth setting up. Go to Settings > Security > Advanced and turn on Confirm SIM deletion. The phone will then ask for your password before an eSIM can be erased.
On other Android phones, look in Settings for a section about SIMs or mobile networks. The steps are usually similar: pick the line, turn it off, then delete it.
Quick reference
| Phone | Turn off | Delete |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone | Cellular > line > Turn On this Line | Cellular > Delete eSIM, or line > Delete Plan |
| Samsung Galaxy | Connections > SIM manager > switch | Connections > SIM manager > eSIM > Remove |
| Google Pixel | Network & internet > Mobile network > Use this SIM | Network & internet > Mobile network > Erase eSIM |
What happens to your plan and number
Deleting an eSIM from the phone is not the same as ending a service. Apple says erasing the eSIM does not cancel your plan, and to contact your carrier if you want to cancel. Samsung says removing a plan does not affect your contract with the network, and tells you to contact the carrier to end it.
So if you pay monthly for a line, the bills keep coming after you delete it. Call first, then delete, or do both on the same day.
A prepaid travel eSIM works differently. You paid once, so there is nothing to cancel. If you delete it, you lose whatever data is left on it. Your US number sits on a different line and does not change.
Can you get a deleted eSIM back?
Not on your own. Apple says to contact your carrier to get a new eSIM, then set it up. Nothing on the phone brings the old one back, and there is no recycle bin for it.
For a travel eSIM, the seller decides whether a new one can be issued. Ask before you delete, not after. Do not count on scanning the old QR code a second time.
Deleting an eSIM before you sell or trade in
Apple says that when you erase your iPhone's content and settings, you can choose to erase the eSIM or keep it. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings, and pick the option that fits:
- The phone is leaving you. Erase the eSIM. Apple names selling, trading in and giving away as reasons to do it.
- You are keeping the phone. Keep the eSIM. If you erase it, you will need a new one from your carrier.
For Samsung and Pixel, delete the eSIM by hand with the steps above, then run the factory reset. It takes a minute and leaves no doubt about what stays on the phone.
Moving to a new phone instead
If you are upgrading, do not delete first. Your number may be able to move across.
On iPhone, eSIM Quick Transfer needs both phones signed in with your Apple Account and on iOS 18.4 or later. The old iPhone must be unlocked, and both need to be nearby with Bluetooth on. Go to Settings > Cellular, then tap Set Up Cellular or Add eSIM. The old SIM deactivates when the new plan activates. Apple says that with iOS 26 or later, you can move more than one number.
On Pixel, Google says that if a transfer fails, the eSIM keeps working on the old phone. So do not wipe the old phone until the line works on the new one. Google notes that the process depends on your carrier.
Ask the seller before you try this with a travel eSIM. Transfer depends on the carrier or seller, so a travel line may not move at all.
After a trip: keep it or delete it?
Keep it if you may go back. Turn the line off and leave it. Apple says iPhones can manage up to eight or more eSIMs, and you can add data to a Moosetrip eSIM instead of installing a new one. On iOS 26, your iPhone should turn off the travel eSIM and turn your home SIM back on when you get home, depending on your country or region. If you get no notice, check that your main line is on in Settings > Cellular.
Delete it if the plan is used up and you will not go back, if the phone is leaving you, or if the phone has no room for a new eSIM.
Planning another trip? On October 30, 2026, Moosetrip plans for 30 days include Italy with 3 GB for $7, Japan with 5 GB for $10.50, and Europe with 10 GB for $20. As a rough guide, 1 GB is about 5 hours of maps and taxi apps. Your phone must support eSIM and be unlocked, and our phone check covers both. You can also read how to set up a travel eSIM.
Questions
What happens if I delete my eSIM?
The eSIM is wiped from the phone and that line stops working. Your plan stays active with the carrier until you cancel it. If it was a prepaid travel eSIM, you lose any data left on it.
Can I reinstall a deleted eSIM?
Not by yourself. Apple tells you to get a new eSIM from your carrier. With a travel eSIM, ask the seller if it can issue a new one.
Does a factory reset delete my eSIM?
On an iPhone, you choose. The erase screen lets you keep the eSIM or erase it. On a Samsung or Pixel you plan to sell, delete the eSIM yourself before the reset.
Does deleting an eSIM cancel my plan?
No. Apple and Samsung both say the plan or contract stays in place. Contact your carrier to end it.
Should I delete my eSIM to fix a connection problem?
No, not unless your carrier tells you to. Apple says so directly. Try turning the line off and on, or restart the phone. Those steps leave the eSIM in place.
Sources
- Erase the eSIM on your iPhone or iPad, Apple Support, published 2026-09-17, checked 2026-10-30
- Learn which type of SIM your iPhone or iPad uses, Apple Support, published 2026-10-22, checked 2026-10-30
- Use an eSIM while traveling abroad with your iPhone, Apple Support, published 2026-10-22, checked 2026-10-30
- Set up an eSIM on your iPhone, Apple Support, published 2026-10-22, checked 2026-10-30
- How to use an eSIM with your Galaxy phone, Samsung UK, updated 2025-01-22, checked 2026-10-30
- SIM cards for your Galaxy phone or tablet, Samsung US, checked 2026-10-30
- How to use dual SIMs on your Google Pixel phone, Google, checked 2026-10-30
- Get a SIM or eSIM and add it to your Pixel phone, Google, checked 2026-10-30
- Transfer a SIM to another phone, Google, checked 2026-09-30