eSIM in India: Convert on Jio, Airtel, Vi (2026 Steps)

Getting an eSIM in India no longer needs a store visit on Jio, Airtel or Vi. You raise the request from the operator’s app or by SMS, confirm it on an automated call, and download the SIM onto your phone, and none of the three lists a fee for it.

The catch is what happens next. Operators block SMS on your number for up to 24 hours after the switch, and that includes bank OTPs. Section 4 covers how to plan around it, and section 5 covers the bigger question: what if the phone is lost or dead?

⚡ Key takeaways

Jio: MyJio app > search “Switch to eSIM”. Airtel: Airtel app > Manage services > Upgrade to eSIM. Vi: SMS to 199 with your EID and email ID.
Cost: Jio’s page says the upgrade is free, Vi says “no additional cost”, and Airtel’s eSIM page lists no fee.
The catch: incoming and outgoing SMS, OTPs included, stay barred for 24 hours after activation on Airtel and Vi. Jio says “up to 24 hours” after a transfer.
Lost or dead phone: you can’t pull an eSIM out and put it in a spare phone. Airtel and Vi both send you to a store.
Safety: you start the request yourself, always. Nobody from “customer care” needs your EID, QR code or OTP.
Switch if you have a recent iPhone, Pixel or Galaxy and want two numbers. Stay on plastic if you change phones often or live far from an operator store.

Table of Contents

What an eSIM in India Changes for You

An eSIM is a SIM built into the phone. Instead of a plastic card, the operator sends a “profile” that your phone downloads. Your number and plan stay the same; Jio’s FAQ says the existing plan and its benefits move to the eSIM.

So what do you gain? Mostly a free SIM slot. The eSIM holds your main number and the tray stays open for a second SIM, say a BSNL card for your home town or a local SIM on a foreign trip.

There’s a small security plus too, because nobody can pull the SIM out of a stolen phone and drop it into another handset. What you lose is the easy swap. A plastic SIM moves to any phone in ten seconds, while an eSIM moves only through the operator’s process, with waiting periods.

a SIM tray with a nano SIM card on a red background — With an eSIM, this tray stays free for a second number. · Photo: Pascal 📷 / Pexels

How to Convert a Physical SIM to eSIM on Jio, Airtel and Vi

Before you start, get three things ready:

An eSIM-capable phone. Jio’s eSIM page has a checker where you pick the brand and model.
A working email ID registered with your operator, because the QR code goes there.
Your EID, the 32-digit ID of your phone’s eSIM chip. Airtel says dialling *#06# shows it.

These are the steps as shown on each operator’s own page on 11 November 2026. Operators do change codes and menus, so glance at the linked page before you send anything.

Jio: through the MyJio app

Open MyJio, search for “Switch to eSIM” and select it.
Verify your email with the OTP sent to it, then enter the EID of the phone that will hold the eSIM.
Submit the OTP sent to your Jio number. Jio’s page says a 2-hour cooling period applies after this, as per DoT guidelines.
Answer the automated call from +91 2235072222 and press the number it asks for. Missed it? SMS RECALL to 199 for another call.
Install the eSIM profile from the notification, or scan the QR code Jio emails you.

Jio’s transfer page also lists an SMS route (GETESIM with your EID and IMEI to 199). On Android 15 or later, it says some phones show a Convert to eSIM button under Settings > Network & Internet > SIMs.

Airtel: through the Airtel app

Open the Airtel app > Manage services > Upgrade to eSIM (the path on Airtel’s eSIM page).
Choose “this device” or “another device” and paste the EID.
Verify the OTP sent to your number.
Take the confirmation call, which Airtel says comes about 10 minutes after you submit.
Download the eSIM profile on your phone.

Two timings matter here. Airtel says you must set up the eSIM within 4 hours of the request or it’s cancelled automatically, and that activation happens within 2 hours of the profile download. Your plastic SIM keeps working in between.

Vi: by SMS to 199

From your Vi number, SMS 199 in the format on Vi’s eSIM page: eSIM <space> EID <space> Device Type <space> Email ID. Device type is 1 for iOS, 2 for Android.
Reply ESIMY to 199 within 15 minutes.
Answer the verification call (Vi says it comes from a number starting 012471) and press 1.
Download the profile, or scan the QR code sent to your email.

Type the EID carefully; Vi warns that a wrong one makes activation fail. Vi also says its eSIM isn’t available yet in the HP, JK, OR, NE and Assam circles.

💡 Pro tip

Do the whole thing on home Wi-Fi with your registered email already open on another device or a laptop. The QR code arrives by email, and you can’t scan a QR code that’s on the same screen you’re scanning with.

Also readTwo-Step Verification on WhatsApp, Gmail, Instagram in 10 Minutes

Jio vs Airtel vs Vi vs BSNL: eSIM Steps and Costs Compared

Every cell here comes from the operator’s own page, except BSNL, where the process comes from news reports of its launch.

	Jio	Airtel	Vi	BSNL
Where to start	MyJio app, “Switch to eSIM”	Airtel app > Manage services > Upgrade to eSIM	SMS to 199	BSNL customer service centre
Fee listed	Free	None listed	No additional cost	Not confirmed
SMS block after	Up to 24 hours (stated for transfers)	24 hours, OTPs included	24 hours, OTPs included	Not stated
Lost phone	Not stated on the pages I read	Visit an Airtel store	Visit a Vi store	Not stated

A word on BSNL. It soft-launched eSIM in Tamil Nadu in August 2025, and a Tata Communications press release dated 1 October 2025 announced the pan-India launch on Tata’s platform. Digit’s launch report describes a store process: visit a customer service centre with your eSIM phone and a valid ID, complete digital KYC and scan a one-time QR code.

I couldn’t find a self-service route for BSNL, so call your local centre before you travel there.

man in a white shirt holding a smartphone outdoors — The request starts from your own phone, in the operator’s app or by SMS. · Photo: shalender kumar / Pexels

The 24-Hour SMS Block: Plan Your OTPs Around It

⚠️ Watch out

After an eSIM activation, your number can’t send or receive SMS for 24 hours. Airtel’s page says SMS “will remain barred for 24hrs (including OTPs)”. Vi says the same and adds that iMessage and FaceTime are blocked for 24 hours on iPhones. Jio says SMS is unavailable for “up to 24 hours” after a transfer.

It’s deliberate. The Department of Telecommunications told operators in 2022 to stop SMS for 24 hours on any SIM that has been swapped or replaced, as Digit reported at the time. If a fraudster gets a duplicate SIM in your name, they can’t read your bank OTPs straight away, and you get a day to notice your phone has gone dead.

For you, it means one day without SMS OTPs, the kind banks and many apps send when you log in or pay. None of the three pages lists calls or mobile data as part of the block.

So pick your day. Don’t convert on the morning of a tatkal booking, a rent transfer or a flight; a quiet Saturday evening works well.

Moving the number to a different phone? Read our explainer on the SIM binding rule for WhatsApp and Telegram first.

Moving an eSIM to a New Phone, and What Happens If the Phone Is Lost

An eSIM in India asks for more patience than plastic here, so read this part before you convert.

Planned move to a new phone

If both phones are working, it’s manageable.

iPhone to iPhone: on the new iPhone, go to Settings > Mobile Service > Add eSIM > Transfer from Nearby iPhone, and confirm on the old one. Apple says both phones need its Quick Transfer requirements: same Apple Account, Bluetooth on, old phone unlocked. Jio, Airtel and Vi all list this method.
Android to Android: Jio lists Settings > Network & Internet > SIMs > Add eSIM > Transfer from another device, with Android 14 or later on the new phone.
Android to iPhone or the other way: raise a fresh eSIM request in the operator’s app with the new phone’s EID. That’s the route Airtel and Jio give.

Expect the SMS block again after the move; Jio says SMS is unavailable for up to 24 hours after a transfer. If you’re trading in the old handset, finish the transfer first. Our guide on exchange offers versus selling your old phone covers the money side.

Lost, stolen or dead phone

With a plastic SIM and a dead phone, you borrow a handset and you’re back in five minutes. With an eSIM, the profile is stuck inside the dead phone.

Airtel and Vi say the same thing on their pages: if your eSIM device is lost, visit the nearest store. Airtel adds that you need an ID proof to get a deleted eSIM back or to return to a physical SIM.

If the phone is stolen, block it first and sort out the SIM second. Our walkthrough on how to block a lost phone on Sanchar Saathi has the steps.

Resetting or selling the phone

Never tap “Delete eSIM” to fix a network problem. Airtel warns that it removes the SIM and stops calls and data, and Apple says not to erase an eSIM as a troubleshooting step unless your operator tells you to.

When you erase an iPhone, Apple lets you choose whether to keep or delete the eSIM. Keep it for a reset; delete it only after the number is working on the new phone. On a Pixel, turn on Settings > Security > Advanced > Confirm SIM deletion so erasing an eSIM needs your password.

Also readBlock a Lost Phone on Sanchar Saathi: The First-Hour Checklist

eSIM Swap Fraud: How to Stay Safe

In August 2025 the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C), set up by the Home Ministry, warned about an eSIM scam, as India TV reported. Someone calls, sends an eSIM activation link, and if you go along with it your number moves to an eSIM on their phone.

Your own SIM loses signal, and calls and OTPs start reaching the fraudster. One victim cited in that report lost ₹4 lakh.

Look at the real process again. A genuine conversion needs an OTP and a key press on a confirmation call, and a scammer needs you to hand over exactly those. So:

You start it, always. Every official route above begins with you, in the app or by SMS. If a call about eSIM comes out of nowhere, hang up.
Never share an OTP, the QR code or the activation SMS. Whoever scans that QR code gets your number.
Never enter an EID that a caller reads out, and don’t share yours. Airtel’s page warns that sharing the EID may lead to unauthorised access to your number.
Don’t press 1 on a consent call you didn’t trigger. If you get an eSIM confirmation SMS or call you never asked for, don’t reply. Call your operator from its app.
Sudden “No service” for no reason? I4C’s advice is to contact your bank and your operator immediately.

One more layer helps: our guide to two-step verification on WhatsApp, Gmail and Instagram shows how to add a second lock to your accounts. And if money has already moved, follow the steps in money missing from your bank account without waiting.

Dual SIM Limits on iPhone, Pixel and Samsung

An eSIM in India works within your phone maker’s dual SIM rules. These come from their support pages.

Phone	What the maker says
iPhone XS, XR or later	Dual SIM with one physical SIM and one eSIM
iPhone 13 or later	Also supports two eSIMs active together. Only one number at a time can use mobile data
Pixel 3a or later	One physical SIM plus one eSIM
Pixel 7 or later	Two eSIM profiles at once, if the carrier allows it
Pixel 8 or later	Has a built-in “Convert to eSIM” option, where the carrier supports it
Samsung Galaxy	“Only one eSIM can be active at a time on most Samsung Galaxy devices”, so the usual pair is nano-SIM plus eSIM

Google warns that some SIM combinations don’t work well together, and Samsung says running a nano-SIM and an eSIM together may reduce data speeds in some areas. So test both lines for a few days before you rely on them.

Buying second-hand? Add “does the eSIM work” to the list in our used phone checks.

Who Should Switch to eSIM, and Who Should Stay on a Physical SIM

Honestly, an eSIM in India is a convenience. Call quality, data speed and your plan don’t change, so nobody needs to rush this.

Switch if:

You have a recent iPhone, Pixel or Galaxy and want a second number without giving up your main one.
You travel abroad and want the tray free for a local SIM.
You live near an operator store, just in case.

Stay on plastic if:

You change or test phones often, or move your SIM into a spare phone when the battery dies.
Your phone is old or the screen is already cracked. A dead phone means a store visit to get your number back.
You’re setting this up for parents in a small town where the nearest Airtel or Vi store is far away.

✅ Our verdict

Switch your main number to eSIM only if your phone is fairly new and you want the second slot. Do it yourself in the operator’s app, on a quiet day when you can live without OTPs for 24 hours. If a dead phone would leave you stranded, a physical SIM is still the safer choice in 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does an eSIM in India cost anything?

Jio’s page says upgrading to an eSIM is free. Vi says it offers eSIM at no additional cost, and Airtel’s eSIM page lists no fee for converting. Your plan and balance stay as they are.

Can I convert my physical SIM to eSIM online without visiting a store?

Yes on Jio, Airtel and Vi. Jio and Airtel do it through their apps, and Vi uses an SMS to 199. For BSNL, launch reports describe a visit to a customer service centre with ID.

Why am I not getting OTPs after eSIM activation?

Operators bar incoming and outgoing SMS for 24 hours after an eSIM activation or SIM change, following a DoT instruction meant to stop SIM-swap fraud. Airtel and Vi both state that OTPs are included. Calls and data aren’t listed as blocked.

What happens to my eSIM if my phone is lost or stops working?

The eSIM can’t be moved out of a phone you can’t use. Airtel and Vi both tell customers to visit the nearest store, and Airtel asks for an ID proof. Block a stolen phone on Sanchar Saathi as well.

Can I go back from eSIM to a physical SIM?

Yes. Airtel says you need to visit a store with an ID proof to do it.

The Bottom Line

You can now get an eSIM in India from your sofa on Jio, Airtel and Vi, with a few hours of waiting. The parts that bite come later: a day without SMS OTPs, and a store visit if the phone is ever lost or dead.

If that’s fine for you, pick a quiet evening, find your EID with *#06#, and start the request from your operator’s app. And if anyone ever calls you about an eSIM, hang up.

Keep reading

Sources

eSIM in India: Convert on Jio, Airtel, Vi and the 24-Hour Catch