-5% on your 1st eSIMuntil October 31
To delete an eSIM on iPhone, open Settings > Cellular. With a single plan, tap Delete eSIM; with several, tap the plan you want to remove, then tap Delete Plan and confirm. This removes the eSIM from the phone but does not cancel the plan, and getting it back means asking the provider for a new eSIM.
Key takeaways
- The path is Settings > Cellular, then Delete eSIM (one plan) or the plan's name and Delete Plan (several plans)
- Deleting does not cancel your plan or release your number: cancel with the carrier or provider separately
- Apple advises against deleting an eSIM as a troubleshooting step unless your carrier tells you to
- A deleted Simsima eSIM can't be reinstalled on your own: contact Simsima support, which usually replies within 24 hours
- To pause a travel eSIM you may use again, turn off its line instead of deleting it
Delete an eSIM on iPhone: the exact steps
The steps are the same on every iPhone that supports eSIM, from the XS and XR to the current models, on iOS 26 and iOS 27, and they match Apple's own instructions. If you have several eSIMs, check the label of each line first, so you remove the right one.
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Cellular (Mobile Data in some regions).
- If you have a single plan, tap Delete eSIM.
- If you have several plans, tap the plan you want to remove, then tap Delete Plan.
- Confirm on the pop-up. The line disappears from the list.
If the eSIM you removed was your cellular data line, go back to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data and choose the line that should carry data now. On an iPhone with only one line left, it takes over calls, texts and data.
Turning a line off keeps the eSIM stored on the iPhone: open Settings > Cellular, tap the plan and switch off Turn On This Line. That is the right choice for a travel eSIM with data or validity left, or one you plan to top up for a later trip. Deletion is final on your side of the screen.
When deleting an eSIM makes sense
- You are selling, trading in or giving away the iPhone; Apple recommends erasing the eSIM in that case
- You moved the plan or number to another device, and the old copy is no longer used
- A travel plan has expired, you will not top it up, and you want a shorter list of lines
- Your carrier or eSIM provider has asked you to delete it as part of a fix
Apple's advice is clear on the opposite case: don't erase an eSIM as a troubleshooting step unless your carrier tells you to. For a line that has no signal abroad, check data roaming on that line, toggle airplane mode or restart first.
What deleting an eSIM does not do
Deleting removes the profile from the iPhone, nothing more. Your plan, your remaining balance and your phone number stay with the carrier or provider, which may keep billing a monthly plan until you cancel it with them. To use the line again on this or another iPhone, you need a new eSIM from that provider, sent by QR code, link, app or eSIM Carrier Activation.
Deleted a Simsima eSIM by mistake?
A Simsima eSIM can't be reinstalled on your own once it is deleted: the Smart Link in your purchase email is for the first installation only. Contact Simsima support with your order details; the team usually replies within 24 hours and will look at the solution with you.
- Find your order confirmation email and note the order number.
- Contact Simsima support with that number and say that the eSIM was deleted.
- Follow the instructions the team sends you.
- If a new eSIM is installed, label it, set it as your data line and turn on data roaming for it while you travel.
Travelers who collect eSIMs, one for Japan, one for Europe, one for home, are the ones most likely to delete the wrong line. Clear labels and switching off unused lines, rather than deleting them, avoid most of these requests. Browse all available destinations for your next plan.
Simsima recommendation
Ready to skip the international roaming charges?
Browse Simsima eSIM plans — activation on arrival, local networks, no contract.
Getting a carrier eSIM back after deleting it
For an eSIM from your mobile carrier, the route depends on the carrier: a new QR code from its app or website, a link that installs the eSIM when tapped on iOS 17.4 or later, an in-app activation, or eSIM Carrier Activation, where the carrier pushes the plan and a notification appears in Settings (Apple Support). Download the new eSIM on Wi-Fi, and have your account details and the phone's EID ready, found under Settings > General > About.
Erase All Content and Settings: keep or remove your eSIMs
When you erase the whole iPhone under Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings, iOS lets you choose whether to erase your eSIMs or keep them. Keep them if you are resetting to fix a problem or will use the phone yourself afterwards; a Simsima eSIM erased this way needs support to replace it. Erase them if the phone is leaving your hands.
Deleting an eSIM on a Google Pixel
On a Pixel, the option is called Erase eSIM. Open Settings, tap Network & internet, then Mobile network, select the eSIM and tap Erase eSIM (Pixel Phone Help). Pixel also lets you require your PIN or password before any eSIM can be deleted, under Settings > Security > Advanced > Confirm SIM deletion, which prevents a mistake when someone else uses your phone.
When the Delete option is missing or does nothing
- Delete eSIM is not visible: tap the plan's name under Settings > Cellular, not the Cellular Data switch; with several plans the button is called Delete Plan.
- Delete Plan is greyed out: a phone managed by an employer can restrict changes to cellular plans; ask whoever manages the device.
- The line still shows after deletion: restart the iPhone and check again.
- You deleted your only line: connect to Wi-Fi and contact your carrier for a new eSIM; on a US iPhone 14 or later there is no SIM tray to fall back on.
- iOS asks about contacts linked to the old line: assign them to a remaining line, or keep them as they are if you will get a new eSIM soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
The steps are the same as on any iPhone: Settings > Cellular, tap the plan, then Delete Plan, or Delete eSIM if it is your only plan. The iPhone 13 can keep two eSIMs active at the same time, so check the label of each line before you confirm.
Go to Settings > Cellular, tap the eSIM plan and choose Delete Plan. An iPhone 11 uses one eSIM alongside a physical SIM, so the physical SIM is not affected and keeps working after the eSIM is gone.
Use Settings > Cellular, tap the plan and choose Delete Plan or Delete eSIM. US models of the iPhone 14 range have no SIM tray, so if you delete the only line, the phone has no cellular service until you install a new eSIM from your carrier.
No. It only removes the eSIM from the iPhone. To stop being billed, cancel the plan with your carrier or provider separately, through its app, website or support.
Not on your own. The Smart Link in your purchase email is for the first installation only. Contact Simsima support with your order number: the team usually replies within 24 hours and will look at the solution with you.
Your number stays with your carrier; deleting the eSIM does not release it. Once your carrier gives you a new eSIM and you install it, the number works on the iPhone again.
Apple says an iPhone can hold eight or more eSIMs. iPhone 13 and later can use two of them at the same time; the iPhone XS to iPhone 12 use one eSIM alongside a physical SIM. Deleting expired travel eSIMs keeps the list readable.
how Simsima works — See how Simsima delivers your eSIM via Smart Link
eSIM supported devices — Check whether your iPhone supports eSIM before purchasing a new plan
browse eSIM plans — Explore Simsima's full catalog of travel eSIM plans for 190+ destinations
#eSIM#iPhone#guides#eSIM management
Dimitri MorvanFounder
Founder of Simsima. A passionate traveler based in Barcelona, he helps travelers stay connected without breaking the bank on roaming fees.
LinkedIn
