Iphone Xs Max How to Insert a SIM Card

Iphone

iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later models support two SIM cards: a Nano-SIM card and an eSIM card. 1 eSIM is a digital SIM card that allows you to activate your operator’s mobile cellular plan without having to use a physical nano-SIM card.

Here are some ways to use two SIM cards:

  • one number is used for workers, and the other for personal needs;
  • during your stay abroad, the tariff plan of the local operator is used;
  • one tariff plan is used for voice communications, and the other for data transfer.

In iOS 13, both phone numbers can make and receive voice calls and FaceTime calls, as well as send and receive iMessage, SMS, and MMS messages. 2 But you cannot use two cellular networks on the iPhone at the same time.

1. eSIM cards for iPhone are not available in mainland China. In Hong Kong and Macau, the eSIM card is only supported on the iPhone XS. Learn about using two nano-SIM cards in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.
2. Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS) technology allows you to use both SIM cards to make and receive calls.

The necessary conditions

  • iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR or later with iOS 12.1 or later
  • Mobile carrier supporting eSIM cards

To be able to use the services of two operators, your iPhone does not have to be tied to a service provider. Otherwise, both tariff plans must be from the same operator. If your first SIM card is provided by a CDMA network operator, the second SIM card will not support this network. Contact your operator for more information.

If you use a corporate plan for connecting to a cellular network, check with your company administrator if this feature is supported.

Setting up a cellular plan using an eSIM card

On iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and later models, you can use a physical nano-SIM card for a cellular plan and an eSIM card for one or more cellular plan. If you do not have a nano-SIM card and your operator supports it, the eSIM card can be your only cellular plan. The operator-provided eSIM card is stored digitally on your iPhone.

To connect a second cellular tariff plan, scan the QR code provided by the operator, use the operator’s application for iPhone, set the assigned tariff plan or enter the data manually.

QR code scanning

  1. Open the Camera program and scan the QR code.
  2. When the “Cellular rate detected” notification appears, click it.
  3. Click Continue at the bottom of the screen.
  4. Click “Add Cellular Tariff.”

If you are prompted to enter a confirmation code to activate your eSIM card, enter the number provided by your carrier.

Connection in the operator program. Setting an assigned mobile plan

In iOS 13, some mobile operators may set a plan for installation. Contact your operator for more information.

If you’re assigned a plan, follow these steps:

  1. If the notification “Cellular tariff is ready for installation” appears, click it.
  2. In the “Settings” program, click “Cellular tariff is ready for installation.”
  3. Click Continue at the bottom of the screen.

Manual data entry

If necessary, you can manually enter information about the tariff plan. To manually enter your tariff plan information, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the “Settings” section.
  2. Click “Cellular” or “Mobile data”.
  3. Click “Add Cellular Tariff.”
  4. Select the “Enter data manually” option at the bottom of the iPhone screen.

You can store multiple eSIM cards on your iPhone, but you can only use them one at a time. To switch between eSIM cards, go to the “Settings” section, click “Cellular” or “Mobile Data”, select the desired tariff plan and click “Turn off this line.”

The following sections describe further iPhone settings in more detail.

Iphone Xs Max How to Insert a SIM Card

Designation of tariff plans

Tariff plans must be designated after connecting the second of them. For example, one may be labeled “Worker,” and the second “Personal.”

These notations are used when you need to select a phone number for making or receiving calls and exchanging messages, for transmitting data over a cellular network and for contacts, in order to always know which number is used.

If you change your mind later, you can change the notation. To do this, go to the “Settings” section, click “Cellular” or “Mobile data” and select the number whose name you want to change. Then click “Cellular Label”, select a new designation or enter your own.

Set default number

Select the number that will be used to make calls and send messages to a person whose data is not specified in the Contacts program. In iOS 13, select the cellular plans you want to use for iMessage and FaceTime. In iOS 13, you can select one of the numbers or both.

On this screen, you can select the default number or the number that will be used only for data transmission over the cellular network. The second number will be your default number. If you want your iPhone to use cellular data for both tariff plans, depending on the signal and cellular availability, enable the option “Allow switching for cellular data.”

Using two numbers to make and receive calls, messaging, and data transfer

Once you’ve set up two iPhone numbers, learn how to use them.

Allow iPhone to remember which number to use

You do not need to choose the number from which you will call the contact. By default, the iPhone uses the number from which you called this contact for the last time. If you haven’t called the contact yet, iPhone uses the default number. If necessary, you can specify which number to use to communicate with a particular contact. Follow the steps below.

  1. Select a contact.
  2. Click on Preferred Cellular Rate.
  3. Select the number you want to use to contact this contact.

Make and receive calls

You can make and receive calls using any of the numbers.

In iOS 13, during a call, if the mobile operator of another phone number supports Wi-Fi calls, you can answer incoming calls to another number. During a call to a number that is not intended for data transmission over a cellular network, you must enable the “Allow switching for cellular data” option to receive calls to the second number. If you do not answer the call and you have an answering machine configured for this operator, you will receive a notification about the missed call, and the call will be forwarded to the answering machine. Check if your mobile operator supports Wi-Fi calls and check with your data provider for an additional charge.

If “No network” is displayed for the second number during a call, this means that the operator does not support Wi-Fi calls or the corresponding function is turned off. 1 This may also mean that the option “Allow switching for cellular data” is turned off. During a call, an incoming call to another phone number is processed by the answering machine if your operator has configured this feature. 2 However, you will not receive a missed call notification from the second number. Standby mode works for incoming calls to the same phone number. To avoid missing important calls, you can enable call forwarding and forward all calls from one number to another. Check with your carrier to see if this service is supported and whether additional charges apply.

1. If you are using iOS 12, upgrade to iOS 13 to receive calls while using a different number.
2. If data transmission in roaming is turned on for a number that is used to transmit data over a cellular network, the “Visual answering machine” function and the ability to exchange MMS messages will be disabled for a number that is used only in voice mode.

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