What you need to know
- Google Fi is expanding eSIM support from just the Pixel line to also include iPhones.
- You will still need an iPhone with Dual SIM support, such as the iPhone XR, XS, XS Max, the 11 series, and the new SE.
- Even then, only new Fi customers are allowed to sign up at the moment.
With the Pixel 4, Google finally brought dual SIM functionality to its phone but with an interesting new twist: the phone would only still have only one slot for a SIM card, with the second SIM being a virtual one. The company's in-house wireless carrier, Google Fi, served as the perfect companion for this, but the service was, unfortunately, restricted to only Google's own phones till now.
Well, no more. As 9to5Google reports, Google Fi now supports eSIM functionality for iPhones as well, albeit with a few caveats.
Firstly, and as you'd expect, the iPhone must support dual SIM capabilities, which restricts the pool of candidates to just the iPhone XR, XS, XS Max, and the 11 series. Though Google's support site doesn't ist It, the new iPhone SE should also work when it's available.
In addition, only new users of Google Fi can set up an eSIM on their iPhone, even if the device is supported.
Detailed setup instructions can be found here, which requires you to navigate to the Google Fi website from your iPhone, select the Quick Setup option, and download the Google Fi app onto the phone. You will then need to log onto fi.google.com/ios/quicksetup and scan a QR code via your iPhone to complete the process.
The feature is still rolling out, so some users may not see it on their end yet. You'll just need to wait a while in that case.
What is Google Fi, what are the plans, and why should I buy it?
