The physical SIM cards we've used for decades are slowly being phased out.

With the Pixel 10 series , Google's phones have gone eSIM-only for the first time—at least if you buy them in the US. Apple made the same move with the iPhone 14 in 2022, and now its new iPhone 17 models will operate with eSIMs in a dozen countries, with the slim iPhone Air going eSIM-only everywhere in the world.

But how is eSIM different, and what do you need to do to switch? The good news is that by most measures, eSIM is the superior technology: You can change numbers with a couple of taps on an app rather than waiting for a new card to arrive in the mail, for example. And they're more secure overall. If you've got questions about what they are or how they work, here's what you need to know.

How eSIMs Wo

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