How-To
Moving Your eSIM to a New Phone in Japan: Read This Before You Wipe Anything
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If you only read this part
Unlike a physical SIM, an eSIM cannot be moved by swapping anything. You need your carrier's reissue process, or Quick Transfer between two iPhones.
One rule above all: confirm service on the new phone before you wipe the old one. Reverse that order and recovery gets dramatically harder.
Section 01
The Rule: eSIMs Do Not Move Themselves
With a physical SIM, you pop the card out and push it into the new phone. An eSIM is data written inside the handset, so that trick does not exist. Every phone change means either a carrier-side reissue or a device-to-device transfer feature.
The process itself takes 10 to 30 minutes, but some carriers shut their reissue systems down overnight. Do the move during the day.
Section 02
iPhone to iPhone: Quick Transfer
Between two iPhones on iOS 16 or later, eSIM Quick Transfer is the fastest path. During new-phone setup, or via Settings, Mobile Data, Transfer from Nearby iPhone: bring the old phone close and follow the prompts. Major Japanese carriers broadly support it, but some plan and contract-vintage combinations still refuse to transfer. If it fails, fall through to the reissue flows below.
Section 03
Reissue Flows by Carrier
- LINEMORequest an eSIM reissue from My Menu. Identity verification (eKYC) may come up, so have your residence card within reach.
- povo 2.0Reissue from the povo app. This assumes you can log in, so verify your credentials before the old phone leaves your hands.
- ahamoReissue online. You will need your d-account ID and password.
- Rakuten MobileReissue from the my Rakuten Mobile app. No fee.
All of them need Wi-Fi at activation time, for the QR code scan or profile download. You are mid-transfer with no working mobile line, so do this somewhere with home Wi-Fi.
Section 04
The Ordering Mistake
The worst pattern: wiping or selling the old phone first, then trying to migrate. The reissue itself can be done from the new phone alone, but if your member-page login demands SMS two-factor authentication, the line that receives that SMS no longer exists in your hands. That is the checkmate position.
The correct order: set up the new phone, run the eSIM transfer, confirm data and calls work on the new phone, and only then wipe the old one. Trade-in shipments go out after activation is confirmed, never before.
Section 05
When Android Is Involved
Android to iPhone, iPhone to Android, Android to Android: outside the iPhone-to-iPhone pair, no universal transfer feature is broadly usable yet. Just use the carrier reissue flow. Time required is about the same for every combination, and so are the traps: login credentials and Wi-Fi.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does the reissue cost anything?
Online eSIM reissue is free on LINEMO, povo, ahamo and Rakuten Mobile.
How long does the move take?
10 to 30 minutes for the process itself. Some carriers pause reissues overnight, so do it during the day.
I already wiped my old phone
If you can still log into your member page, the reissue works from the new phone alone. If two-factor authentication blocks you, tell carrier chat support you need an eSIM reissue with no access to the old device.