Dual SIM smartphones have been around forever, and combining that approach with eSIM technology is only the next logical step. Google has supported the dual use of one physical SIM and one eSIM in Pixel phones dating back to the Pixel 3a, but we've long been waiting for the day when we could ditch physical SIMs altogether. According to user reports that are just now starting to surface, Android 13 QPR2 Beta 2 — the test version that should ultimately hit the stable channel as the March 2023 Pixel Feature Drop — now allows you to easily switch between carriers with dual eSIM profiles on the Pixel 7 series.
Esper’s Mishaal Rahman spotted a beta tester reporting that Android’s eSIM MEP feature, short for Multiple Enable Profiles, has now started working on the Pixel 7 in the latest beta, allowing users to freely switch between two eSIM profiles for features like calls, texts, and data. This has since been backed up by an additional user report on Reddit, though not confirmed with screenshots. Previously, it was possible to register more than one eSIM profile, but only a single eSIM could be set to active at one time.
Two eSIM profiles active simultaneously on Android 13 QPR2 Beta 2
Rahman notes that the feature has likely been flipped on by a server-side update to the SIM Manager app on the Pixel 7’s build of QPR2 Beta 2 — the user who initially noticed the change had reported that dual eSIM was inactive for them on QPR2 Beta 1, so this is certainly a recent development. Google Germany had previously indicated it expected dual eSIM support to come to the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro in March 2023, which would line up with the stable release plan. No mention has been made of the Pixel 6 series, so it’s currently unclear whether the feature will be made available to older Pixel models.
It’s unlikely that this support will extend the total number of active SIMs past the current max of two, so if you’re using the dual SIM/eSIM implementation from the latest stable Android build, you will probably need to disable your physical SIM before adding a second active eSIM profile. Google recently added code for converting physical SIMs into eSIM profiles in Android 13 QPR2 Beta 2 — which, incidentally, should also allow you to transfer eSIM profiles from one phone to another.
If you're not on board the eSIM train just yet, it's easy to activate an eSIM profile on every major US carrier. Then, if you want to try the dual eSIM feature, you can install Android 13 QPR2 Beta 2 on your Pixel 7 in a few simple steps and get testing for yourself.
Thanks: Armando