For buyers deciding whether a single-install UK +44 eSIM suits the phone they own now, and for owners about to reset, replace or lose that phone.
What happens to your UK eSIM number if you delete the eSIM or change phone
The UK number is installed once and never reissued. That is the one part of the product you cannot undo, so here is what it means for a reset, a new phone or a lost handset.
- The UK eSIM QR installs once, is never reissued, and UK number orders are not refunded once it is installed
- Turning the line off in settings is safe; Delete eSIM or Erase eSIM ends the line
- Erasing a phone with the delete-eSIM option ends the line, and there is no carrier to reactivate it
- Moving to a new phone depends on the phones' own transfer feature and carrier support, which we cannot promise for this line
- A lost phone means the line is not recoverable on another handset, so move code-sending accounts off it fast
- Travel data eSIMs differ: their QR stays on the order page and can be reopened or reissued
If the UK eSIM profile is deleted from the phone, the line is gone. The QR cannot be scanned again, we do not issue a replacement, and UK number orders are not refunded once the QR is installed. Turning the line off in settings is different and harmless. Erasing a phone and choosing to delete the eSIM is not.
This is the one irreversible part of the product, so it is better to read it before paying than after. The rest of the page covers each situation in turn: a factory reset, a new phone, a lost phone, and a QR you have not installed yet. Travel data eSIMs follow different rules and are covered near the end.
Why the QR cannot be used twice
Each UK number order assigns one +44 eSIM profile from stock. The QR installs once, on one device. After the profile has been downloaded it is spent, and we do not reissue it, whether the profile was deleted, the phone was wiped or the phone was lost. The FAQ and the /refund/ page say the same thing: no refund for a UK number once the QR is installed, and deleting the profile after the QR was scanned is not covered.
The same rule is why an install that is cut off halfway can cost you the line. Install on a stable connection, and turn VPN, iCloud Private Relay and Private DNS off while you do it. /esim-manual-install-iphone/ and /esim-manual-install-android/ walk through the install itself.
Switching the line off is not deleting it
Phones with eSIM let you turn a line off without removing its profile. On Android the SIM settings have a Use this SIM toggle (Google's Pixel help describes it under Network & internet, Mobile network), and iPhone has an equivalent per-line switch in its Cellular settings. A line turned off keeps its profile and can be turned back on, so this is the safe way to stop it connecting.
Deleting is a separate button: Erase eSIM on Android, Delete eSIM on iPhone. Do not press it while troubleshooting. If the line is not receiving, write to support with your order code first. Deleting the profile and scanning the QR again does not work, because the QR is already used.
Resetting or erasing the phone
Apple's erase screen asks whether to keep or delete your eSIM: the buttons are Keep eSIM and Erase Data, and Delete eSIM and Erase Data. Apple adds that if you erase your eSIM you need to contact your carrier to reactivate the plan. For this line there is no carrier that can put the profile back and we do not reissue it, so the delete option ends the line.
Choose the keep option when you reset a phone you intend to keep using. If you are selling or giving the phone away, Apple's advice is to erase the eSIM profile as well, which for a UK number means giving up the line. On Android, read the options on the reset screen carefully and check what your phone maker says about eSIM before wiping it. We have not verified how every Android model handles it.
Moving to a new phone
There is no new QR for a new phone. The only route is your phones' own eSIM transfer feature. The FAQ says transfer success depends on your devices and settings. Apple says eSIM Quick Transfer is available if your carrier supports it, needs iOS 18.4 or later on both iPhones, with Bluetooth on and the phones nearby, and that activating the plan on the new iPhone deactivates the previous SIM, so it is a move and not a copy. Google's Pixel help page for transferring a SIM requires Android 12 or later, current Google Play Services and a screen lock on both phones, and says the process depends on your carrier.
We cannot promise these features work for this line, and we have not tested every pair of phones. If your phone does not offer the transfer, or it fails, the line stays on the old phone and we cannot move it. So do not buy on the assumption that a later upgrade will carry the number over. Treat it as a bonus if it works.
A lost, stolen or broken phone
The line lives in the profile on that handset. If the phone is gone or will not turn on, plan on the basis that we cannot put the number on another phone. You can still write to support with your order code, but do not count on a different answer. Texts to the number go to the profile on that handset, so anyone who can unlock it could read codes. Lock the phone remotely if it has that option, and move any account that sends codes to this number to another method as soon as you can.
Losing a QR you have not installed yet, for example because you closed the order page, is a different case. Contact live chat or Telegram @buyukesimbot with your payment ID (TX hash) and we can show you the same code again after verification. Your order page also prints the SM-DP+ address and activation code as text. This only applies before the first install, and until it is installed anyone who has the code can install it first, so never paste it into a browser bar, a translator or a chat.
If you change phones often
A reusable eSIM card is a SIM-shaped chip that holds the profile instead of the phone, so the line moves when you move the card. /uk-number-on-reusable-sim-card/ covers it. The card is bought separately from the third-party makers it names, and we neither sell nor support it. The install is still a single one, so a lost or wiped card loses the line exactly as a deleted profile would, and that page advises against a factory reset of a device with the card inside unless you know what it does. The phone must not be carrier locked.
The other option is a spare phone that stays home as the number phone. Keep it on Wi-Fi, with the UK line on, and read the codes there. The line has no mobile data and no outgoing calls or texts, so it was always meant to sit next to your normal SIM.
Travel data eSIMs are different
A travel data eSIM keeps its QR and activation code on your order page, and you can open it again with your magic code. Travel data can be reissued where a UK number cannot, and the refund page treats a travel eSIM that does not work differently from a UK line. If a travel profile was wiped before you used it, write to support rather than assuming it is lost. See /travel-esim/ for the plans.
Keep the line alive
A deleted profile ends the line at once. A line left alone ends too: it comes from $25 for the first 6 months, and each further 6 months is a $15 top-up. A line that runs out without a top-up lapses and cannot be recovered. Top-ups are paid against the order, not installed again, so they do not depend on which phone holds the line. /number-status/ shows the date and /topup/ extends it.
Changing phones without losing the UK number
- 1
Decide before you buy
Install the UK QR on the phone you expect to keep. If you may sell or replace that phone soon, plan for a reusable eSIM card, or accept that the line stays with the old handset.
- 2
Move the accounts first
While the old phone still receives texts, list every account that sends codes to the UK number. Move each one to an authenticator app, email or another method, or follow that app's own change-phone steps. Do not wait until the old phone is wiped.
- 3
Keep the old phone as the number phone if the line cannot move
Leave the line on in the old phone and keep it on Wi-Fi. When an app on the new phone asks for a code sent to the UK number, read it on the old phone. The line has no mobile data, so the old phone needs Wi-Fi or another SIM.
- 4
Try the built-in eSIM transfer, and expect it may not offer the line
On the new phone, follow Apple's eSIM Quick Transfer or Google's Transfer SIM option during setup or afterwards in settings. These depend on carrier support, and we cannot promise that they work for this line.
- 5
Never delete the profile to test a transfer
If the transfer is not offered or fails, leave the profile where it is. Google says your existing eSIM can still work if a transfer is unsuccessful, but a deleted UK profile cannot be restored.
- 6
Keep the eSIM when you reset the old phone
Erase the old phone only after you are sure where the line lives. On iPhone, choose Keep eSIM and Erase Data if the line is still on that phone. Choosing Delete eSIM and Erase Data ends the line for good.
- 7
Contact support before anything irreversible
If the line stops working, or you are unsure what a button does, write to live chat or Telegram @buyukesimbot with your order code first.
Questions & answers
What happens to my UK eSIM number if I delete the eSIM?
The line is gone. The QR installs once and a UK number QR is not reissued once it has been used or the profile deleted. UK number orders are not refunded after install, and deleting the profile after scanning is listed as not covered on the refund page.
Can I scan the UK eSIM QR code again?
No. Once the profile has been downloaded to a device the QR is spent. The exception is a QR you never installed, for example because you closed the order page: contact support with your payment ID (TX hash) and we can show you the same code again after verification.
Can I move my UK eSIM to a new iPhone?
Only through the eSIM transfer feature of your devices. Apple says eSIM Quick Transfer is available if your carrier supports it, and that the new plan deactivates the old one when it activates. Whether it works for this line depends on your devices and settings, we cannot promise it, and there is no new QR if it does not.
I reset my phone. Is my eSIM gone?
It depends on the choice you made. Apple's erase screen offers Keep eSIM and Erase Data, and Delete eSIM and Erase Data. If you kept it, the profile is still there. If you deleted it, the UK line is gone and we cannot reissue it. Contact support before you try anything else.
What if my phone is lost or stolen with the UK eSIM in it?
The line is tied to the profile on that handset and we do not issue a replacement, so plan on not getting the number back on another phone. Lock the phone if you can, because texts to the number still arrive on it, and move accounts that use the number to another verification method.
Is turning the eSIM off the same as deleting it?
No. On Android the SIM settings have a Use this SIM toggle, and iPhone lets you turn a line off in its Cellular settings. A line turned off keeps its profile and can be turned back on. Only the delete or erase button removes the profile.
Do I need to move my accounts before I change phones?
Yes, while the old phone still receives texts on the UK number. Move anything that sends codes to an authenticator app, email or another method, or follow that app's own change-phone steps. If the line cannot move to the new phone, codes still arrive on the old one, so keep it.
Is a travel data eSIM the same?
No. A travel data eSIM keeps its QR and activation code on your order page and you can open it again with your magic code. Travel data can be reissued where a UK number cannot.
Is there a way to make phone changes easier with this number?
A reusable eSIM card holds the profile instead of the phone, so the line moves when you move the card. It is third-party hardware we neither sell nor support, the install is still a single one, and the phone must not be carrier locked. See the reusable card page.
Does changing phones affect whether apps accept the number?
Standard SMS verification works, but no provider can promise that a given service accepts a given number. Changing phones does not change that either way.
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What happens to your UK eSIM number if you delete the eSIM or change phone
The UK number is installed once and never reissued. That is the one part of the product you cannot undo, so here is what it means for a reset, a new phone or a lost handset.
Buy UK eSIM - $25