Have you had any problems with the eSIM switch on the Pixel 10?

At least in the United States, this is one of the more contentious updates to the Pixel 10 range users—is Google’s decision to drop physical SIM support entirely in favor of eSIM only. For many people, this could be their very first encounter with eSIM technology, raising the question: how smooth was the transition for you?

When Apple first rolled out eSIM-only iPhones a few years back, the Android world wasn’t quite ready. Carrier support was patchy at best—some had decent tools, while others made the process confusingly dependent on your carrier, device, or even software version. In short, it was a maze.

In the present day, Google has obviously improved the Android eSIM experience.Transfers are easier, setup is streamlined, and carriers are finally cooperating more consistently. That’s critical for the Pixel 10, since there’s no fallback option.

For me, moving my Pixel 10 Pro XL onto eSIM was effortless—mainly because I’m on Google Fi, which is basically the gold standard for eSIM support. After completing the initial setup and reinstalling my apps, I simply opened the Fi app, followed the prompts, and had eSIM activated in about two minutes—while rushing out the door on my first night with the phone.

Because my wife needed to go from Verizon to the Pixel 10 Pro, I was a little more worried about that. That went fairly nicely, thank goodness. She was requested to convert her physical Verizon SIM into an eSIM during the routine data transfer from her Pixel 8, with the disclaimer that the conversion could not be undone.We accepted, and within minutes the conversion was complete. Once setup finished, she could text and make calls immediately—like nothing had changed at all.

That’s a huge improvement compared to just a few years ago. Still, experiences vary. I’ve heard stories of people needing to call their carrier to finalize the switch, or running into various headaches. That’s why I was honestly shocked to see the Verizon transfer work flawlessly on the first try.

So, credit where it’s due—well done, Google.

Is eSIM ever going to be as smooth as a real SIM card? Probably not. You’ll always need a Wi-Fi connection to move it over. However, it is clear that Android is now prepared for phones that do not use a SIM card at all.

Now, I’d like to hear from you—what was your experience like? Did you encounter any issues getting the eSIM on your Pixel 10 to function? Cast your vote in the poll below, and share your story in the comments.