Most Android flagships these days support eSIMs, which are a lot more convenient than physical SIM cards. However, if you're using an eSIM and your phone breaks, then restoring network access without the help of your carrier can be difficult. Unlike a physical SIM, there's no easy way to transfer an eSIM from an old, broken phone to a new one. Luckily, it looks like Google is working on a solution for Android phones, as device backups through Google One may soon include SIMs.
See also: Google Fi has detected faulty SIM cards
Google Play Services beta 25.16.33 contains code that suggests Android users will soon be able to back up and restore their SIMs. This likely refers to eSIMs , as physical SIMs are not affected by data wipes — although some carriers require users to configure certain options that aren't automatically enabled.
As part of the redesign of the device backup screen, Google has also added references to SIM cards as part of the data included in the backup. In the previous design, SIMs were not referenced or included in device backups.
See also: Cybercriminals target T-Mobile and Verizon employees for SIM-swapping attacks
The ability to back up and restore eSIMs on Android devices would make it much easier to switch from one device to another, especially in cases where you don't have both your new and old device at the same time (or if the old one is not working) to perform a data transfer.
This feature may be of limited use for simple factory resets, as Android gives you the option to not erase your eSIM data. However, if you erase your data during the reset, you will need to reconfigure your eSIM through your carrier.
See also: SIM swapping attacks: eSIMs are also entering the “game”
Currently, SIM cards are not included in the device backup. We don't know when (or if) Google will officially release this feature, but given its usefulness, we hope to see it available soon.
Source: androidauthority
