How to set up a second line on iPhone

A simple guide to set up and use a second line on an iPhone with an eSIM.

Setting up a second line on your iPhone is a great way to keep everything separate, whether you're traveling abroad and want to avoid roaming charges or you just want a better way to balance work and life.

This feature was first added to the iPhone XS and iPhone XR in 2018. It wasn't obvious, though, because the iPhone didn't have a place for a second SIM card unless you lived in China. Instead, you had to use an eSIM to set up the second line. Even though eSIM technology isn't brand new�"Apple has been using it with the iPad since 2016�"mobile carriers have been slower to catch up.

The good news is that you can now get an eSIM from almost every carrier in North America and from quite a few carriers in other parts of the world as well. This makes it easy to add a second line to your iPhone, whether it's just for a short trip or you want to use the second line for business.

Getting an eSIM is the most integrated way to add a real second line to your iPhone, but it's not the only way, since this can provide both voice services and cellular data. If all you want is an extra phone number for voice calls, there are several apps that are easy to use. Just know that all of these need a data connection, either through Wi-Fi or your current cell plan. These are more like VoIP services than a real second phone line.

How to get your iPhone an eSIM

First, you'll need to make sure that the line you want to set up is with a carrier that supports eSIM technology. Apple has a helpful list, but if you want to be sure, you should always call your mobile provider's customer service.

 

Even though you don't need a physical SIM card for an eSIM, you will still need some information from the mobile operator you want to use. This is usually a QR code that you can scan with the camera on your iPhone, but many carriers still give this code on paper. If that's the case, you might still have to go to a store or wait for it to come by mail.

 

The good news is that this is quickly changing as more people use eSIM technology. Verizon can now activate an eSIM for you over the phone, and T-Mobile even has an app for prepaid customers that makes activating an eSIM easy.

 

If you want to set up an eSIM account online, your carrier will probably ask you for a few details about your iPhone, like the IMEI2 and EID numbers. Here's where to look for them.

 

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

 

Step 2: Tap General.

 

Step 3: Click "About." Your Wi-Fi Address and Bluetooth Address are in the same section as your EID. Your IMEI2 will be below the information for your current carrier, which will be further down.

 

Step 4: You can copy either of these numbers to the clipboard so you can easily paste them into an email, text message, or online form. Tap and hold on the field until the Copy button shows up, then tap it.

How to use a QR code to set up a second line on an eSIM

Once you've set up your eSIM account with your carrier, they should give you a QR code that you can scan to add a new line to your iPhone. Note that if you got your eSIM QR code electronically, you'll need a second screen like a Mac, PC, or tablet to show it on because you'll need to scan it with your iPhone camera. This also causes last line no longer available on iPhone. Here's where you can go:

 

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone.

 

Step 2: Tap Cellular. You'll see the settings for your current plan's data on your cell phone.

 

Step 3: Tap the button below this to add a cell phone plan.

 

Step 4: On the next screen, the iPhone camera will be turned on. Place your QR code in the frame and hold it there for about two seconds. If you were given a list of written codes instead of a QR code, you can type in this information by tapping Enter Details Manually at the bottom of the screen.

 

Step 5: Once your iPhone scans the QR code, it should go to the next screen and tell you that a new plan from your carrier is ready to be added to your iPhone.

 

Step 6: Tap Add Cellular Plan to confirm that you want to keep going.

 

Step 7: The next screen will ask you to give each of your plans a name. This is how you can tell them apart when things like incoming calls or choosing which line you want to use to make calls or send text messages.

 

Your current number will be labeled as Primary by default, but you can change this if it makes more sense to use a different labeling system, like Personal and Business. Don't worry if you're not sure which labels to use here. You can always change them.

 

Step 8: Tap on the label you want to change, choose one of the labels that are already there, or tap Custom Label and type in your own.

 

Step 9: Tap Done once you've chosen a label.

 

Step 10: If you want to change the label for the other line, repeat steps 8 and 9.

 

Step 11: When you're happy with the choices you've made, tap "Done" to move on.

 

Step 12: On the next screen, you'll be asked to choose which of your two lines will be used for outgoing calls and messages. You can choose a different line for each call or contact, but the one you choose here is the one that will be used by default.

 

Tap the line you want to be your default line, and then tap Continue.

 

Step 13: Choose the phone numbers you want to use with iMessage and FaceTime. Note that this doesn't change which line your iPhone uses to send and receive data for these services. Like any other service on your iPhone, they'll still use Wi-Fi or your default cellular data plan, which you'll choose in the next step. All you're doing here is choosing which of your phone numbers people can use to contact you through iMessage or FaceTime.

 

Choose one or both of the lines, and then tap Continue to move on.

 

Step 14: Choose a plan for cellular data. This is the last step. Choosing the best option will depend on things like data rates, data limits, and coverage. Like everything else on this page, you can change this later, which you may need to do if you're setting up a second line to avoid roaming charges while traveling. Choose the plan that works best for you right now.

 

If you tap the switch next to Allow Cellular Data Switching, you can also use both plans for cellular data. In this case, your iPhone will use the plan that gives it the best performance at any given time. But this can make it harder to control how much data you use, so we don't recommend it unless both plans have high data limits.

 

Step 15: Tap "Done" to finish setting up your second eSIM line once you're happy with your choices for Cellular Data.

You'll be taken back to your Cellular settings screen, which looks a little different now:

Instead of a toggle, the Cellular Data option at the top will now show the name of the plan that is being used.

There seems to be a new option called "Default Voice Line" that lets you choose which line your iPhone normally uses for calls and text messages that go out.

In a new section called "Cellular Plans," you can see both of your separate lines. When you tap on one of these, you'll be taken to the settings for that plan, such as 5G and roaming data options, Wi-Fi calling, and Voice Data.

You may also notice that the cellular signal strength indicator in the status bar has changed. It is now split into two parts so that you can see at a glance how strong the signal is on both of your lines. Swiping down from the top right brings up the Control Center, which shows your two lines, their carrier tags, and the status of your network.

Author's Note

last line no longer available on iPhone

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