Google Fi, despite being originally designed for Android supports iOS, and works really well there. I’ve been using it for years. The only drawback is the lack of 5G, but for international travel I don’t think there is anything better. The Fi eSIM option is useful too, especially since Fi is the line I never want to remove (since it works everywhere). I found the transfer of eSIM a bit confusing though, so wanted to share the steps that I’ve used a few times now, and found works every time (no pSIM required!):
- Visit fi.google.com/ios/quicksetup on your desktop
- Make sure the right Google account is selected (switch if not)
- Follow the instructions to scan the QR code from Settings on iOS
- Delete, and re-install the Google Fi App
- Open Google Fi App
- Select the correct Google account
- Tap “Set up using eSIM”
- Follow the instructions to activate.
What’s really neat about this is I was wondering recently what would happen if I was in a foreign country and my phone was stolen (especially what the impact is on all the services that require 2-factor SMS codes). The good news is that you would be able to setup an eSIM on a new phone, provided you can access your Google account. To access your Google account in order to bootstrap your eSIM without your phone to get the SMS 2-factor code, it would be wise to carry a backup second-factor authentication method.