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Google's eSIM Manager app for Pixel 2 hits the Play Store

Google has uploaded its eSIM Manager app to the Play Store to prepare for the Pixel 2 launch. We explain what the app does and what exactly eSIM is.
By
October 17, 2017

One of the features of the new Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL that flew under the radar a bit was the inclusion of eSIM. eSIM stands for Embedded SIM and it replaces the need for physical SIM cards on supported networks. Instead of putting a small card in your phone, a chip is soldered to the device’s motherboard when it’s manufactured. The phone can then be provisioned to a network by simply scanning a code with the camera or a few taps inside of an app. One of the networks that supports eSIM just so happens to be Google’s Project Fi so it makes sense that the new Pixel 2 devices would have it.

In preparation for the Pixel 2’s release this week, Google has uploaded the eSIM Manager app to the Play Store. According to the app’s description, it helps Android manage carrier profiles. It allows users to download and manage eSIM profiles instead of dealing with SIM cards. 

There isn’t much to the app, just a carrier page that shows what service is currently enabled on the device and more available carriers. It also allows users to remove all carriers from the device without canceling the mobile service plans associated with them. Last, but not least, it lists the device’s EID number. 

The Pixel 2 proves we shouldn't look to Google for hardware innovation
Features
The description for eSIM Manager says that its “only available on select Android devices”. That might be some future-proof terminology from Google. Currently, the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL are the only available phones to support eSIM. We could see more phones implement the feature going forward and making use of Google’s app.

The release of the eSIM Manager follows a similar move by Google last week when it released the Pixel and Nexus battery app into the Play Store.