Comprehensive technical knowledge base covering 12 GSMA eSIM specifications. 84+ articles on Remote SIM Provisioning — SGP.02, SGP.22, SGP.32, SGP.41, SGP.29, SGP.23, SGP.25, SGP.26 and more.
You have a magic backpack with several invisible cloaks inside. Each cloak gives you a different power: one connects you to your home network, another gives you cheap data in France, and a third is for your work phone number. You can only wear one at a time, but switching takes just a tap. And the best part? You never have to take any cloak out of the backpack: they all live there, ready whenever you need them.
That’s what managing eSIM profiles feels like!
Every profile on your eSIM chip is in one of two states:
Enabled 🟢 : The profile is active. Your phone’s radio sees it and uses it to connect. Only ONE profile can be enabled at a time.
Disabled 🔴 : The profile is installed and ready, but sleeping. It takes up space on the chip but doesn’t do anything until you wake it up.
Switching profiles is instant: no download needed! The disabled ones are just waiting for their turn.
Through your phone’s eSIM settings (the Assistant app), you can:
Wake up a sleeping profile. The currently active one automatically goes to sleep first. Your phone’s radio gently disconnects from the old network and connects to the new one.
Put a profile to sleep without deleting it. Handy when you’re back from holiday and don’t need your travel plan: but want to keep it for next time!
Permanently remove a profile and all its data. The locked box (ISD-P) is destroyed. Use this for old plans you’ll never need again.
Give each profile a nickname : “🏠 Home,” “✈️ Travel Japan,” “💼 Work.” Much easier than remembering long number codes!
See everything installed on your chip: names, states, and which carrier each belongs to.
Wipe everything (except special hidden profiles used for device setup). This returns your chip to fresh-from-the-factory condition.
Some profiles come with special rules that even you can’t break! These are set by the carrier and enforced by the chip’s Rule Enforcer (PPE):
| Rule | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Can’t Turn Off | This profile must stay active: often used on company phones |
| Can’t Delete | This profile is permanent |
| Auto-Delete | When you turn this profile off, it deletes itself! Used for one-time travel plans |
If you try to turn off a “can’t turn off” profile, the chip simply says “nope!” : and there’s no way around it. The rules live inside the secure chip, not in the phone’s software.
Your chip might have profiles you can’t see! These are called Provisioning Profiles : special keys used only for initial setup. The Assistant app hides them from you because they’re not meant for everyday use. They’re like the builder’s keys construction workers use before handing you the front door key.
Even though your phone shows profiles as simple on/off switches, what actually happens inside the chip is complex. When you switch profiles, the chip terminates all connections, closes every open channel, wipes cached data, and signals the phone’s radio to reset: all in a fraction of a second!
Kid-friendly version of GSMA SGP.22, Sections 3.2, 3.3, and 5.7: Local Profile Management