How to verify cellular connectivity after switching iPhones

Follow these steps to confirm your cellular data and voice services are correctly activated on your new iPhone after transferring your SIM or eSIM.

1. Confirm cellular signal strength. Disable Wi-Fi by opening the Control Center and tapping the Wi-Fi icon until it turns grey. Check the status bar in the top-right corner to ensure signal bars appear next to your carrier name. If 'No Service' or 'Searching' is displayed, toggle Airplane Mode on for 10 seconds, then off.
2. Initiate an outbound call. Open the Phone app and dial a known working number. Listen for the ringing tone; if the call connects, verify with the receiver that your audio is clear. If the call fails immediately, check if 'Wi-Fi Calling' is interfering with cellular registration in Settings > Phone > Wi-Fi Calling.
3. Confirm inbound call capability. Use a secondary device to call your new iPhone number. Ensure the device rings audibly and the caller ID information displays correctly on the lock screen. Answer the call to test the microphone and earpiece functionality during a live connection.
4. Validate cellular data connectivity. With Wi-Fi still disabled, open Safari and navigate to a website. If the page fails to load, navigate to Settings > Cellular and verify that Cellular Data is toggled to the On position. Ensure your carrier's data plan is correctly provisioned for the new device's IMEI.
5. Check SMS and iMessage status. Send a text message to a contact to confirm SMS functionality. Navigate to Settings > Messages and ensure 'Send as SMS' is enabled. Check that iMessage is activated by confirming your phone number is listed under 'Send & Receive' in the same menu.