topic Re: Travellers bewarned - no esim transfer if you lose your phone in Account and services

Travellers bewarned - no esim transfer if you lose your phone

Jb_2847 — Fri, 02 May 2025 12:53:48 GMT

Just a heads up, particularly to anyone abroad relying on eSIMs - if you lose/break your main phone, there is no way to transfer your esim to a new phone.

Three requires you to visit a Three store or send you a physical sim by post to your UK address.

This is because they insist you use their app to initiate the transfer, which requires logging in, which requires an SMS to the number you no longer have access to.

I've had multiple conversations with customer support to confirm this (the policy appears to have changed).

The workaround seems to be

1. get someone to collect your post and send the sim on to you after activating it in the UK.

2. leave Three - get a PAC code (support are happy to do that without SMS verification) and move to another network that lets you activate a SIM abroad to reclaim access.

Re: Travellers bewarned - no esim transfer if you lose your phone

littledesk1 — Fri, 02 May 2025 14:03:09 GMT

I hate MFA via SMS, for this and every other reason. However, a few points.
- You don’t need to use the 3 App to change eSIM.
- The web interface supports this.
- Just log in from time to time via the web on a device to ensure a cookie is set.

Why can’t 3 via Live Chat send you an authentication email to facilitate an eSIM change?

Re: Travellers bewarned - no esim transfer if you lose your phone

Clever-Trevor — Fri, 02 May 2025 17:27:44 GMT

Thanks for this.

Re: Travellers bewarned - no esim transfer if you lose your phone

Jb_2847 — Fri, 02 May 2025 20:55:36 GMT

“Why can’t 3 via Live Chat send you an authentication email to facilitate an eSIM change? ”

Yes indeed that is the question! They will send an authentication email to speak with live chat, but not to issue an esim.

“Just log in from time to time via the web on a device to ensure a cookie is set. ”

I had done on occasion but it’s not exactly something that could be relied on - no guarantee as to when they require an SMS again.

Re: Travellers bewarned - no esim transfer if you lose your phone

littledesk1 — Fri, 02 May 2025 20:58:11 GMT

I went on Live Chat. Was informed that - yes - they cannot send email for MFA to authenticate to allow them to facilitate an eSIM. This is garbage nonsense. I asked if they could send an SMS to the second phone number on my (PAYG) account for MFA. They said they could switch the contact number to facilitate that. So, looks like a potential way forward.

Otherwise, yes, have to have a SIM mailed. Not much use when my phone doesn't have a SIM slot (and never will).

Re: Travellers bewarned - no esim transfer if you lose your phone

Jb_2847 — Sun, 04 May 2025 05:32:37 GMT

“They said they could switch the contact number to facilitate that”

I’m curious if that’s applied consistently- I asked if I could open a second account and switch the verification number to that but was told no, because the original number is my ‘primary’.

“This is garbage nonsense.”

Agreed!

Re: Travellers bewarned - no esim transfer if you lose your phone

Andy2 — Sun, 04 May 2025 14:25:45 GMT

Thanks for posting this. I started the thread here about transferring an eSIM when abroad. I was just transferring an eSIM I had bought for testing, and despite having logged into the app a day or two before the transfer and using the same phone, I could not log back into the app because I needed to receive the OTP by SMS on the eSIM that was being transferred. I was sent the QR codes I needed to complete the transfer by email.

It does seem ridiculous that Three do not offer alternatives to SMS for MFA. Surely they must realise that one of the reasons you need to log in to the app is because there is a problem and you cannot receive SMS messages to your main number. It is not as if there are no alternatives.

Perhaps someone from Three would like to comment on this.

Re: Travellers bewarned - no esim transfer if you lose your phone

littledesk1 — Sun, 04 May 2025 16:26:15 GMT

You don’t need to use the app to replace or activate an eSIM. When you navigate to this option in the App it just sends you to the web interface.

In your example, I’m struggling to understand why logging into the web interface immediately before generating the QR codes wasn’t a viable option for you?

Re: Travellers bewarned - no esim transfer if you lose your phone

Andy2 — Sun, 04 May 2025 16:35:43 GMT

The web interface also required a OTP sent to the eSIM number that I was transferring.

Re: Travellers bewarned - no esim transfer if you lose your phone

littledesk1 — Sun, 04 May 2025 16:47:17 GMT

Just trying to understand this. I swapped an eSIM yesterday between phones using the web interface ‘replace SIM’ option and was not prompted to receive an SMS message.

Are you saying you were?

Re: Travellers bewarned - no esim transfer if you lose your phone

Andy2 — Sun, 04 May 2025 16:56:47 GMT

Yes. This was a year and a half ago and as it was a test eSIM I hadn’t logged into the web interface much, but I had logged in previously. I have just logged into the web interface for my main number and I wasn’t prompted for a OTP. As JB_2847said in a previous post it is not something that can be relied upon.

I am hoping I never lose or break my phone whilst abroad and have to test this.

Re: Travellers bewarned - no esim transfer if you lose your phone

littledesk1 — Sun, 04 May 2025 17:32:03 GMT

I've also noticed that the activation email no longer provides the QR code. Simply redirects you to the web interface. Not much use if you are logged out of the interface. I always ensure I'm logged in every few weeks via my phone or desktop just to ensure the cookie is present if I did lose my phone and needed to re-activate my SIM.

Though I read above that CS can send you an email with the QR code? That's what Voxi do.

Re: Travellers bewarned - no esim transfer if you lose your phone

Jb_2847 — Tue, 06 May 2025 03:57:39 GMT

I was forced to enter a 2FA logging in online (not just the app). I think if you have logged in (very) recently the website may skip the 2fa step.

Re: Travellers bewarned - no esim transfer if you lose your phone

Jb_2847 — Tue, 06 May 2025 03:59:22 GMT

I believe CS *used* to be able to send a qr code via email (twitter support still thought it was possible) but no longer - I tried chat support, I called and asked to escalate to supervisor, and I filed a complaint - all said it is not possible.

Re: Travellers bewarned - no esim transfer if you lose your phone

migs — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 10:53:14 GMT

I must admit I got quite nervous yesterday when I read this message. My phone was stolen abroad, and my return to the UK wasn’t planned for at least another month. I read this outside of customer service hours, so I went to bed with the idea that it was going to be an ordeal to get an eSIM replacement.

I remember logging in to the website not so long ago, but apparently the cookies in my browsers had already expired, so I couldn’t operate online at all. SMS as 2FA is evil and, in my view, does more harm than good. The world really needs to phase it out.

I contacted Three with my details, and it wasn’t straightforward, but after a series of checks I was able to get my other eSIM (from the stolen phone) cancelled and receive a new eSIM by email. Pheww. So it's possible, just be ready to have your personal info, account no. etc

Re: Travellers bewarned - no esim transfer if you lose your phone

littledesk1 — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 23:00:48 GMT

Glad it worked out for you. Seems like 3 UK CS came through nicely for you. Good for them.

I don't agree re MFA - it's vital in today's security conscious world - but I do think having a *cell phone number* as the secondary check is absolutely insane, especially when the MFA is for access to a *carrier* website where the cell number may have been compromised! TOTP or HOTP should be the standard. The use of SMS is amateur grade stuff.

Re: Travellers bewarned - no esim transfer if you lose your phone

Jb_2847 — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 03:58:43 GMT

Glad to hear Three Support were able to help you - fingers crossed the internal rules have changed since my numerous efforts (I for sure gave them every last bit of information to no joy).