How to transfer old number to upgraded new iphone?

[Cat1]

Hello. I am an existing Three contract customer and I just purchased a new iphone because the operating system would no longer update on my old iphone, and now most of my apps don't work. I have received the new phone and started the set up process but got a message saying I need to update the operating system on my old phone for the  number to transfer across between the two iphones... but it won't update (this being the whole reason I had to buy a new phone!).

There is no information with the phone that was delivered or online that gives any information about how to transfer the old number to the new number. And I can't transfer the SIM because it's a much newer iphone with a different kind of SIM. 

Please can someone let me know how I can do this since the operating system just won't update and the new phone doesn't let me get further than the message that keeps saying you must update the operating system to transfer the number. Thanks!

[MichaelP]

Hi again @Cat1,

I just wanted to check in with you on this - did it turn out that you had unintentionally taken an additional line instead of upgrading your existing number? 

If not, were you able to get your data transferred over?

Thanks,
Michael

[PeteG]

Hello there. 

Your phone number is on your SIM card, it's not tied to your phone. You just need to put your SIM into your new phone. If it's an eSIM, you need to speak to the Support Team to request a replacement eSIM for the new phone. The new SIM will have your number on it. 

Pete. 

[Cat1]

Thanks Pete - unfortunately the old SIM isn't suitable for the new iphone and the new SIM does not have my number on it. I have put the new SIM in the new phone and it instructed me to hold the new phone near my old phone to transfer the information across, but then said it could not transfer the number across without an update to the operating system (which won't update). 

[PeteG]

There is no way to transfer the number across without the transferring the SIM or eSIM. It's likely your phone is referring to something else relating to the number, like iMessage or something like that. 

Your new SIM should not have a new phone number on it, if it does, it means you have not upgraded, but have taken out a new line instead. This means you will have two contracts running at the same time.

Since it sounds like that's not what you intended, I'd recommend cancelling the old one. There's no way for the network to transfer your number from one contract to another directly. Since you want to keep your number, you will need to get a PAC in order to transfer that number to another network on Pay as You Go. Once that's done, you'll need to get a PAC from that network to transfer the number back onto your newly taken contract. 

Pete.