Pixel Has No “Transfer SIM” Option During Setup

A missing transfer option does not mean that the Pixel cannot use any eSIM. Automatic transfer depends on both devices and the carrier. Check prerequisites, then request the carrier's supported activation path if the option remains absent. Keep the existing line working while you establish the replacement.

Identify what is missing

Separate three screens: copying photos and apps, adding a mobile subscription, and approving movement of a number. Completing the first does not prove completion of the other two. Record the current phone, receiving Pixel, installed Android versions and whether an ordinary Add SIM option exists. Do not restart the entire data migration just because subscription transfer was skipped.

Google lists software, Play Services and screen-lock prerequisites for automatic Android transfer and notes carrier differences. Its Pixel data-transfer documentation also treats the subscription step separately from copying files. A carrier-issued activation can be valid even where automatic discovery never appears.

Work through the alternatives

Bring both devices onto a reliable connection and check their software information. Update through official settings when an update is available; do not sideload firmware to satisfy a tutorial. Preserve passwords and a backup before any larger system change.
Check that the participating devices have the screen lock and current Google Play Services required by Google's transfer instructions. A managed device may prevent changes; involve its administrator rather than removing management controls.
On the Pixel, inspect Network & internet → SIMs → Add SIM. Labels and available transfer choices can vary. If an ordinary eSIM setup path is offered but nearby transfer is absent, report that distinction to the carrier.
Ask whether the existing number and exact Pixel variant support automatic transfer. If not, request the supported QR, app or assigned-profile activation instead. Do not assume an instruction for one carrier applies to another.
Once a replacement is activated, test the included services and confirm which old credentials have been retired. Until that succeeds, avoid erasing the old phone or treating its still-working SIM as an error.

Interpret the outcome

A transfer button appearing after prerequisites are corrected narrows the cause to setup eligibility. A carrier declining automatic transfer while supplying another activation method is a supported alternative, not a defective device. Failure of that new activation needs carrier provisioning investigation; repeated account resets on the Pixel do not establish entitlement.

Platform differences

Android-to-Android transfer and iPhone-to-Pixel transfer have different prerequisites and supported device combinations. Follow the matching official flow for the source platform. Do not generalize a Pixel-generation statement to every Android phone, and do not assume a physical SIM can always be converted on an imported variant.

Warnings

Keep QR codes, EIDs and full IMEIs out of screenshots shared publicly. Do not disable screen-lock security to “simplify” a transfer. If the old phone is unavailable, tell the carrier explicitly and use its recovery process. No GetMyUnlock article can approve account ownership or unlock a carrier restriction.