Two numbers.
One phone.
Compare SIM cards for dual SIM phones. Keep work and personal separate, or use a second SIM for travel, without carrying two devices.
For a dual SIM setup, the most common approach is a cheap low-data plan for your secondary SIM and a higher data plan for your primary. Lebara's 5GB plan at £5 per month is a popular choice for a secondary work or travel SIM, with giffgaff's 40GB at £10 as a strong primary.
Why people use dual SIM phones
Work and personal
Keep your work number and personal number on one phone. Take work calls without carrying two devices.
UK SIM plus local SIM
Keep your UK number active while using a local SIM for cheap data abroad. Both numbers receive calls.
Two networks
Use O2 and Vodafone simultaneously. If one drops signal the other picks up. Useful in rural areas.
Separate data and calls
Use a data-heavy plan on one SIM and a cheap calls and texts plan on the other to optimise cost.
Good SIM cards for a dual SIM setup
Lebara 5GB (30 day)
Lebara 30GB (12 month)
How dual SIM phones work
Most modern smartphones support dual SIM, either through two physical nano SIM slots, or one physical slot and an eSIM. iPhones from the XS onwards support dual SIM in the UK. Most Android flagships support it too, though budget Android phones sometimes have only one physical slot.
On a dual SIM phone you set one SIM as your primary for data. Calls and texts can be received on both numbers simultaneously. You can choose which SIM to call or text from. The two SIMs operate independently so they can be on different networks, different tariffs, and different contracts.
The total monthly cost is the sum of both SIM plans. A primary data SIM at £10 and a cheap secondary at £5 gives you two active numbers for £15 per month total, which is significantly less than most dual-number business plans from major networks. See our business SIM page for more on keeping work calls separate.
Questions people ask
A dual SIM phone can hold two SIM cards at once, either two physical nano SIMs or one physical and one eSIM. You can have two active numbers on one device, useful for keeping work and personal separate or for using a local SIM abroad while keeping your UK number active.
No. You choose which SIM is your primary data SIM and data is used from that SIM only. Calls and texts can be received on either number. You can switch which SIM handles data in your phone settings at any time.
Yes. Each SIM slot operates independently so you can mix networks, for example O2 in one slot and Vodafone in the other. This is useful if one network has better coverage at home and the other is stronger at work or when travelling.
For a work and personal split, a cheap low-data SIM like Lebara's 5GB at £5 per month works well as a secondary number, paired with a higher data plan as your primary. For travel use, Lebara's plans with international minutes pair well alongside a standard UK data plan in the other slot.
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