Reactivate itsme on your new phone with your bank or your eID; you can't copy it over from the old one. Itsme only works on one device at a time, so the moment you activate it on the new phone, the old one stops working.
Keeping the same number on a new SIM or an eSIM is a different case: you don't need to set itsme up again. You only update itsme when your phone number itself changes.
What to do in your situation
Only a new phone or a new number means you have to do something. Find your situation in the table.
Your situation | What happens to itsme | What you do |
|---|---|---|
New phone, same number | Itsme stops working on the old phone once you activate the new one | Reactivate on the new phone with your bank or eID |
Same phone, new SIM card, same number | Itsme keeps working | Nothing |
Same phone, switched to eSIM, same number | Itsme keeps working | Nothing |
New phone number | Itsme sends SMS codes to the number on file, so it must be your current one | Change your number in the app under My details |
Added a travel eSIM next to your Belgian SIM | Itsme keeps working | Nothing |
Phone lost or stolen | Your account is protected by your itsme code, but block it anyway | Block at my.itsme-id.com, then reactivate on a new phone |
Step by step: activate itsme on your new phone
Install itsme on the new phone, then verify yourself with your bank app or your eID. It takes about 10 minutes.
Download the itsme app from the App Store or Google Play on your new phone.
Enter your phone number and email address.
Choose how to verify: with your bank (Belfius, BNP Paribas Fortis, KBC, CBC, ING, Fintro or Hello bank!) or with your eID and a card reader.
Follow your bank's or the eID verification steps. You may need your bank card, card reader and PIN.
Enter the SMS code itsme sends you (it comes from 8836).
Create your 5-digit itsme code.
Turn on fingerprint or face unlock if you want to.
Your bank must have read your eID before you can use the bank route. If it hasn't, use the eID route or ask your bank.
Don't wipe your old phone until the new one works. Uninstall itsme from the old phone afterwards.
Switching to eSIM: what it means for itsme
Switching your Belgian number from a physical SIM to an eSIM on the same phone doesn't affect itsme. Itsme is tied to your phone and your number, not to the plastic card.
Two things to check before you switch:
Make sure you can receive SMS on the new eSIM before you remove the old SIM, in case itsme asks you to confirm a code.
If you switch to eSIM and buy a new phone at the same time, do the eSIM first, then reactivate itsme on the new phone.
A travel eSIM like Firsty doesn't touch itsme at all. Firsty adds mobile data next to your Belgian SIM and doesn't give you a new number, so your itsme codes keep arriving on the number you already have. Read more in Switch to eSIM in Belgium and Keep Your Number.
Phone lost or stolen
Block itsme straight away at my.itsme-id.com. Nobody can use your account without your phone, the itsme app and your 5-digit itsme code together, but blocking removes all risk.
Block itsme at my.itsme-id.com.
Ask your mobile provider to block your SIM and send a replacement SIM or eSIM with the same number.
Activate itsme on your new phone with your bank or eID (steps above).
Lost your phone abroad? Block itsme from any computer with internet, and reactivate it once you have a replacement phone.
Using itsme abroad
Itsme works abroad as long as your phone has mobile data or Wi-Fi. You confirm logins and payments in the app, so you don't need to be in Belgium.
You do need data at the moment you confirm, and that's usually when you're away from hotel Wi-Fi: at a check-in desk, in a taxi or paying for something online. Itsme itself uses very little. A typical travel day looks like this:
Activity | Typical data use |
|---|---|
Itsme login or payment confirmation | well under 1 MB |
Google Maps navigation, 1 hour | 3–5 MB |
WhatsApp, 100 text messages | under 0.1 MB |
Boarding pass download | under 1 MB |
Uber or Bolt ride, booked and tracked | 2–5 MB |
ChatGPT text chat, 1 hour | 1–5 MB |
Light day | about 50 MB |
Light week | about 350 MB |
Where you are | How itsme gets online |
|---|---|
Inside the EU | Your Belgian plan, at home prices |
Outside the EU | Wi-Fi, your provider's roaming rates, or a travel eSIM |
With Firsty you keep your Belgian number for itsme SMS codes, and Firsty handles the data in 176 countries, from €0.98 per GB or with free ad-supported data.
FAQ
Can I use itsme on two phones at the same time?
No. Itsme works on one device only, as an extra layer of security. Activating it on a new phone ends it on the old one.
Do I need my old phone to move itsme?
No. You reactivate itsme on the new phone with your bank or your eID, so a broken or lost old phone is not a problem.
Do I have to reactivate itsme after switching to eSIM?
Not if you keep the same phone and the same number. Itsme is linked to your phone and number, not to the SIM card itself.
How do I change my phone number in itsme?
In the app, go to My details, tap your phone number, enter the new one and confirm it with the SMS code. You can also do it on the itsme website with your eID.
Does itsme work abroad?
Yes. Itsme only needs an internet connection, through Wi-Fi, roaming or a travel eSIM.
What should I do if my phone is stolen?
Block itsme at my.itsme-id.com right away. Then block your SIM with your provider and reactivate itsme on your new phone.
