How To Switch SIM Cards Between Phones

Either because you are undertaking a trip to a foreign country or because you want to change your mobile service provider. In any of these cases, you will have to remove your SIM card and change it for another.

Of course that if you want to travel, you could keep your current SIM card. However, that comes with a high cost. It is not a secret for anyone that the roaming fees are high-priced and that you can get a better deal by getting an international SIM card.

That is a good option if you like to arrange everything ahead. However, another thing you can do is to get a local SIM card. They are usually available at the airports, and you can get one once you land in the country.

However, you need to consider some things before buying a new SIM card and understand how to switch a SIM on a smartphone.

Here in this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about this topic:

What to Know Before You Switch SIM Cards

If you need to switch a SIM card to your phone, either because you are going to travel abroad or you are changing your current carrier, it is possible and easy to do. However, we are going to detail below some things should know beforehand.

First, let’s start by saying that it is possible to switch SIM cards on both iPhone and Android phones.

One of the things you need to bear in mind is that your phone must be unlocked. It means that it can recognize SIM cards from any carrier. Some mobile providers sell locked phones to be sure that their users will only use their SIM cards. We already made an article called “Can I Put My SIM Card In Another Phone?” where we explained how to know if your phone is locked or not. Apple phones’ are generally sold unlocked.

If it results that your phone is locked, and you want to use a third-party SIM card, you need to find a way of unlocking the device.

One option is to call your cell phone carrier and tell them that you need to unlock your phone, you can also state the reason that you are traveling abroad and you will be using another SIM card. However, this may be unsuccessful. It is because it is convenient for them that you use data roaming instead of an international card or one from another country.

The best way that you have to unlock your phone is to use a third-party alternative. Some companies do the process by charging you a fee from $5 to about $25, depending on the cell phone.

Secondly, you need to know that if you have an iPhone phone, all your contacts, apps, and data are not stored in the SIM card. This information is stored in a cloud, which is very useful when you change your phone and when you need to switch your SIM card. Android phones, however, have the option of storing your contacts on the SIM card. If it is your case, you can export all your contacts and save them in a cloud. We highly recommend you link your contacts with your Gmail account to avoid this step.

Finally, as you may know, SIM cards can come in three different sizes, which are Standard, Micro, and Nano. All current iPhones use a nano-SIM card (since 2012). However, other smartphones can still use a micro-SIM card. Check what type of SIM card you have beforehand.

If you are interested in this topic, check our article about “How to cut a SIM card“

Now that you have all the necessary previous information, let’s see how you can remove the SIM card from your current phone.

How to Remove a SIM Card from my phone

Most of the new smartphones now come with the SIM card slot on one of the sides of the phone, especially the iPhones. Look in your phone for a small rectangle on the right side, with a tiny hole next to it.

We suggest you turn off the phone before taking out the SIM card. Then, you will need a SIM-eject tool (or a paper clip). Insert it gently into the pinhole, and press until you feel a click.

Immediately you will be able to take out the tray where the card is. Remember that you do not need to force it, if you feel that the paper clip is too thick, then try with the back of an earring.

If you do not find the rectangle on one of the sides, then your will need to pop up the back cover. You should see the SIM card slot near the battery.

After removing the SIM card, be sure that you put it somewhere safe. It could be a plastic box or even into another phone, just be sure of keeping it away from water and heat.

Of course, we suggest you do this once that you have the new SIM card. Then just place it on the tray and put it back into the phone. Finally, turn on the phone and check for signal bars.

Once that you have reception and data, you are ready to continue using your cell phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why may I need to switch my SIM card?

When you are traveling abroad and you want to use an international SIM card, or if you are changing your carrier.

Will I lose my contacts if I switch my SIM card?

If you have an iPhone, your contacts are stored in a cloud; otherwise, you could need to export them before removing the SIM.

Do I need to turn off my phone before removing the SIM card?

We highly recommend you turn off any device and then remove the card.

We hope that this information has been useful and clarified your doubts about how to switch your SIM card to another phone!