SIM Cards or Subscriber Identification Modules are small chip cards that are used in mobile phones to allow them to access both mobile internet data and their mobile carrier to make phone calls and send text messages.
SIM cards have a variety of different functions, so many that many users can actually find it intimidating removing the SIM card from their phone.
However, it’s actually not a massive deal to remove your SIM card – here’s what you need to know about removing your SIM.
What happens when you remove your SIM card
When you remove the SIM card from your Android phone, you’re essentially removing its ability to connect to other devices using mobile data and your mobile carrier network.
SIM cards have a number of functions, but their primary function is allowing you to access this data.
This means that you won’t be able to make or receive phone calls, and you won’t be able to make or receive text messages either.
Many of us use Wi-Fi to contact others, and if you remove the SIM card from your phone, you’ll still be able to access your home Wi-Fi.
This can mean in some circumstances you can still contact others using apps like WhatsApp, or make video calls to other people with apps like Skype.
Plus, when you re-insert the SIM card into the SIM tray or back of your phone, you’ll get access to both of these things again.
So, it’s actually not that big of a deal to remove the SIM card from your Android phone – you’ll still have all your phone numbers, messages and more when you put it back in.
How to Remove the SIM card
Removing the SIM card from your phone should be extremely straightforward, though it depends on the Android phone that you’re using.
On most phones, you’ll need to remove the SIM card by taking off the back cover of your phone and taking out the battery.
There, you should find the SIM card hidden underneath the battery. You can usually slide the SIM card out, or lift the SIM tray containing the SIM card from your device.
This is how you switch SIM cards from one to another – for example, if you have a locked phone, only some SIM cards will work that are for that specific provider.
So, it’s worth knowing how to quickly insert and remove the card from your SIM slot in your device. Otherwise, you might end up with a damaged SIM card.
What to Backup Before Changing SIM Card
Before changing the SIM card on a mobile, you may be wondering what you need to backup your phone so you don’t lose anything.
However, there are actually only a few things you need to worry about if you’re going to move your SIM card between different phones.
The only thing you really need to worry about when switching SIM cards between devices is your contacts list – however, most iPhones nowadays save your contact list to your phone itself and not the SIM card, so you only need to worry about this on Android.
This is also the case for your photos, videos, messaging and most of the other data that you have on your phone.
So really, if you’re going to be changing sim cards, there’s not too much you need to worry about in terms of backups.
When you re-insert your SIM into the same phone, all of the same data should be there for you to access.
Conclusion
You should learn the process of removing a SIM card, as it’s nowhere near as scary as you may think it to be.
If your Android device has a SIM card tray, you can easily remove the tray using a paper clip – this is the same for iPhone too.
But otherwise, removing your SIM will simply stop you from accessing the internet and mobile network.
However, as soon as you re-insert it into the back of your phone, you’ll be able to reconnect to them, so it’s not a big deal to take your SIM card – just remember to put it back in if you want to receive calls again.
