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How to Insert a SIM Card

Insert SIM Card

Got a phone or a tablet and in doubt about the way inserting a SIM card works. No matter if the device is new or old, the process is a necessary step before you get to use your phone. Granted, there are exceptions, such as using an embedded-SIM card and CDMA-configured phones. However, the majority of phone owners still go through this process. Also, we immediately want to clear this up – there are no differences between sliding in a postpaid and a prepaid SIM card. It all comes down to SIM card size and production date/technology. Don’t worry – we’ll explain how to insert a SIM card in-depth.

Instructions to insert a SIM card

Recommended step. Look up your phone name and model specifications online. Use Ctrl + F on the page and search for ‘SIM’. Check the SIM card size, and relay this information to the carrier or to whomever you’re buying the SIM card from. You’re most likely getting a full-size card with a PIN/PUK codes printed on it. Then, you must physically punch out a smaller SIM card of appropriate size.

Older Android phones

By this, we mean mostly newer low-cost phones, such as Nokia 3310 (2017) and older phones released in the mid-2000s and early 2010s. They use either a mini-SIM card or a micro-SIM card. The difference? Nothing but size. They have the same things stored on them, and the process of sliding them in is identical.

  1. Put your phone face down on the table.
  2. Remove the back panel of the phone by unlatching tiny plastic clips.
    You can also wedge a piece of slim but sturdy plastic. Never use metal, as this can cause a short circuit. Never use too much force. You should hear faint clicking as the clips unlatch.
  3. Check if the SIM card slot is visible. It will have a tiny image of a SIM card nearby.
    There might be two SIM slots next to each other. You can use either of them.
  4. Look for a place on the top or bottom of the battery that has a steep cutout.
    It will allow you to put your fingernail into it.
  5. Disconnect the battery by scooping it up using your fingernail.
  6. Look for the SIM slot underneath the battery if it wasn’t visible previously.
    Once again, there might be two slots and you can use any of the two.
  7. Take approximate notice of the SIM card size that can fit into the slot.
  8. Take out the full-size SIM card you received when you bought it.
  9. Punch out a SIM card according to your needs.
  10. If you punch out a card too small, don’t worry. You can add the plastic rim back without consequences.
  11. Take look at the tiny picture once again, and see where the only dull corner is.
  12. Position your SIM card in the same way as on the image.
  13. Insert the SIM card by slipping/sliding it until it fills the SIM slot.
  14. There is no sound associated with it locking in place.
  15. Return the battery by sliding it in the same way it came out.
  16. Feel free to turn the phone back on immediately by holding the power button.
  17. Check whether the SIM card is recognized by the phone.
  18. Put the back panel back by gently pushing it downward.

Newer Android and Apple iOS devices

Opening a SIM card slot is different on devices using a nano-SIM card but also much easier. For Android phones, this applies to those released in 2015 and after, such as Samsung Galaxy S6. On the iOS side, Apple iPhones up to the iPhone 4 used a mini-SIM and micro-SIM card but had a tray instead of a SIM card slot underneath the battery. Apple iPhone 5 was the first to introduce the nano-SIM card back in 2012 and is considered a trendsetter. Here’s how the process works.

  1. Take the SIM card removal tool from the package your phone came in.
  2. Look for a tiny hole on the sides of the phone.
  3. Place the sharp end of the removal tool into the hole.
  4. Push toward the phone lightly.
  5. You’ll hear a faint click, and the SIM card tray will pop out for a millimeter.
  6. Use your fingernails to pull out the tray.
  7. Based on the phone model, you’ll see one or two SIM card-shaped holes in the tray.
  8. Punch out the nano-SIM card (the smallest possible size) from the full-size SIM card you received when you bought it.
    For older iPhone models (iPhone to iPhone 4), punch out a SIM card that’s one or two step-ups from nano-SIM. Feel free to add or remove the plastic rims until the size matches the slot.
  9. Place the SIM card onto the tray.
    Tip: Match the only dull corner on the tray with the dull corner of the card.
  10. When the SIM card fits snuggly, push the SIM card tray back into the phone.
  11. Make sure it clicks into place.
  12. Turn the phone on by holding the power button.