Will i lose my contacts if i change my sim card on iphone

Dr. Serhat Kurt worked as a Senior Technology Director. He holds a doctoral degree (or doctorate) from the University of Illinois at Urbana / Champaign and a master’s degree from Purdue University. Here is his LinkedIn profile.

Post navigation

Your SIM card is essential to your iPhone’s ability to make and receive calls or text messages. However, there are times when you may want to swap out the SIM card for another, such as while traveling abroad. Switching out a SIM card is easy enough, but what will it do to your iPhone? 

When you switch SIM cards on an iPhone, nothing will happen to your phone’s stored data. Your previous phone number won’t be accessible, but other than that, you shouldn’t notice any changes. However, you can only switch between SIM cards of different carriers if your iPhone isn’t carrier locked.

Let’s explore what actually happens when you switch SIM cards, whether you need to worry about data loss, and how to switch SIM cards if your phone is carrier locked. We’ll also go over what to do if a SIM card doesn’t fit into the iPhone’s card slot. 

If you switch out SIM cards in your iPhone, your phone number will change, but there won’t be any affect on your data. A SIM card is linked with a specific phone number, and changing it will only change the number that used to make calls and send or receive messages.

If you’re using a new SIM card temporarily, you probably don’t have to inform everyone that you’ve changed your number. 

However, if you want to switch SIM cards permanently, you’ll have to inform your contacts of the number change. Certain messaging apps like WhatsApp will still work on your old number unless you delete and reinstall the app.

None of your iPhone’s settings will be affected when you swap SIMs since the SIM has nothing to do with the data stored on the phone. You’ll still be using the same Apple ID, and swapping SIM cards won’t log you out of your account. 

Some people complain that they have issues accessing their iPhones after swapping SIM cards. If this happens to you, you’ll have to check whether your iPhone is locked — if it is, that may be the cause behind the issues. 

Is Your Phone Unlocked? 

If your iPhone is unlocked, it means that it’s not bound to any specific cellular network. You can swap your current SIM card with one from a different network, and you can start using the new SIM immediately. 

If you’ve bought a new or refurbished iPhone from the Apple store, you’ll usually get an unlocked phone that can use SIMs from different carriers. Dual SIM iPhones can use two SIM cards from different networks simultaneously. 

Before swapping your iPhone’s SIM card, always check whether it’s unlocked. Here’s how to do that: 

1. Open the Settings app and tap ‘General.’
   
2. Select ‘About‘ and scroll down. 
   
3. Under the EID number, you should see a line that reads ‘Carrier Lock.’ If the phone is unlocked, you’ll see ‘No SIM restrictions’ written next to it. If you see another message that indicates which carrier the phone is locked with, you’ll only be able to use SIM cards from that carrier. 

You can also simply place the SIM card from a different network in your iPhone and see whether it works. If you don’t face any issues, the iPhone is probably unlocked. 

What Does It Mean if My Phone Is Carrier Locked?

If your iPhone is carrier locked, you’ll only be able to use it with a specific SIM carrier (such as Verizon or AT&T). Carrier-locked phones are usually cheaper and are sold along with a carrier network subscription. Some carrier-locked phones are locked to a carrier indefinitely, although most can be unlocked when you pay off the phone’s subscription or if you make a special request. 

If your iPhone is carrier locked, you can still switch SIM cards as long as both SIMs are from the same network carrier. However, SIMs from other carriers won’t work until the iPhone is unlocked by the previous carrier. 

Sometimes, you’ll see ‘No SIM Restrictions’ next to the carrier lock message described in the above section, but your iPhone may still be restricted to a specific network carrier. In such cases, you can contact your network carrier to check whether your iPhone is, in fact, locked or not. 

How to Remove a Carrier Lock From Your iPhone 

If your phone is locked to a particular carrier and you want to use a SIM from a different network, you’ll have to remove the carrier lock first. The only way to remove a carrier lock from your iPhone is to contact the network carrier and ask them to unlock your iPhone. 

If your phone is paid off and your contract has expired with the current carrier, they should remove the lock. If you still have outstanding dues, you’ll have to pay the phone off before you can remove the lock.

Some carriers will accept a lump sum payment to remove the carrier lock, so contact them to see which options are available.

What Happens to Your Data When You Switch SIM Cards?

Nothing will happen to most of your iPhone’s data when you switch SIM cards. The SIM card doesn’t store any important data — unless you save contacts on it.

Your pictures, videos, and other data stored on the phone will remain untouched since this data is stored on the phone and not on the SIM. 

If you’ve saved your contacts to the SIM, you may not be able to access these saved numbers when you switch SIM cards. However, most iPhones will also save the contacts to your phone’s storage, and you’ll still be able to access the stored numbers from call logs and message history. 

If you’re a WhatsApp user, your WhatsApp data will still be aligned with the previous SIM number unless you delete and reinstall the app or change your WhatsApp number in the app settings.

Changing your number should not affect the iMessaging app, although you may have to restart the phone to get it working again. 

Other than these minor changes, you shouldn’t have to worry about data loss when you swap SIMs. If you’re still unsure about losing data, remove your SIM card without replacing it with a different SIM. All your data will be safe, and you’ll be able to access all the iPhone’s data and features even though it doesn’t have a SIM card. 

However, you’ll need to install a SIM to make and receive calls or send regular messages. 

What if the Sim Card Is Too Big or Small? 

Most of the newer iPhones use a nano-sized SIM card, and the latest ones have an eSIM feature as well. If you have a micro SIM card, you can easily convert it to a nano SIM with a SIM card cutter (on Amazon). You can also visit your nearest phone repair store and ask them to convert your SIM to the correct size. 

If your SIM card can’t be cut to the right size, you may have to use a SIM card adapter or contact your SIM carrier to have your current card converted to the correct size.

Some SIM cards aren’t compatible with SIM adapters, and only your network carrier can convert the same number to a new SIM. The same process applies to a SIM that’s too damaged for the iPhone to recognize. 

Before converting your number to a new SIM card, you’ll have to check whether you’ve saved any contact data on the SIM card and back it up to the phone. 

If you need aSIM card adapter for iPhones, you can try the NOOSY 3 X Nano SIM to Micro (on Amazon). This SIM card adapter is ideal for the latest iPhones and can convert micro SIMs to nano-size and vice versa. 

How do I keep my contacts when changing sim on iPhone?

How can I change my SIM card without losing contacts?

What happens if you switch SIM cards in iPhones?

Will switching SIM cards transfer contacts?