An iPhone's SIM card primarily stores your subscriber identity (IMSI), unique serial number (ICCID), authentication keys (Ki), and carrier network settings, acting as your digital key to the cellular network, not a general storage drive for apps, photos, or most personal data, which reside in the phone's internal storage or iCloud. While older SIMs could hold contacts/SMS, iPhones manage these in iCloud or device memory, though you can import a few contacts if needed.
Your SIM stores data that helps your phone connect to the right network, including location details and network authorization data. The ICCID (integrated circuit card identifier). This unique identifier is essentially the SIM card's fingerprint.
Your photos, videos, contacts, apps, ringtones… everything else that isn't your phone number, will still be on your phone after you remove the SIM card.
Short answer: switching SIM cards does not delete data stored on the phone itself, but it can change access to phone number--linked services and removes contacts or data stored on the SIM card itself. Subscriber identity (IMSI), network authentication credentials and phone number.
Remove and Deactivate Your eSIM
Before inserting the physical SIM, you'll need to remove and delete your eSIM and its profile on your iPhone. Go to Settings > Cellular, then tap the eSIM you want to remove.
A SIM contains a unique serial number, integrated circuit card identification (ICCID), international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) number, security authentication and ciphering information, temporary information related to the local network, a list of the services the user has access to, and four passwords: a ...
Does a SIM card hold pictures? Photos aren't stored on your SIM card, which makes it important to back up your photos if you ever decide to switch your SIM card out. If you have an iPhone, consider saving them to iCloud, or if you have an Android, save them to your SD card.
Call Forwarding: Type *#21# to view whether call forwarding is enabled or type ##002# to disable call forwarding.
When you insert your SIM card into another phone, you transfer that information to the new device. Your phone number does not change when you transfer phones using your SIM card because your number is linked to the SIM card and the mobile network rather than the specific phone.
Remove SIM and SD cards
If your phone has a SIM card, it may store your personal information. Remove the SIM card. If you're going to keep the same phone number, you may be able to transfer your SIM card to your new phone. If you're not going to reuse the SIM card, destroy it.
If you're on Android, you'll typically need to open Contacts app, go into the Settings menu and look for Import or Export Contacts. Then you can move the contacts from your SIM card to your phone.
Resetting your iPhone securely is the most crucial step in preparing it for resale. This process ensures your personal information is completely removed and the phone is restored to factory settings.
Switching your SIM card doesn't affect your photos at all or anything else on the phone or your cloud. Just take the old out put new in and restart your phone.
On Android, the default setting now is for you to save your contacts to the cloud (and messages on your phone) - but you do have the option to also save a copy of your messages and contacts on your SIM card.
Your SIM card holds the key to your mobile number and network access—but contrary to popular belief, it doesn't store everything on your phone. If you don't prep for the process properly, you could run into issues like missing contacts, failed activation, or worse—no connection at all.
Call barring allows you to block certain types of incoming or outgoing calls. Dialing *#33# displays your device's current call barring status. If you're receiving excessive spam calls, enabling call barring can help prevent unwanted calls, including those from potential hackers.
To help you protect your private information, here are several signs and methods for determining whether or not your phone is being monitored.
If forwarding is active and goes to an unknown number, that's a 🚩! *Code #62#: This code tells you where your calls are going when you're unreachable 📴 (like if your phone is off or has no signal).
Yes, SIM card data can be recovered after it has been deleted using specialized SIM card recovery software or by restoring from a backup. However, it is important to initiate the recovery process as soon as possible to maximize the chances of successful data retrieval.
When Optimize Storage is turned on, full-resolution photos and videos are stored in iCloud, and, when needed, space-saving copies are stored on your device. And as long as you have enough space in iCloud, you can store as many photos and videos as you want.
SIM jacking is one method hackers use to hack your SIM card. In SIM jacking attacks, hackers send spyware code to a targeted device using a customized SMS message. This malicious spyware takes advantage of vulnerabilities in the SIM Application Toolkit (STK) software installed on the SIM card.
Avoid Potential Damage
Removing a SIM card while your phone is still powered on is like trying to change a tire on a moving car – it's risky, and things could go awry. By powering off your device, you ensure a stable and controlled environment for the SIM card extraction mission.
Under normal usage conditions, you can expect a SIM card to function reliably for approximately 5 to 10 years. However, this lifespan can be significantly shortened by factors like frequent removal and insertion, exposure to moisture, or physical damage.