# iPhone: Insert a SIM Card? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 16, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-insert-a-sim-card/546861 "2010-07-16T00:56:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-insert-a-sim-card/546861/1 "2010-07-16T00:56:03Z")
I just got an iPhone, but i am clueless. How do I open it to insert my SIM Card? Does an Apple product even use such conventional technology as a SIM card? ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-insert-a-sim-card/546861/2 "2010-07-16T01:01:38Z")
Up by the hole that you insert the earphones, there is a little pin hole. Insert a normal pin or paperclip thats been straightened and gently press, the sim card holder should just pop up slightly enough to pull it out by hand. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-insert-a-sim-card/546861/3 "2010-07-16T01:02:17Z")
On the 3G/3Gs, there’s a tiny hole in the top of the phone next to the earphone plug. Stick a paperclip down it and the simcard tray pops out. Could be different if it’s iphone 4… ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-insert-a-sim-card/546861/4 "2010-07-16T01:04:08Z")
Do you have an unlocked phone? ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-insert-a-sim-card/546861/5 "2010-07-16T01:35:46Z")
On the iPhone 4, the SIM card tray is in the right side. And the 4 uses a [new smaller SIM card](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subscriber_Identity_Module#Card_sizes). But apparently you can [carve down an existing card](http://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/howto_cut_down_and_setup_nonatt_sim_your_ipad) to fit the smaller tray, and then get an adapter when you want to put it back in a phone with the regular size SIM. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-insert-a-sim-card/546861/6 "2010-07-16T01:56:29Z")
Did you read the manual? The 3Gs comes with a SIM eject tool (and I’m assuming that the iPhone 4 does as well) . ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-insert-a-sim-card/546861/7 "2010-07-16T02:04:45Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > On the iPhone 4, the SIM card tray is in the right side. And the 4 uses a [new smaller SIM card](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subscriber_Identity_Module#Card_sizes). But apparently you can [carve down an existing card](http://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/howto_cut_down_and_setup_nonatt_sim_your_ipad) to fit the smaller tray… If you don’t want to go down that route, you can just take the phone to a nearby Apple or AT&T store and they can move your number to the SIM that came with it. ---
**Author:** ![sharding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@sharding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sharding)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-insert-a-sim-card/546861/8 "2010-07-16T04:51:53Z")
To be clear: the iPhone comes with a SIM card already installed. Under normal circumstances in the US (buying a new iPhone from Apple or AT&T, with the intention of using it on AT&T’s network), there is no need to put in your SIM card. Use the one that came with it. When you activate via iTunes, your number will be attached to it. No idea how it works in other countries. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-insert-a-sim-card/546861/9 "2010-07-16T09:42:29Z")
Sim came separately here in Australia. I followed the instructions and used the sim removal tool to insert my sim. Suggest OP reads instructions prior to resorting to SDMB ;). ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-insert-a-sim-card/546861/10 "2010-07-16T11:33:43Z")
You don’t need a special tool, you can just use the end of a paper clip [Voila](http://webtrickz.com/how-to-insert-sim-card-in-iphone-4/) ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-insert-a-sim-card/546861/11 "2010-07-16T23:19:33Z")
It is true that you don’t need a special tool, but when there is a special tool in the box you’ve just taken the phone out of and the paper clips are in the next room sometimes it makes more sense to use the special tool. ---
**Author:** ![Anachronism](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@Anachronism](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anachronism)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-insert-a-sim-card/546861/12 "2010-07-17T11:50:16Z")
If you already have at&t service you can just move the sim from another phone (unless it’s an iPhone4, which requires a different sim) and start using the phone. AT&T can tell what phone you are using and they will require you to buy a data plan :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-insert-a-sim-card/546861/13 "2010-07-17T13:03:06Z")
Official link: [Get your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch ready for service - Apple Support](http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1438?viewlocale=en_US) The iPhone 4’s official “SIM card removal tool” is a paper clip. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-insert-a-sim-card/546861/14 "2010-07-17T13:20:59Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Official link: [Prepare your iPhone or iPad for service - Apple Support](http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1438?viewlocale=en_US) > > The iPhone 4’s official “SIM card removal tool” is a paper clip. No, it’s the “SIM eject tool”, same as for the other iPhones. Edit: No, you’re right. Disregard. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-insert-a-sim-card/546861/15 "2010-07-17T13:27:56Z")
No, the iPhone 4 doesn’t come with an eject tool. You have to use a paperclip unless you got an eject tool with an earlier iPhone. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2010, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iphone-insert-a-sim-card/546861/16 "2010-07-17T13:30:22Z")
Just a tip: If you drop your iPhone and it starts to not work properly it doesn’t necessarily mean that you trashed the phone. You have probably just jogged the Sim card so that it isn’t seated properly. Take the paper clip and remove the Sim card. Reinsert it and make sure everything is tight. It will probably be back to normal and you’ve saved a trip to the AT&T store.