Are you purchasing a new phone, and wondering if you will be able to use the same SIM card?
SIM cards are responsible for helping your cellular carrier provide service to your phone, and is also what ties your phone number to the phone.
So, in order to make the transition to a new phone as easy as possible, it would be ideal to use the exact same SIM that was in your old one.
But is this actually possible, and if so, is there anything you should keep in mind when making the switch? In this article, we’ll cover everything that you need to know!
Can I Use The Same SIM In My New Phone?
Yes. As long as you aren’t switching carriers or the new phone is unlocked, you should be able to use the exact same SIM in both phones.
In fact, this is relatively common practice when purchasing a new phone, as there is little need to acquire a new SIM card if you don’t intend to use the old phone anymore.
However, you may run into issues if the phone is locked, and you are switching to a new carrier.
A locked phone simply means that it’s tied to a certain cell phone carrier, until the period has passed. For example, that particular phone may only be able to use AT&T or Verizon for a certain period of time after the phone is purchased.
Sometimes, phones are locked for a period of time so you are forced to purchase cellular service with that carrier. A discount on the phone’s price is usually offered as an incentive.
After this period is up, the phone will become unlocked, and can be used with any SIM card, and have service provided by any carrier.
The bottom line is this – as long as you aren’t trying to put a SIM card from a different carrier into a locked phone (such as a T-Mobile SIM into a locked Verizon phone), you shouldn’t run into any issues.
Will I Keep The Same Phone Number If I Put My SIM Card In A New Phone?
Now that we know that you can almost always put your old SIM into your new phone, you may be wondering – will this keep the same phone number?
Thankfully, the answer is yes.
Because its your SIM card itself that’s responsible for providing your phone number and not the actual phone, your phone number will remain the same even if you transfer the SIM card.
This means that all new calls will go to the new phone, while your old one will no longer ring.
Of course, if you ever want to switch it back, you can always place the SIM card back into your old phone.
This is actually common practice for people that travel a lot, especially in areas where loss or theft is common.
It’s as simple as taking your SIM out and placing it into a travel phone, so people can still call you as normal. Then when you return home, putting the SIM back into your main phone.
This allows to keep your more expensive phone safe, while also avoiding having to pay two phone bills!
Will My Bill Go Up?
Let’s talk about another important topic – money.
Will your bill go up if you place a SIM card into a new phone? What if your old phone has already been fully paid off?
Regardless of what phone you’re switching to, the bill for your service itself should remain exactly the same.
However, what may differ is if you are paying for the new phone in installments, and whether or not you’re paying for any extra services like insurance.
A new iPhone for example can be over $1,500 if you include tax, which is a lot of money to pay upfront. Therefore, many shoppers end up paying for new smartphones over many months, which gets added to their monthly bill.
While trading in your old phone will usually offset a lot of this cost, it is still an added monthly expense if you choose to pay in installments.
Therefore, while the actual service you’re paying for won’t go up by switching your SIM card, you may still see a higher bill if you end up purchasing a new phone.
What If It’s From A Different Carrier?
Can you use the same SIM card in multiple phones, if each one is from a different carrier?
Unfortunately, this is where things get a little complicated.
As long as the new phone isn’t locked to its original carrier, you should be able to use the SIM card inside of it.
If however, the phone is still locked, it will only accept SIM cards from that specific carrier. Until the phone becomes unlocked, your old SIM will not work in it.
Therefore, if purchasing a new phone, you may wish to purchase an unlocked version if you do not plan to use the same cellular provider.
Often times, phone manufacturers – as well as tech retailers like Best Buy and Newegg will sell phones that are fully unlocked, so they can be used with any SIM and with any service provider.
When in doubt, ask the sales associate to clarify whether or not the phone is unlocked. If it’s locked, be sure to ask for details such as how long the phone will be locked for, and whether there’s anyway to have it unlocked early.
What If I’m Switching To A Different Phone Model?
Finally, let’s look over one more situation. What if you’re switching to a different type of phone entirely, such as from an Android phone to an iPhone? Will you still be able to use the same SIM?
Thankfully, the answer is yes. Regardless of the new phone that you’re switching to, you should still be able to use the same SIM card.
This is because SIM cards are only used to work with your cellular provider. They do not impact the functionality of the phone (or its operating system) itself – which is why you can use most functions of a smartphone – like apps and Wi-Fi internet even if you don’t have a SIM card in it at all!
That being said, SIM cards do come in three different sizes – standard, micro, and nano. However, adapters are available that should let you use any size SIM card in your new phone, so you shouldn’t worry about whether or not it will be compatible.
Conclusion
Thankfully, you can still use your SIM card even in a new phone.
Simply transfer it over, and you will retain your phone number, along with any other data stored on the SIM such as your phone’s contacts.
However, if you’re transferring to a locked phone, you’ll need to ensure that the carrier is compatible.
I hope that you’ve found this article helpful. If you have any other questions about SIM cards or mobile phones, please ask them using the comment form below.
Wishing you the best,
– James McAllister
Hi James, your website is awesome! Thank you for all the education.
I have a question, I think you might be able to answer. My situation is that both mine and my gf broke our phones. They were both as Androids.
We replaced them with another Android Samsung A53. They came with new sim cards. so we have the old sims. IDK what is in them but was wondering how to know, if you can discard them, or if I could put it in another old Samsung to use as a sort of copy of my new phone. Would I receive the messages, phone calls and such.? Sort of it a 2nd copy I could use at work, set up first work?
I have an iphone 6s, that's on the same network which I rarely use. I also have an older LG G7, LG Stylo 3 I think it is (all unlocked) and older
Samsung S5 active.
My point and goal is to have a phone that acts just like the main one. where I get the calls, texts, apps etc. Is that possible? they only one on there network now that's not being used is the iphone6s, but they battery sucks and I read considering just going in and getting a new cheaper Motorola or something?
I thought I'd ask your opinion?
Also, I have my very first computer, an IBM aptiva, that works fine. just a little slow. it used dial up! lol. but we got a Gateway, and my nephew did something to it, so it comes on, but the screen is blue or black. many of our memories are there and ive drug that thing around for 20 years! I wondered if you have any ideas how to get anything pictures or other days of it?
Any help works need great and much appreciated! Also, if there is any thing I'll need to do any of f these type things. if you don't mind letting me know?. like something, cable, emulator? or devices? please can you let me know?
if you have affiliate links, let me know too! I have no problem using them!
Thanks so much for your help!
Respectfully,
Jesse
Jesse R.(Quote)
Hi Jesse! If I understand correctly, you’re looking to be able to receive messages and calls on two different phones with the same number, right?
In this instance, buying a second phone would work as long as the same SIM card will fit in both phones. Then, you’d just need to swap out the SIM to the phone you want to receive calls / messages on.
Note however that the phone’s files (for example, apps, photos, and other downloaded media) won’t transfer between phones just by switching the SIM, as the SIM card doesn’t store data – it just tells your cellular provider which phone to route calls / messages to.
Additionally, if you are switching between different models – such as an iPhone and an Android phone, certain messaging features (for example, iMessage on iPhone) will only be available on one of the phones. This won’t affect you necessarily – you should still receive messages on both phones, but people messaging you may notice when you switch. For example, iMessage bubbles appear blue when sending messages to other iPhones, but they appear green when sending texts to Android phones.
If you are wondering if it is possible to get calls / messages on two phones at once, some phones and cellular providers support this, but it depends on the individual provider. I wrote more about this in an article here, if you’d like to look over it:
https://jamesmcallisteronline.com/same-number-two-phones/
Hope this helps! If there are any other questions, just let me know and I’ll see if I can find some answers.
– James McAllister
James McAllister(Quote)
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hi James,
like info provided by you.
here is my question: i am residing in canada, just bought a new Xiaomi RedmA6 from china. i have no t much knowledge of cell phone. i want to know what works and what not.
– the phone is a dual sims coming with a new sim card, i guess there is one inside already. do i need to insert the new sim? do i need dual sim? i am just using the phone primarily for calls and text message and play music.
– do i need to buy and change the sim card in the phone when i find a provider? i have no previous provider, need to find a brand new one.
– anything else should i be aware for a foreign phone? i hope it works.
Shaoping Han(Quote)
That is an excellent question!
Having two SIM cards allows you to have two separate phone numbers, but also requires two separate phone plans. Unless you have a specific reason to, you don’t need it – you can remove the SIM card that shipped with the phone, and replace it with the one that your provider gives you.
You are right that once you have a provider, you will need to put a new SIM in the phone (they should provide it to you.)
As far as foreign phones go, just make sure you fully wipe / reinstall the Android operating system if you are buying it used. If you purchased it new, there is no need to do that. Additionally, the region may be set to China in the phone’s settings, so you will want to change this to Canada.
Hope this helps, and enjoy the new phone!
– James McAllister
James McAllister(Quote)
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