For sim cards in smartphones do I just switch the sim from one phone to another?

[River]

Is that it? My phone battery swelled and need to put my sim card in a new smartphone.

If you don't believe me I will take pictures.

[Introverted Gamer]

Yes if you still want a working service. Your second phone must be Unlocked or the Same Carrier. But if you have different Phone Carriers it's a different story, you can't put a Sim from T-Mobile Carrier your old phone to a New Phone that's on Verizon and is still Locked to them thinking it will still get Service. The Verizon Phone has to be Unlocked first into order to work with T-Mobile Sim.

[r.linder]

Yes, as long as the phone is already set up for service with your current provider, if you haven't obtained the new phone yet then go through your current service provider at a nearby store or kiosk to get one through them and they'll do the rest

[_I_]

yes
but some phones are carrier locked
to unlock them, you need to pay off the phone and have them give you the code to unlock to use it on another carrier

[Shaggin'Wagon]

You have to call in to your carrier, tell them you changed phones, and have the carrier de-register the IEMI # from your old phone then you have to give them the IEMI # on your new phone and have them register your new phone to your existing SIM card or it won't work.

[_I_]

you do not need to contact your carrier, just swap the card into the new phone if the new phone is unlocked, or for your carrier

the card has nothing more to do with the phone

[HypersleepyNaputunia]

turn phone off b4 switching as can damage

[r.linder]

Originally posted by _I_:

you do not need to contact your carrier, just swap the card into the new phone if the new phone is unlocked, or for your carrier

the card has nothing more to do with the phone

Can confirm, have switched phones many times that were on the same carrier

[Shaggin'Wagon]

Originally posted by _I_:

you do not need to contact your carrier, just swap the card into the new phone if the new phone is unlocked, or for your carrier

the card has nothing more to do with the phone

This is not true at all. Each phone has a unique IEMI #. You have to register it with the carrier or the phone won't work. You can't just stick a sim card in it and expect it to function. That's not how phones work.

[Shaggin'Wagon]

Originally posted by r.linder:

Originally posted by _I_:

you do not need to contact your carrier, just swap the card into the new phone if the new phone is unlocked, or for your carrier

the card has nothing more to do with the phone

Can confirm, have switched phones many times that were on the same carrier

Again with the false information *SIGH*. This is not true. Each phone has a unique IEMI #. You have to register the phone's IEMI # with the sim card (and de-register the old phone's number) or your sim card won't work. We can't just stick a sim card in a random phone and use it. That's not how cell phones work.

[_I_]

Originally posted by Shaggin'Wagon:

Originally posted by _I_:

you do not need to contact your carrier, just swap the card into the new phone if the new phone is unlocked, or for your carrier

the card has nothing more to do with the phone

This is not true at all. Each phone has a unique IEMI #. You have to register it with the carrier or the phone won't work. You can't just stick a sim card in it and expect it to function. That's not how phones work.

quit spreading misinformation

i have swapped phones and sim cards many times
all the phone uses the imei for is to tell the towers what carrier (and if its carrier locked) and phone number it has on the sim card
thats it

you can swap sim card to different phones, even when they are turned on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeN-66B4uqE

[GOD RAYS ON ULTRA™]

When I upgraded from iPhone 5c to razer 2 all I did was swap out the SIM card and turn my new phone on. My razer 2 was unlocked.

[AmaiAmai]

As long as your phone is:

1. Unlocked (or locked to said carrier)
2. Not IMEI blacklisted (don't have to worry unless its a stolen phone or you are wanted)
3. Phone has right bands for the network you are going to use

and

4. SIM is already activated or can be activated in said phone

NOTE that some do not allow it (like MetroPCS]). In that case you will need to bring phone to the provider or have them allow the SIM on their network.

There should be no issue on any network in America right now except ones where they prohibit SIM swapping for security purposes.

If you have any issues, then you can just contact phone provider. I've had little issue swapping SIMs from many providers & their MVNOs in America. Metro by Tmobile specifically states that you need to contact them, so I assume that you do and it won't work.

EDIT: fixed spacing

[Bing Chilling]

Originally posted by _I_:

yes
but some phones are carrier locked
to unlock them, you need to pay off the phone and have them give you the code to unlock to use it on another carrier

this.


you can check in the phones settings to see if it's carrier locked or not (not your phone, the replacement) most brand new phones are unlocked and will usually have it in the listing
but alot of second hand phones are locked. since the majority of people get phones for free from a carrier on a fixed plan. Though that is becoming less and less common these days.

[r.linder]

Originally posted by Shaggin'Wagon:

Again with the false information *SIGH*. This is not true. Each phone has a unique IEMI #. You have to register the phone's IEMI # with the sim card (and de-register the old phone's number) or your sim card won't work. We can't just stick a sim card in a random phone and use it. That's not how cell phones work.

The one spreading misinformation here is you.

I've moved SIM cards to multiple unlocked phones over the years without talking to my carrier at all over the years and never had any problems with service. Thousands, maybe even millions of people have done things like this without fail, the only reason it wouldn't work is if it's locked to another carrier, in which case the carrier (or another party) would have to unlock it before it can be used with another carrier.

If you keep picking fights with people in threads and constantly tell people how we (and particularly myself) are 'known to spread false information' when it's not even true, you're going to get yourself banned. The regulars here already don't like you because you argue with everyone over everything, try to defame them by telling everyone in other threads that "this person only spreads misinformation," and even when we provide credible sources of information, your only response is 'lol no you're wrong, just because you can find it in a search engine doesn't mean it's true lol." You're being a troll at this point, stalking and trying to get people to gang up on people you don't like, and you're going to see the consequences of that eventually when droves of people start reporting you en mass because you've made yourself to be an actual nuisance, everyone can see it.

[Raoul]

Depends on region or country as contract phones are provided as carrier free in the UK since ~2021 when the new ofcom rules came in. I do know that in some places you still need to register IMEI if you intend to keep using it there after a certain time limit. Think it's mainly to stop people importing phones or basically to tax them for it.