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A quick and easy guide to access your iPhone's SIM card
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This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Jack Lloyd. Jack Lloyd is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. He has over two years of experience writing and editing technology-related articles. He is technology enthusiast and an English teacher.
The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work.
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Trying to turn off the SIM PIN feature on your iPhone? This wikiHow teaches you how to remove the security code from your iPhone's SIM card. Doing so will allow you to restart your phone and make calls without having to enter the SIM PIN. You can easily deactivate the PIN in the Settings app.
Steps
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Open your iPhone's Settings. This is the grey gear icon on the Home Screen.
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Scroll down and tap Phone. It's about a third of the way down the Settings page.Advertisement
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Scroll down and tap SIM PIN. This option is near the bottom of the page.
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Slide the green SIM PIN switch left to the "Off" position. Doing so will signal to your phone that you would like to unlock your SIM card.
- If this slider is white, your SIM card is unlocked already.
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Type in your SIM PIN. If you don't know your SIM PIN, you can call your service provider for a reset code.
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Tap Done. It's in the top right corner of the screen. As long as your SIM PIN is accurate, your SIM card should now be unlocked.
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Call your carrier's customer support line. Before using one of the numbers listed below, try calling *611 or 611--on most phones, this is the default customer support line.
- Sprint Customer Service - 1 (888) 211-4727
- AT&T Customer Service - 1 (800) 331-0500
- Verizon Customer Service - 1 (877)-746-0909
- T-Mobile Customer Service - 1 (800) 922-0204
- Make sure you have your carrier account PIN on hand so that you can verify your identity.
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Communicate your problem to the automated assistant. In most cases, you won't reach an actual human being when you call initially. Instead say something like "I want to remove a lock PIN on my SIM card" and wait for your call to connect to a customer service representative.
- You may have to wait for up to several hours to get in touch with a representative.
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Ask your customer service representative for a PIN unlock code. You may also need to explain to them that you aren't trying to unlock your iPhone itself--just the SIM card.
- The unlock code is officially known as a "PUK" if your SIM card is now locked because of too many failed PIN entries.
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Write down your PIN unlock code. This is the four-digit PIN you'll enter when you go to unlock your SIM card.
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do I unlock a SIM card when I have forgotten my password?You should visit your carrier and show evidence that it's you with your full name, phone number etc.
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QuestionMy sim is saying "locked sim." I don’t know what to do. Please help. I cannot call or anything.
TD96Community AnswerThis must mean your phone is locked to your previous phone carrier. Ask the carrier to unlock it for you, or simply get a new unlocked/locked to your new carrier's phone.
Tips
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If you have any doubts about your SIM PIN, call your service provider (e.g., Verizon) and ask for help.Thanks
Warnings
- Trying unsuccessfully to guess your SIM PIN three times will result in your SIM PIN being permanently locked.[1]Thanks
References
About This Article
1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Phone.
3. Tap SIM PIN.
4. Slide the SIM PIN switch left.
5. Type in your SIM PIN.
6. Tap Done.
