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How do phone SIMs work?

How Do SIM Cards Work? Each SIM card holds a user's IMSI
IMSI
The international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) /ˈɪmziː/ is a number that uniquely identifies every user of a cellular network. It is stored as a 64-bit field and is sent by the mobile device to the network.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › International_mobile_subscri...
(International Mobile Subscriber Identity) and ICCID (Integrated Circuit Card Identifier) information
. Mobile network operators use a SIM card's IMSI and ICCID to verify the holding user and decide whether to grant network access to the associated device.
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What happens if you take out your SIM card and put it in another phone?

In summary, when you put your SIM card in another phone, the only data that will be transferred is your own phone number and possibly a few text messages and contacts saved on the SIM card. The rest of your data, including photos, videos, and other files, will remain on your old phone.
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Can I just swap SIM card to new phone?

SIM cards make it easier than ever to transfer your phone service from one phone to another. When you insert your SIM card into a different compatible or unlocked phone, you can instantly use your existing phone number and cellular service on your new phone.
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What info is stored on a SIM card?

What is stored on a SIM Card? SIM cards store data specific to you, such as your contacts and phone number. SIM cards also have an ID number, or international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), and a personal identification number (PIN) to protect against theft.
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Can you put a SIM card in any phone?

Installing a SIM card is much easier if your phone is unlocked. Unlike locked phones, which are limited to using the network carrier's SIM card, unlocked phones give you the freedom to choose your carrier. It's very simple to put a fresh SIM card in a new unlocked phone device.
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How Do SIM Cards Work?

Does a SIM card determine your phone number?

Is your phone number stored on SIM cards? Yep, SIM cards have a mobile subscriber integrated services digital network number—a.k.a. your phone number.
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Does a SIM card hold pictures?

The SIM card memory is not enough to save your pictures. It stores a small amount of info including: your phone number. some contacts and text messages.
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Will I lose my pictures if I take out my SIM card?

No. SIM cards do not store data.
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What can be traced from a SIM card?

Your SIM card is unique to your device, and you can use it to track your phone's location if it's ever lost or stolen. Unfortunately, hackers can intercept communications between your SIM card and mobile provider to access your location information.
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Does removing SIM card erase data?

Removing the SIM card stops the phone from communicating with the network, but doesn't erase the email and contact lists already on the phone.
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Are texts stored on phone or SIM?

On Android, texts are stored directly to the device that can be backed up to Google Drive or Google Drive Samsung Cloud for a Samsung device. Some phones allow you to save texts to the SIM card memory at least temporarily for the purpose of transferring cards between phones.
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Will putting my SIM card in another phone save my apps?

Transferring the sim card from one phone to another has no effect on your apps data or files. If you are letting Documents store your files in iCloud, then they should come back when you log in to iCloud on the new iPhone.
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Can I buy a used phone and put my SIM card in it?

Setting up an unlocked phone.

If you purchase a replacement phone or upgrade to a new unlocked phone, you can take out the SIM card in your old phone and pop it in the new one. If your old SIM is not compatible (size difference) or you are changing carriers, you will need to purchase a new SIM card.
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How do I transfer everything from my old phone to my new phone?

  1. Turn on your new device.
  2. Tap Start.
  3. When asked, make sure you connect to a Wi-Fi network.
  4. Choose to copy apps and data from your old device. Recommended: If you have a cable to connect your devices, follow the on-screen instructions to copy your data. ...
  5. Check your texts, photos, and videos.
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How do I activate my new SIM card on my phone?

Quick steps: Activating a new SIM
  1. Insert the new SIM into your phone, and have the phone turned on.
  2. Activate your new SIM card by using its accompanying activation key (this will be included in the package). ...
  3. Use this key to activate the SIM card online. ...
  4. Wait some time, and it should be activated shortly.
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Can police track a phone without SIM card?

All phones, whether an iPhone or an android, can be tracked down without a sim card or network. Still, they will need to have a secure Wi-Fi connection to be accurate. Giving more insight into an android phone, let's talk about the popular Samsung devices; Part 1 : Track an Android Phone Using Google Find My Device.
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Can police track a phone that is turned off?

Can a phone be tracked if it's turned off? A phone that is turned off is difficult to track because it stops sending signals to cell towers. However, the service provider or internet provider can show the last location once it's switched back on.
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How do I block my phone from being tracked?

Go to Settings > Location, and toggle the location button to Off. That will turn off all location tracking on an Android. You can manage location tracking permissions for specific apps by tapping Location services in your location settings (see the screenshot above).
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Does a SIM card hold browsing history?

Does my SIM card store my browsing history? know your SIM card does not store any of your browsing history and most SIM cards are locked so that you can't even access the SIM card.
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How do I change my SIM card but keep the same number?

To keep your mobile number and transfer it to another network, you need to request what's called a Porting Authorisation Code (PAC) from your old provider and then give the code to your new provider so they can schedule the switch.
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Does changing SIM card erase text messages?

All modern-day phones store the text messages in their own memories, and removing or changing sim card wouldn't delete the messages from the phone. The messages stored on the SIM will go away with it. They will not be deleted, you will get them back when you put Sim Card in another phone.
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Will I still have my old pictures if I remove my SIM card and put a new SIM card in?

Unlocking your phone allows it to accept any carrier's SIM card, and just like inserting a new SIM card, has no effect on your apps, photos or anything else on the phone.
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What happens when you switch SIM cards?

Part 2: What Happens if You Switch SIM Card

You can start using a new phone number to make calls and send SMS messages. You will be able to use WhatsApp. Changing your SIM card doesn't mean you'll lose your data. Your contacts, app, music, photos, and other data not stored on the SIM card will remain accessible.
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Can I just purchase a SIM card?

You can buy a sim card in the US, simply picking one up from a store when you land in the US.
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