How to take out your sim card iphone 11

Swap the SIM card in your iPhone or iPad when changing carriers using this handy guide.

On your iPhone or iPad, it’s the SIM Card that does the job of providing cellular network services on the go. The SIM — or Subscriber Identity Module — is a tiny physical card that goes into your device and tells it to connect to a particular network that it is configured for. At times, you may need to remove the SIM card from your iPhone or iPad. You may be traveling internationally and may want to switch to a local SIM card in your iPhone, or you may want to temporarily switch to a different carrier network for some time. By following this detailed guide to removing the SIM card from an iPhone or iPad, you’ll be able to swap the SIM in the iOS device in just a few simple steps.

To know how to take out the SIM card from an iPhone or iPad, you have to first understand what tools do you need to remove the SIM card from an iPhone or iPad. Well, saying “tools” here is kind of a misnomer, as what you only need is a SIM ejector tool. Now, all iPhones and iPads come with an Apple SIM ejector tool, but just in case you don’t have access to one, any metal paper clip will do. Just make sure that you straighten up one of the ends.

Now that we have the necessary tools to eject the SIM Card from iPhone or iPad, let’s go ahead and locate the SIM tray. Depending on which generation or model of iPhone or iPad you have, the location of the SIM card tray on your iOS device will vary. But it’s fairly easy to find the location of SIM tray — you just have to look at the sides of your iPhone or iPad and locate a slim cutout with a single pin hole. This hole is where you insert the SIM ejector tool or metal paperclip as explained above.

On all iPhones sold by Apple in recent years, the SIM Card is located on the right side of the iPhone. When holding your iPhone with the screen facing you, the SIM card tray will be located on the right hand side, right next to the Sleep/Wake button. Locating the SIM card tray on an iPad is a little trickier compared to the iPhone, as Apple has changed the location of the SIM Tray on iPad depending on the model and the space available inside. On most modern iPads, the SIM slot will be on the same side that has the volume buttons.

How to Remove the SIM Card in iPhone or iPad

Now that we have the tools required to eject the SIM card from iPhone or iPad and now that we know where the SIM tray is located on the iOS device, let’s look at how to actually remove the SIM Card from an iPhone or iPad.

1. Hold the Apple SIM ejector tool or the metal paperclip in one hand.
2. Carefully and slowly insert the tool into the hole of the SIM card slot without applying any pressure.
3. Gently apply pressure on the pin, making sure that the PIN is being pushed straight inside and not at an angle.
4. With a little pressure applied, the SIM card tray pops out of the slot.
5. Carefully pull out the SIM card tray out of the slot with your fingers.
6. Proceed to Add, Remove or Swap out the SIM card in the SIM card tray.

To insert the SIM card tray back into the iPhone or iPad, you don’t need the SIM ejector tool. Simply place the SIM card onto the SIM tray in the correct orientation, then insert the tray back into the SIM slot and gently push it back into the slot.

Be careful never to apply a lot of force or pressure. You’ll always need to apply gentle pressure, both while removing the SIM card from the iPhone or iPad and also while inserting a SIM card into the SIM slot of your iOS device.

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This wikiHow teaches you how to properly remove a SIM card from any model of iPhone. The SIM card is located inside of a special tray that can be pulled free from your iPhone using a special SIM eject tool or the pointed end of a paperclip. Once the tray is removed, you can easily pop the SIM card free from its seat and insert a new one.

Things You Should Know

• Insert a paperclip into the hole on the side of your phone or the top of it to slide the SIM card tray out.
• With the tray ejected, remove your SIM card.
• Some iPhones may have 2 SIM cards instead of one.

1. 1

   Hold your iPhone upright with the screen facing you.

   • Use this method to remove the SIM card from the iPhone XS Max, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone XR, iPhone 8 (all models), iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone SE, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c and 5s, iPhone 4s, and iPhone 4.
   • This method will also work for all iPad models, except if you have the 4th generation, 3rd generation, and iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G, the SIM tray will be on the left side instead of the right.

2. 2

   Locate the SIM tray on the right edge of the iPhone. It's near the center of the right edge on the iPhone 8 and earlier, as well as the iPhone XS Max, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max. If you have an iPhone XR or iPhone 11, it'll be closer to the bottom-right edge.[1]

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3. 3

   Insert a straightened paperclip or SIM eject tool into the hole on the tray. The hole should be pretty easy to spot on the bottom of the SIM tray. Push the tool in gently to eject the tray.

4. 4

   Pull the tray outward and remove the SIM card. You should be able to easily lift the card free from the tray. If you plan to insert a new SIM card, pay attention to the orientation of the current card before removing it. This will make it easy to figure out how to insert the new card correctly.

   • Some X and 11 models have room for two NANO SIM cards instead of just one. If you have dual SIM cards in your tray, make sure you're removing the one you don't need. You'll usually see the carrier's name on the card.

5. 5

   Insert the new SIM card (optional) and reinsert the tray. The SIM card will only fit into the tray in one direction/orientation due to the notch—if you feel that you have to force the card in, it's likely upside-down or backwards. The tray itself should also be easy to press gently back into place.

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1. 1

   Hold your iPhone upright with the screen facing you.

   • Use this method to remove the SIM card from an iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G, and the original iPhone.

2. 2

   Locate the SIM tray on the top edge of the iPhone. The SIM tray is at the phone's topmost edge at the center, right next to the Power button.

3. 3

   Insert a straightened paperclip or SIM eject tool into the hole on the tray. The hole is on the left side of the tray. Press the tool in gently to eject the tray from the phone.

4. 4

   Pull the tray outward and remove the SIM card. You should be able to easily lift the card free from the tray. If you plan to insert a new SIM card, pay attention to the orientation of the current card before removing it. This will make it easy to properly place the new card.

5. 5

   Insert the new SIM card (optional) and reinsert the tray. The SIM card will only fit into the tray in one direction/orientation due to the notch—if you feel that you have to force the card in, it's likely upside-down or backwards. The tray itself should also be easy to press gently back into place.

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Add New Question

• Question

  How do I get the IMEI number of my iPhone?

  You can dial *#06# or go to Settings > About > General and scroll until you find the IMEI.

• Question

  How do I save my contacts to my SIM card?

  You don't, but you can save your contacts using iCloud. Go to Settings, then iCloud and turn on 'save contacts'.

• Question

  Do permanently deleted photos get saved to the SIM card on my iPhone?

  No, a SIM card is only for storing information about your phone number and cellular service. You might be confusing the SIM card with an SD card. Also, permanently deleted photos are by definition gone forever.

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About This Article

Article SummaryX

1. Hold the iPhone upright with the screen facing you.
2. Locate the SIM tray on the right edge.
3. Insert a SIM eject tool or paperclip into the hole on the tray.
4. Remove the SIM card from the tray.
5. Slide the tray back in.

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