Things You Should Know About Switching SIM Card from Android to iPhone
Last Updated on November 3, 2023 by Ian McEwanIf you have decided to ditch Android phone for iPhone, you may be grappling with the problem of how you will transfer your contacts or other data to your new device. Android phones run on a different operating system to that of iPhone and thus certain aspects may be incompatible between the two devices.
Regardless, one thing that works is switching SIM card from Android to iPhone to transfer contacts. Find more about it below.
Part 1: Can an Android SIM Card Work in an iPhone
If the size of the Android SIM Card fit the iPhone SIM card slot, then the answer is yes. That means your Android SIM card should be the size of the target iPhone's SIM card tray. For a better perspective, here is the list of iPhone and iPad with the size of SIM card it uses.
| Size of SIM Card | iPhone | iPad |
|---|---|---|
| Nano-SIM card |
|
|
| Micro-SIM card |
|
|
| SIM card |
|
Source: Apple Support
SIM Cards are independent of the operating system running on a device. In fact, the SIM card itself has its own microprocessor and a memory (64 kilobytes (KB) of internal memory) to store information such as contacts, text messages, subscriber information and algorithms to encrypt subscriber authentication data when the subscriber tries to make calls.
So you need not worry on compatibility issues of your SIM card. As long as the SIM card has the same size dimensions as the slot provided, then the rest should not be a big issue. The iOS operating system will just detect the SIM card once you switch on the iPhone.
If the Android SIM Card doesn’t fit, you can get one from the carrier or have it physically resized if possible.
Part 2: What to Do before Switching SIM Card from Android to iPhone
Copy SIM Contacts
Before switching SIM card from Android to iPhone, you can copy all the contacts in your Android device to the SIM card. However, you can only have a maximum of 250 contacts stored in your SIM card due to the limited storage. If you have more than 250 contacts, the next best option is to use an Android-to-iPhone transfer program.
If your contacts are stored online, you will need a network connection to successfully copy all these contacts. Another way to do that is use your Google Account to save the contacts and sync the same account to your new iPhone.
Get Your Favorite Apps
You need also not worry about how you will get your favorite apps on the iPhone device. Most of the apps in the Google PlayStore can still be found in Apple’s App Store. You will also get access to free iCloud storage which is similar to the Google Drive storage.
The only drawback is that the iCloud storage provides a storage capacity of only 5GB compared to the Google Drive storage of 15GB. However, you can still benefit from Google Drive storage while still using the Apple devices.
Check Accessories
You should also note that some of the hardware devices which come with Android devices are not compatible with the iPhone. Thus, there are certain accessories which you will not be able to reuse with your iPhone device.
Some of these may include the charger, data cables, OTG cable, earphones, and other accessories. But before ditching some of these hardware accessories, double check their compatibility.
Part 3: What to Do after Switching SIM Card from Android to iPhone
To complete the process of switching SIM card from Android to iPhone, you need to copy the SIM contacts to your iPhone device.
Import SIM Card Contacts to iPhone via iTransGo
First, insert the SIM card to its respective slot in the iPhone and switch the device on. After the normal prompts, go to the Phone app and copy all the SIM contacts to the iPhone storage. You can also go to your iPhone's Settings and tap on the Import SIM Contacts option. You will have successfully transferred your contacts from the Android device to your iPhone device.
Transfer Contacts from Android to iPhone
In case you have more than 250 contacts, and some of them are stored on your Android phone's internal storage, you can't transfer them directly to the iPhone. The good news is there's an Android-to-iPhone transfer tool called iTransGo that can help you. With it, you can directly transfer your Android contacts in bulk, regardless of the how many they are.Yes! Even if you have thousands of contacts, iTransGo can transfer them all in just a few seconds, including the ones saved on the SIM card. So, if you wish to get a new SIM card with a different mobile number or the one used on your Android doesn't fit into your iPhone's SIM slot, iTransGo is definitely the way to go.
This program works by scanning your Android phone for contacts and once it's done, you can transfer all of them in just a single click. You don't have to hire someone to do it for you as it's easy to operate. And if you're worried about compatibility, you'd be delighted to know iTransGo supports Android 13/iOS 17 or lower OS versions. So, no matter how old the phone is, you can still transfer your contacts without issues.
Aside from transferring contacts, iTransGo is a total transfer tool that's perfect for switching from Android to iPhone. Why? Well, it can transfer other essential phone data such as messages, photos, videos, music files, and calendars. It's like you've never switched to a new iPhone at all, making the move seamless and stress-free.
Steps to Transfer Contacts from Android to iPhone with iTransGo
Step 1:
Click on the button below to download the program for free. Then, proceed to your computer and install it like any other program. Once done, launch it and select the Start option on the screen.
Step 2:
You will be forwarded to the next screen. Once you're there, connect your Android and iPhone to the computer using their data cables. Then, read the instuctions on the screen to allow required USB permissions. You need to turn on USB File Transfer for Android, and hit Trust option on your iPhone's screen.
Step 3:
When both phones are finally recognized, tick the Contacts option and hit the Start Scan button. After a few seconds, you will see the total number of contacts and size. If they're right, just click on the Transfer Data button. That's it! All the contacts should be transferred right away.
Transfer Contacts from Android to a New iPhone via Move to iOS
Well, if you're moving to a new iPhone that's still on setup stage, you can use Apple's proprietary app called Move to iOS. It's the official Android-to-iPhone transfer app that allows you to transfer contacts, photos, videos, messages, etc.
While that seems promising, Move to iOS requires that the iPhone be set up from the Welcome page. So, we only recommend this to those who just bought their iPhone out of the box. Otherwise, you may have to factory reset your iPhone, erasing pre-existing data. Not to mention, if you're transferring data other than contacts, the wireless transfer this app offers can be slow
Step 1:
All you need to do is install the app on your Android phone. You can get it on Google Play Store. Then, go to your iPhone's Apps & Data page. It's a few pages from the Welcome/Hello screen. There, hit Move Data from Android, copy the code.
Step 2
Open the Move to iOS app on your Android phone and enter the given code. Select Contacts and Continue. Wait until the transfer is finished. Then, you can tap on Continue Setting Up iPhone to finalize the action.
Conclusion
Switching SIM Card from Android to iPhone is easy, So is Switching from Android to iPhone. iTransGo, which helps you transfer phone to phone without data loss, can save you much time and spare you from the frustrations which come when you try to transfer such data manually.