Got yourself an iPhone 4 and iPad and ready for some wondrous Web surfing? You'll need a SIM card -- but hang about; that SIM card slot looks a bit different to anything we've ever seen before...
The new iPhone and iPad require a 3FF subscriber identity module, or micro SIM. A micro SIM is like a standard SIM, only with less plastic around the chip, so turning one into t'other is a simple hack -- literally. Wielding scissors and SIMs, we show you how.
Before we start, we should point out that you trim your SIM at your own risk. We offer no guarantee that your cut-down SIM will work, or that your network will be particularly pleased about it. Right, scissor SIMsters -- enough talking, more hacking.
You will need:
-
1x iPhone 4 (unlocked)
- 1x standard SIM card
- 1x pokey-pokey device
- 1x scissors
Step 1: SIMvestigate your iPhone
To see where the SIM will live, open up the SIM tray located in the middle of the phone with the pokey-pokey device provided by Apple. A paperclip will do the job when you inevitably lose said pokey-pokey device within a week.
The micro SIM fits in the caddy with the gold chip facing downwards. Note the chamfered corner to make sure the card is inserted the right way round.
Step 2: Compare and contrast
On the left is a kosher micro SIM, in this case provided by Vodafone. The card in the middle is our first go at creating a micro SIM. It's a little small, but works fine. The SIM on the right doesn't work at all, because we cut closely around the chip and it's too small.
Remember: don't just cut away all the plastic, as the chips are different sizes and you need some plastic left or the chip will rattle around in the caddy, and won't work.
Step 3: Hack the SIM
SIM cards aren't hard to cut, so you won't need a Stanley knife, scalpel or chainsaw; a simple pair of scissors will do the job. Your micro SIM should measure 15 by 12mm. Don't wade in and hack too much off at first -- you can always trim the card later, but if it's too small you're in trouble.
Step 4: The result
Ta-dah: one micro SIM. As you can see, we went a bit mad with the scissors and trimmed way too much off. But does it work?
Step 5: The moment of truth
It certainly does! Simply pop your sawn-off SIM into your iPhone and check the top left of the screen. It will either show the network name or you'll get an error message reading "No SIM installed". After making such a ham-fisted mess of our SIM, we were surprised and delighted to discover we now held in our hands one pay as you go iPhone 4.
Remember: measure twice, cut once; always hand over scissors handle first; many a mickle makes a muckle; and don't be scared to ask a responsible adult for help if you're not sure. For more iPhone 4 bodgery-pokery, check out our easy-build signal strength booster. If you go in for a bit of SIM DIY, let us know how you get on in the comments.
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Anonymous 20 July, 2010 08:16
Don't need buy extra micro sim card for your iPad or iPhone 4G Don't need pay for double data fees. Use one sim card on all devices. Easy operating.One step is ok.
product:http://www.szfeifan.com/goods.php?id=92
Anonymous 30 July, 2010 23:24
Worked a treat for me. I did a Vodafone PAYG sim. Granted it was fiddly as the Vodafone sim doesn't have much spare plastic so you need to be really careful especially when doing the corner part. But a bit of care and attention and it worked.
Anonymous 31 July, 2010 21:21
You are a star. Worked first time on 3!
Anonymous 2 August, 2010 21:24
HI
Look online for this but no breakthrough.
I have 02 data plan. But cutting my sim and using it in iphone 4, will i be able still acess the net ? Its just that no one has a clue.
Anonymous 4 August, 2010 13:23
I had to hack mine as Asda mobile don't do micro sims yet.
Works a treat on my iPhone 4!
Anonymous 9 August, 2010 17:40
THIS WAS GREAT!!! Thank you!!!
www.rogueconcepts.com
xx
Anonymous 14 August, 2010 21:22
Just tried with an Orange SIM and it hasn't worked! I now have a brand new iPhone that I can't use and a standard phone that also doesn't work... whoops!
Anonymous 16 August, 2010 19:49
ive just tried this, it comes up the operator logo but it has no reception and doesnt work, any ideas?
Anonymous 17 August, 2010 22:53
I just tried with virgin sim and iphone and it still says insert a sim card. What am I missing?
Anonymous 27 August, 2010 11:19
Nice explanation bro. It helped me a lot in trimming my sim to suit my Iphone 4
Anonymous 30 August, 2010 12:28
오호 좋ì€ì •ë³´ ê°ì‚¬
Anonymous 7 September, 2010 14:42
This worked a treat, thank you very much for sharing! I got the long edges right first before attempting the short ones and the last cut was the angled corner. Also, I cut it the right width and then pinched a little off every corner to make it fit nice and neat, making sure that the actual chip wasn't cut into. Cheers :-)
Anonymous 20 September, 2010 18:18
I cannot thank you enough, I'm with Orange and they wanted to charge me £10 a month for simply sending me a micro sim!! I was furious with them but with your help I have avoided this needless and cynical extra charge. It works a treat and now my shiny new phone is costing me £30 a month thanks to you!!
I used a Leatherman and the metal file attachment to bring it all down to size, I was really careful and now it works perfectly!!
Awesome.
Anonymous 3 October, 2010 18:55
worked for me if you cut it to swall just stick a small bit of blue tack to hold the sim and it workes fine thats what i done lol
Anonymous 13 October, 2010 15:16
HA HA HA, the best comedy I have read in a long time - rofl at pokey pokey thing. Thanks guys, awesome guide and presented in an entertaining manner.
Anonymous 25 October, 2010 18:06
i did it with two sims, one isn't read at all and i get the 'no sim card' message, the other is read but showing no signal - hmm
Anonymous 3 December, 2010 12:54
That's me stuffed..... you left out the part about taking the PIN lock off the SIM beforehand.....
Anonymous 4 December, 2010 21:18
Thanks, anon of 3 October, for the blu tack tip. I had trimmed my SIM too much and it wasn't recognising it. After reading your comment I added a suitable piece of blu tack along one edge and it worked!! (By the way, I too didn't realise I needed to remove the PIN lock before trimming, but with a good aim you can get your micro-sim to fit back into your old phone long enough to remove the pin lock - I had to hold my phone upside down and look at it from underneath while I did it, so that my cut-down sim didn't move around, but I managed).
Anonymous 15 December, 2010 12:15
im on a contract with orange and they will not transfer my contract over to a mirco sim unless i pay them an extra £10 each month on top of what im paying already,im really angry with them.can anyone who has cut there sim down on an orange contract let me know if it worked for them...........................!
Anonymous 24 December, 2010 21:15
You can still get a free sim or micro SIM with £5 free credit from http:/giffgaff-sims.co.uk/index.html
Powered by the O2 network in the UK with unlimited internet.
Anonymous 28 December, 2010 03:46
carefully measure the socket simply with ruler will resulting the perfect angle and fix in the devices.
I just cut mine and has superb result
Anonymous 8 January, 2011 20:09
Brilliant, what was scary was once it was in it took a while for the phone/itunes to recognise the SIM, the 'no SIM card-insert sim card' notification remaining. I clicked the small 'i' (for information) this then showed the SIM IMEI details etc and then it accepted the SIm at itunes. I guess it takes a while for the info to get to/from itunes.
The real key is to cut a little too big and then file the edges as previous posts have recommended- good tip!
Anonymous 13 January, 2011 15:24
its easy enough to do
just place a micro sim on top or normal sim and use it as a template for cutting out!
it worked for me
Anonymous 14 January, 2011 02:04
Hi guys! I need advice on how to personalize my Iphone 4! I know there is this guys called www. ihandystore .com that sells cool colored iDecal cases for Iphone 4.
The Apple’s Iphone 4 black and silver color is not bad, but I also enjoy more diverse colors.
What do you think, worth to try?
Anonymous 3 February, 2011 14:51
how do i unlock my iphone 4.1 version iy is under at&t :(
Anonymous 22 February, 2011 14:22
Works like a charm :) some careful cutting and adjusting with my dremel made an easy job of this!
Anonymous 3 March, 2011 11:28
I might be sound stupid, but if my handset is on orange, and i trim my orange contract sim to fit, will it still work?
Flora Graham 3 March, 2011 11:34
That's not a stupid question at all. If your iPhone is on Orange, and you trim your Orange contract SIM to fit, it will work. I have done it with a Vodafone iPhone 4.
Anonymous 4 March, 2011 04:16
hi everybody have Q:my iphone 4 has a really big prob the sim that i put in is not active and i don't know how to active it...i cut the sim just like micro sim but my phone dose'n read it at all
Anonymous 5 March, 2011 16:26
5 sim cards latter still no i phone 4 that works
Anonymous 7 May, 2011 12:46
I just cut my Orange sim card, and it works on my iphone fine (i cut it due to the fact they are trying to charge me £10 extra a month ontop of my usual tariff just becuase im using an iphone and need a micro sim - total scam) does anyone know if i will be charged the £10 anyway, or will orange keep on charging me my normal tariff?
Anonymous 7 May, 2011 12:49
For anyone whose hasnt worked and it still reads "no sim inserted" or whatever, please try and connect it to itunes and wait, thats what happened to me, i connected it to itunes and it worked!
Anonymous 12 May, 2011 15:09
Thanks, this worked for me using a voda payg sim on my iPhone 4. I simply drew round the micro sim and cut away - if you are going to use the micro sim as a template ensure it's positioned to expose as much of the chip part as you need, you should not cut any of the chip and position it as central as possible. Lee
Anonymous 23 May, 2011 19:52
i am on orange network, do i need to unlock the iphone 4 to cut the existing SIm to be used in iphone 4 as micro sim? Thiru
Anonymous 21 June, 2011 23:39
Thanks!! The middle picture of Step 2 is what I needed. I got a "No SIM card installed" first, but then I found this page and I could see that a small part of the round chip can be cut off at one side allowing for the other side to get in contact and since then the SIM card is recognized. Pascal
Anonymous 12 July, 2011 01:19
what is a PIN lock previous comment say about removing a pin lock what is this pin lock ?
Anonymous 2 August, 2011 17:27
hey im with orange as well and its ridiculous - they were chargine me an extra £10 a month ON TOP of my curernt bill with them JUST for the mini sim - its just bloody ridiculous noway can i afford that. Was so PISSED off with them - had my iphone 4 for over a week and havent been able to use it fully :( I think im going to try cutting only I dont trust MY SELF - isnt there a place like a dodgy mobile shop i could go to to cut the sim id rather someone else did it.
anonymous 25 August, 2011 20:07
you can get micro sim cutters on e bay not tryed so on your own head
anonymous 26 August, 2011 12:30
I had the 'Insert valid SIM with no PIN lock to actiivate iPhone' message after inserting the sim. It turned out to be that the sim was sitting slightly to one side, so I filed a little bit more off and it worked.
anonymous 31 August, 2011 00:54
i have a blackberry on orange with a contract. can i put the sim from the blackberry into the iphone 4 after trimming and still have the unlimited internet, email and txts? i really want to know because i am sick of the blacckberry and really love iphones
anonymous 25 October, 2011 19:36
Didn't work now I'm ***
anonymous 30 October, 2011 09:19
To those being told your network wants an extra £10 per month for micro sim, are you sure its not just a one off cost to exchange. Contacted mine & told it would be a one off cost for a micro sim. The contract stays as it is.
I will try cutting & if it doesn't work will pay for replacement micro sim. At least the worry of getting it wrong is not too bad.
Alexander Michael Smoljanovi? 1 November, 2011 07:42
Although my Bell and Fido sims work as expected, I just trimmed my Mobilicity sim here in Vancouver Canada and inserted into my unlocked iPhone 4S. Did test call to confirm it works. Data also works but believe I am on Mobilicity's Edge network as I see a small 'E' at the top. Only concern is that it displays Canadian Roaming in place of Carrier logo. Any help would be appreciated Thanks
anonymous 28 November, 2011 19:00
I cut the card perfectly and still the sim won't work.... am fuming! If your wondering about doing this yourself do yourself a favour and dont!!!
anonymous 13 December, 2011 21:15
Tried it with a Virgin SIM; doesn't work. SIM cut immaculately, NO SIM lock, iPhone 4S says 'No sim'. Why?
anonymous 10 January, 2012 22:31
I found that when I first cut the sim keeping all the contacts untouched it did not see the sim However by searching the web I realised that I need to leave more plastic on the side with the bevel edge. having cut away some of the contacts on the other side the sim was smaller than the holder but it now worked.
anonymous 25 January, 2012 21:35
This worked perfectly, I've now got a pay as you go microsim to use when I'm abroad, so I don't come home to huge bills. Three Mobile don't do PAYG microsims at all, so I've ordered a free normal sim, cut it to size, and it's all good. Dead easy, I'm pleased!
anonymous 31 January, 2012 16:16
I just bought a Sims2Go SIM not realising the Iphone required a micro SIM. Because I am on a yacht in the middle of the Caribbean I had no choice but to trim it down. I used a Leatherman to cut the SIM as shown above. I was careful to cut it a little oversize first then file it so it is a tight fit and it works perfectly. Thanks CRave. I looked at the pins on another phone to see how they are aligned and saw there are only 6 contacts despite the fancy layout on the SIM and that they are equally spaced laterally so I left an equal amount of plastic on both ends of the trimmed SIM. I also followed the note above that said to leave only minimal plastic on the bottom. (Note that Sims2Go make a micro SIM - I just didn't know I needed one)
anonymous 2 February, 2012 11:53
Bought a micro sim cutter from the bay for £3 and it worked a treat on giffgaff/02 but didn't work on my Orange contract sim - iPhone 4S is factory unlocked - any ideas?
anonymous 7 February, 2012 22:24
EXCELLENCT THIS WORKS PERFECT,VODAPHONE WOULDN'T UPGRADE MY CONTRACT SIM TO MICRO SIM WITH OUT A NEW £12 PER MOUNTH CHARGE,SO FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS ABOVE AND HAY PRESTO MY IPHONE4 iIS NOW RUNNING ON MY (altered)CONTRACT SIM,AND I MEAN EVERTHING IS RUNNING PERFECT MANY THANKS FOR THIS CHEERS MARCO
anonymous 19 February, 2012 19:29
well i did what you said about the diy sim didnt work first time did it again worked perfectly thanks for that
anonymous 22 February, 2012 18:25
I have just bought my new iphone 4S directly from Apple. Tried cutting three different sims, Virgin, Orange & 3, but still says 'No Sim'. The 3 sim has been working for a year in my iPad, so any ideas why it won't work in a factory unlocked phone? I've tried all the trimming etc as recommeded on this site, but no luck with any of the sims working in the phone.
anonymous 12 March, 2012 18:59
Worked like a dream THANKS!!!, needed to stick my cutdown SIM onto a bit of "normal sized SIM" card though to put back in my old phone to turn off the passcode lock.
Graham_s 11 April, 2012 18:00
You can get SIM card cutters of eBay that punch it out, I borrowed one from a mate, perfect fit for my new 4S, plus it leaves the trimmed off material intact so I can still use my SIM in a phone that needs full sized SIM cards.
anonymous 13 April, 2012 05:15
How do I find out if I have a PIN lock on my sim? I guess my other problem is reading about those guys who tried cutting and failed!?
anonymous 13 May, 2012 06:34
work just fine with my 4s
anonymous 11 September, 2012 07:55
u broke my phone Im so angry bird right now
anonymous 28 September, 2012 13:58
Worked Great thanks, used on a virgin mobile sim, just dont cut any of the gold area. After cutting a little larger than needed i trimed with a cardboard nail file. Mine was a prepaid phone & i didnt need the PIN lock.
anonymous 3 November, 2012 19:07
Worked with a vodafone sim thanks for the info. Had to cut right to the edge of chip lengthways, so bit tricky no plastic left either side at all. Cut the corner bit last. Used a spare giffgaff paygo micro sim as a template which helped and also the bit that pops out I use to put the new cut out bit back in to use in other phones. Brilliant, thank you.
anonymous 11 November, 2012 18:36
f@~kin crap!!!! doesnt work at all
anonymous 8 December, 2012 03:37
Worked a treat thanks heaps!!
anonymous 23 December, 2012 16:44
if i have an iphone 4 on a 3 contract, and then i get an upgrade when the contract runs out, can i use and cut down my £13 a month 3 sim and use it in the iphone, still only paying £13 a month woth the same contract deal as before?
anonymous 5 January, 2013 13:20
orange 3g fat sim to mini sim in 2 minutes......thanks saved me £10 + the travelling!
Brill!
anonymous 11 January, 2013 17:19
its work tank you .....
anonymous 11 February, 2013 18:42
My card is a special, bought many years ago. A one off payment and free calls (up to a limit) for life. I really don't want to lose this. I hope it still works when I get my new iPhone. Thanks for the info.
anonymous 26 February, 2013 13:27
The method for unlocking an iPhone is another reason to hate Apple. There's no doubt they do great products, but their attitude to their customers stinks like a tramp's sock. For those wondering what they need to do, here's how it works.
To unlock an iPhone, a request has to be made to Apple by either your current carrier or a 3rd party. It isn't free but, by the way, your current carrier is probably cheaper than anybody you'll find online and they will likely guarantee it will work. Apple will then decide (I know!) whether your phone can be unlocked or not.
Assuming they agree, they will (eventually) notify your carrier or the third party acting on your behalf. At this point, you need to insert a micro sim from any carrier apart from the one it was locked with, and turned the device on. The device will show no network service available but, after a couple of minutes, will show that the device needs activating. Click the on screen message and a few seconds later, you will see the service of the carrier whose sim you inserted.
If you put the sim in and nothing happens, you may need to connect the device to iTunes to kick the process into life. For those of us who don't use - and never have used - iTunes, this is a massive ballache.
It seems that Apple intended the process to be as painful as possible, as they do with almost everything.
I wanted mine unlocking so I could buy a sim card abroad, and first had to buy one of the 99p sims from Tesco and cut it to size. Without that 3rd party sim, the unlocking just won't work.
anonymous 22 March, 2013 21:43
If you prefer to have this done for you, try www.cutmysim.net or www.resizemysim.com for a cheap but professional job
anonymous 9 April, 2013 20:19
It worked a treat on my google nexus 4. You guys are absolute fab
anonymous 22 April, 2013 18:22
Worked with an old Orange SIM but had to be very careful and used a file to do the final shaping.
Cade56 4 June, 2013 03:52
Does the SIM card work in the iphone 4