If you bought a new iPhone, you will undoubtedly want to transfer all contacts from your old phone. We show you how to import iPhone SIM contacts.
The iPhone uses a SIM card to make the phone number, provider and functions of the device available to the user. However, it is not possible to store contacts and phone numbers on the SIM card of an iPhone. You can, however, import SIM contacts to your iPhone. To do this, follow the steps below.
1. Import SIM contacts
You can use the old SIM card with all the contact details to import the data. Check whether it is the same type of SIM card, otherwise it can get stuck in the device. From the iPhone 5, Apple phones work with a nano SIM card. Do you want to know how to insert an iPhone SIM card? Then read our tip that describes how to do this step by step. You can then import SIM contacts with the following steps:
- Remove the SIM card from your iPhone and replace it with your old SIM card;
- You may need to reactivate the phone. If so, connect to iTunes;
- Go to ‘Settings> Contacts> Import SIM contacts’. The contacts are now transferred to the internal memory of the iPhone;
- You can now take the old SIM card out of your iPhone and insert the new one.
2. Transfer contacts by email
If you don’t have a nano SIM card like in the iPhone, you can also import contacts with a detour. You need an e-mail address for this. Perhaps the most useful as an Android user is Gmail, as Google allows you to sync all contacts with your Google account. If that is actually the case, check with Android via ‘Settings> Accounts’, after which you click on the relevant Gmail account. Then you can tick which things (such as your contacts) will be synchronized.
Next, you need to add the account on your iPhone, here’s how:
- Go to ‘Settings> Mail, Contacts, Calendars> New account’;
- Choose your e-mail client from the list that is offered or choose ‘Other’;
- Enter your details and tap ‘Next’;
- After setting it up, go to ‘Settings> Mail, Contacts, Calendars> your email account> Enable Contacts’.
3. Move to iOS
If you are switching from Android to iOS and want to make it easy for yourself, you can also use the Android app Move to iOS. With it, you can easily transfer all your contacts, messages, photos, video and bookmarks from an Android device to an iPhone. The same goes for email accounts, calendars, wallpapers, royalty-free music and books.
Move to iOS cannot transfer Android apps and app data, but it does suggest (paid) apps that you use that are also available in the App Store. If not, good alternatives are provided. However, most apps are available for both Android and iOS, so you can simply download them. Through this link you can download the app for Android 4.0+. There is no app yet that will help you make the opposite way.
→ Also read our guide: switching from Android to iPhone: everything you need to know