There are countless videos and blog posts telling you how you can take your full size SIM card and cut it down to fit in your iPad, but frankly, that’s idiotic. I mean really, who’s going to cut up the SIM card they’re using in their $85+ a month iPhone to put in their iPad when they could just pay $30 a month for unlimited date on the iPad. Yes, you might be cutting up a T-Mobile SIM, but let’s face it… Do you really want to be using EDGE on an iPad?
Anyhow, that’s not what this post is about. I’m going to show you how to do the exact opposite of that, how to take your Micro SIM and use it in your iPhone for cheap data only service. It’s easier than you might think.
Update: Some sites are incorrectly reporting that you need a jailbroken iPhone for this to work, you do not.
Update 2: You also watch this quick video walkthrough.
Step 1: Remove both your iPad’s Micro SIM card and your iPhone’s regular sized SIM card.
Step 2: Find an expired debit card, gift card, or a calling card that you don’t need anymore and place your iPhone’s SIM card flush with the top edge and trace an outline of it. Or if you have a spare SIM card you can just skip to Step 4.
Step 3: Take a pair of scissors and cut out your SIM template. It should look something like this when you’re done:
Step 4: Place your Micro SIM card on top of your template and line up the contact points with your iPhone’s SIM. Then trace around it.
Step 5: Using an razor blade, cut out the middle of your template to make room for the Micro SIM.
Step 6: Next place a small piece of scotch tape on the backside of the template to keep the Micro SIM from failing out.
Step 7: Place the Micro SIM into your shiny new adapter and then place it into the iPhone’s SIM tray and insert it into the iPhone.
You might think this is where you get to enjoy your sweet 3G for $29.99 a month, but sadly there are a few extra steps needed on the software side of things. If you pull up Safari you’ll get the error message “Could not activate cellular data network”. But we can fix that!
Step 8: Make sure your iPhone is connected to a WiFi network, then visit http://unlockit.co.nz and tap Continue.
Step 9: Tap Custom APN, then enter Broadband in the APN field.
Step 10: Leaving the remaining fields blank, tap Create Profile, then tap Install, followed by Install Now on the popup.
Step 11: Tap Done, disable your WiFi and bask in the glory of $30 a month unlimited 3G.
Step 12 (optional): Call up AT&T and cancel your iPhone plan!! I’m actually thinking about canceling my crappy AT&T service, since I use it mostly for data anyway and also have a Verizon phone I carry with me for making actual phone calls.
Note: If you decide to stick with your AT&T calling plan for your iPhone and were just trying this project because you’re a nerd, just remember that in order to go back to using your iPhone’s SIM you will need to go to Settings -> General, scroll down and tap Profile: APN Carrier Settings, then tap the red Remove button.
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This’s exactly what I’m looking for~! Thank you so much!
I have some question here:
1. Do you have to unlock your iphone first? I have an iphone 3GS jailbroken but not unlocked.
2. One needs an activated micro sim card right? That is to say, an ipad 3g is needed?
Thanks again~!
No, the phone does not need to be unlocked.
This was tested on a jail broken iPhone running 3.1.3 and a phone running iPhone OS 4.0 beta 3.
You do need an activated Micro SIM from AT&T, so yes, an iPad 3G is required.
Here’s an idea. make calls using VOIP! Skype or whatever your flavor. You will have to be jailbroken to do this however. but problem solved. VOIP over 3G is very possible i have done it many times in the past.
Best of both worlds Voice and data unlimited for $40 a month! what a deal!
What do you do with the left over iPad?? Is it still usable and can you sell it to someone without the sim card?
AND BTW, i’m very tempted to do this, but I am very scared about bricking an iphone and an ipad. It’s very dangerous and could potentially cost tons of money for me.
Also, i’m wondering how do you refill up more internet after 30 days?? And what if AT&T finds out and just stops letting you do this?
Can AT&T put a stop to letting you use the 30/month plan?
In theory, they probably have every right too. Not sure they can really prove that their service is being misused though.
Actually, prior to activating my iPad 3G’s data plan I called up AT&T and told them I lost my Micro SIM, got a second one and now I can either activate that one as well for data on both devices or resell the iPad 3G.
There’s no real risk to the iPad, and the biggest risk to your iPhone is that the Micro SIM gets stuck in there (at which point you could still take the phone apart to fix it).
AT&T auto-renews your iPad contract every month, so canceling would be more of a concern, but that can be done over the phone.
Hey, this is great! I’m thinking about trying it out. So just to be clear though, you can’t have both devices running 3G (at the same time) for $30 total? It would be $30 for each, separate accounts with separate sims right? But you could switch back and forth with the one sim if you wanted?
Doesn’t AT&T somehow recognize the iPad when you try to create a 2nd account from the device? Not that I’d do that since I’d use the iPad as wifi only and the iPhone as the 3G device, but it’s good to know all the options.
Also wondering if the iPad will work without a sim card in it at all – as a wifi only device? Or will I need it for some other data?
It looks like the “replacement” sim is available for $15 here:
http://www.wireless.att.com/cell-phone-service/accessory-details/?q_sku=sku4530230
Thanks Aaron! Let me know your thoughts when you get a chance.
Correct. You either need to be paying $60 a month for two iPad data plans, or $30 and switch the SIM back and forth.
In theory it shouldn’t be hard for them to tell you’re using the same iPad for two accounts, but I didn’t have any problems trying to register for a second account (though I didn’t complete the registration).
The iPad works fine with no SIM installed, easily functions as a Wifi only device.
Nice find! Didn’t know you could order replacement Micro SIMs online. When I talked to an AT&T rep directly they did not charge me for my replacement SIM, mileage on that may vary.
Thanks for the quick reply and good info.
So the sim is only in the iPad for 3G capability? Does that mean a wifi only iPad doesn’t have a sim? I just want to make sure I don’t need it for some other function.
Maybe AT&T started charging for replacement sims after so many people started “losing” theirs…oh about the time this post went up. LOL
Basically. The difference between the iPad Wifi only model and the iPad 3G is that the 3G also has a 3G radio/antenna installed, the SIM is just required to connect the iPad 3G to the GSM network. The wifi only model doesn’t use a cellular connection for network access, so no SIM is needed.
Will the iPad’s 3G MicroSim card work in a 2G iPhone, thereby providing EDGE coverage? I realize you wouldn’t get 3G speeds on a 2G iPhone, but does that mean that you wouldn’t get any signal at all?
Does this work with iOS 4?
Yes!
Sorry, replied to wrong thread.
Has anyone tested using an ipad sim in an iphone 4? Canada will have unlocked iphone 4’s…will it make changing the APN number any easier?
Thanks Aaron Nelson for your hard work.
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does the micro sim card have to be activated through the ipad? i wanna do this but i dont have an ipad.
get back to me asap.
Yes, it does need to be activated through an iPad.
Do i have to own an ipad to activate it, or can i just purchase a micro-sim card from ebay or somewhere cheap, and activate it on a friends ipad, then use it on my iphone? Or better yet can i just activate it with phone support?
And oh yea one more thing, will monthly payment only be available through ipads paying method? ex: Settings>cellular data>Login> payment plan.
or can i pay online via computer.
If I buy a micro-sim, plug it into my brother’s 3G iPad, create an account, activate the sim, all that stuff. When he goes to put his micro sim back into his iPad is it going to effect anything? Or is it just going to be working as it did before I messed with it? I talked to him about it, he was like “as long as it doesn’t mess with any of my settings, then go for it…” So I just wanted to confirm that beforehand.
I’m also completely ready to cancel my phone plan and just stick with the iPad data plan. Obviously going to make sure this works first.. Just got the phone all set up (with the help of your other post), got Skype if I need it.
Also, I assume this would work on the 3GS?
Thanks!
Basically the worst thing that can happen is AT&T can decline to activate the second SIM, but even if they do that shouldn’t interfere with your brothers data plan when he puts his SIM back in the iPad.
Yes. Works on the 3GS just fine.
Thanks for the quick reply!
Yeah, I’m definitely trying this when my sim card comes in then.
@volerikan
Did it work for you? I want to do the same thing using my buddies iPad.
I registered with WordPress just so I could login and Thank you for this hack! This is fucking awesome! (But also: Can you use a sim adaptor instead of a cut up credit card?) We are now one step closer to the holy grail: $30/month non-contracted unlimited everything. Also, can I call ATT and say I lost my ipad sim, if I dont own and ipad 3g? What info do I need to have to get one?
I just called ATT and discovered that they will not allow two sims to be activated on the same imei number. They will deactivate which ever one the owner of the ipad says to. Oh well, maybe I will consider this again when the price of the ipads drops.
I have bought the ipad replacement sim card and i understand how to do it but How do i get the at&t plan on my sim card using my iphone to sign up?
The SIM has to be activated with an iPad, there’s currently no way to register from your iPhone.
I’m in canada I bought a Bell Ipad microsim card to put in my iphone. I activated it but i dont know what to put in the APN settings. Tried Broadband, pda2.bell.ca, etc… and I cant get to the network. Does anybody know what are the good settings for Bell ?
Thank you
On your iPad go to Setting, then Cellular Data, tap APN settings and try using what’s listed under the APN field there.
@derfing
I bought an ipad and activated the bell plan. pda2.bell.ca is correct.
Did you get it to work yet? Did you try to shut down your iphone & restart? I had to even do that with the ipad before the data started to work. I’m waiting till iphone 4 comes to Canada before I can test.
PLease let me know if you had success and what you did.
Thanks
Hi did one of you got it to work with a bell micro sim? i’m still trying 🙁
thanks
Hi Aaron,
I have some more questions about this concept:
1. Now that we know the new iPhone 4 also has a micro SIM will the compatibility be even easier? Any confirmation that they’re using the exact same SIM?
2. Any other issues involved if this is tried on an iPhone 4 instead of the current line of iPhones?
3. Will this all work on a new iPhone, out of the box, but not activated? My goal (although probably an expensive one) is to get a brand new non-contract iPhone 4 to move my unlimited data plan iPad SIM into. But without some pre-activation will it just be a dead device with a foreign SIM card inserted into it?
Thanks again for more info if you have it.
Hi Aaron, I wanted to know if there was any way I can configure my google voice or something to use my existing phone number for incoming calls/texts and outgoing calls/texts. basically, i want to know if there is a way to use the ipad 3g sim, cancel my plan, and then use VOIP while not having to change my number because of call forwarding.
Thanks for this great tutorial
Well I can answer this, YES, YEs, YES!!! But there is a catch.. sort of
I use Skype to receive and make calls, but I also signed up to google voice!
I used google voice as my primary phone number.. Anyone who call my google voice will be forward to my Skype and I pick up my phone to answer..
If I need to make a call I just need to make a call though Skype.. Skype allow me to show my google number to anyone I call so I don’t have to mess around with google and skype numbers.
In order to receive any instant call I have to put Skype in the background by downloading “backgrounder” via Cydia.. As far as SMS… Skype will charge me per SMS use, but since google voice give free SMS and is my primary phone number.. I do everything via google voice free. Ohh.. and to receive push when get a miss call or a text.. I download “boxcar” via appstore. It will give you a push whenever you receive anything in the mail you have to set it though.
Everything works perfectly with my iPad data plan on my iPhone 3GS except for that the 3G here in Louisiana is pretty bad… I have good 3G Skype calls on good days and horrible on most days… Skype is not the problem, seem more like the 3G…sigh…
Another question: Could this conceivably work on an AT&T subsidized iPhone 4? What if I had one delivered to my house on release day?
Thanks
I just received in iPhone 4… which isn’t yet jailbreakable. I want to be able to use my new micro sim in my old 3Gs occasionally because I can tether with the 3Gs.
Has anybody tried swapping SIMs yet between iPhone 4 and 3Gs?
Can you make calls on both?
Update: Swapping sims between iPhone4 and iPhone 3Gs completely works…probably not useful to most but if you need to tether using your old phone, you can just swap out sims.
Will this work from Australia?
Awesome, it worked perfect without even jailbreaking! Only change I had to do was use IMEI 0 instead of actual IMEI.
Just did this on my iPhone 3GS and indeed it works. Cheers.