There are a lot of reasons why users would want to transfer contacts from their phone to a sim card. For example, you may have bought a new iPhone or want to transfer contacts from a work phone to a private phone. Your iPhone may be broken (check out our replacement iPhone parts) or you may have upgraded. Unfortunately, modern iPhones do not allow the storage of data in external media. This includes SIM cards because such action does not fit Apple’s philosophy about how users should interact with their data. This, however, does not mean that you are completely locked from backing up your data as there are some different ways to go about it. Below are some of the tested ways of saving contacts to a SIM card on an iPhone that are popular with users.
Method 1: How to save contacts to a SIM card on iPhone via email
Latest iPhone models such as the iPhone X, iPhone 11 and the iPhone 8 do not allow the transfer of contacts from the phone to SIM card. If you have a few contacts in your iPhone’s contact list, you can transfer them using your email. This method requires an Android device. Follow the steps below;
- Open the Contacts app on your iPhone and find the contacts you want to save in your SIM card.
- Select a contact, then tap the “Share Contact” option and choose the “Mail “icon (Add your email address if it does not appear ).
- Use a computer to download the vCards you shared via email.
- Connect the computer to an Android phone using a USB cable.
- Go to the Contacts App on your android phone and click on “Import from USB Storage”.
- Confirm whether the contacts have been imported to the Android OS phone.
- Go to Import/Export contacts and select the “Export to Sim card” option.
You can also download the vCard into your android phone storage and use the same “Import from USB storage” option to import them to the phone’s contacts app.
Method 2: How to save contacts to SIM on iPhone with iCloud
Transferring contacts using iCloud is a good alternative to the email method if you have a large number of contacts to save. This method requires you to sync all your saved phone numbers with iCloud and then transfer them to your PC. You can use a USB cable connection to copy them into another phone’s storage (preferably Android). You can then transfer them to the SIM. The following steps explain this transfer process;
- Go to Settings on your iPhone and select the “iCloud” icon.
- Toggle the “Contacts” ON to sync your contacts to iCloud via WiFi automatically.
- Use your computer to log in to your iCloud account with your ID and Passcode.
- Click on “Contacts” and hold the CTRL key to select the ones you want to transfer. Click on the Settings option on the left bottom corner of the screen and select “Export vCard”. All the contacts that you selected will download to your computer.
- Connect the Android phone to the PC using a USB cable and click “Import from USB storage” in the phone’s Contacts App.
- Go to ‘Contacts’ to check if the contacts are available in the phone’s contact list. Finally, transfer the contacts to the SIM through the “Export to SIM card” option.
Method 3: How to backup IPhone contacts using third party data transfer tools
Third-party apps are also a convenient way of transferring saved phone numbers from an iPhone’s internal storage to a SIM. These tools help users to transfer their data from their phones to their computers more easily. You can share all types of data, including contacts, photos, messages, documents and many more.
iPhone users must first search for then download and install the application to their phone to use this service. Most of these applications will automatically detect the connected computer. They will then enable the backup. You still need to connect an Android phone and a computer to transfer the contacts and save them into the SIM card.
The benefits of using a third party data transfer app is that they are less complicated. They also allow other transfers like iPhone to iPhone and iPhone to Android. These apps also offer an online storage point where you can get back your data in case your iPhone breaks down. We don’t recommend any specific app but a search online will throw up some suitable candidates.
Method 4: How to save contacts to a SIM card by jailbreaking
Jailbreaking is the only way you can move saved phone numbers from your iPhone to a SIM card without using external devices. Jailbreaking an iPhone makes it less restrictive, meaning you can install apps that could you could not install into the phone before. You can download and install the SIManager app from Cydia and use them to copy contacts from the iPhone’s internal storage to your SIM card.
You should be aware that jailbreaking an iPhone also has its disadvantages. Firstly, your phone will be out of guarantee if it is still new. The other disadvantage is that jailbreaking will tamper with some of the phone’s security features and allow the installation of unverified apps. Using this method, therefore, depends on how much you value the apple data security philosophy and how important backing up your contacts into the SIM card is to you. Use this method with caution and seek advice if unsure.
Method 5: Saving Data to a SIM card in the older iPhone models
If you are still using the older iPhone models without a Nano-SIM, you can still save contacts into your SIM card without using a computer or third party data transfer apps. The process is as follows;
- Open the settings menu on the iPhone.
- Scroll down and click on the “Contacts “ option.
- Select “Import SIM contacts” and choose “SIM”.
You can then follow the same process and upload your address book if you buy a new device in the future.
Our Final Thoughts
The data transfer restrictions in the latest iPhone models can sometimes limit users from some of the things they are used to. For example, copying saved phone numbers from their iPhones to their SIM cards. Luckily, the above methods can help you bypass these restrictions and keep a backup of your in your SIM card. You can choose your favourite method, depending on your situation and preferences. Please note that the Jailbreaking approach above is NOT recommended by us in any form but is a recognised route for users who know what they are doing.
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