Despite the advent of cloud services, many people continue to use the SIM card to back up the contents of their mobile address book. Except that as you already know, the iPhone does not offer any function for transferring contacts to a SIM card. This questionable choice can sometimes pose some problems, especially when changing a mobile phone. Fortunately, there is a trick to get around this limitation..
Import contacts from iPhone to SIM card
The flagship products of the apple brand operate in a closed ecosystem. The American brand has always refused any interoperability with the terminals of these competitors or open services. It prefers to keep control over the hardware, the software but also over some of the content that passes through its terminals (Apple Music, iTunes, iBooks, AppStore etc.)
You will therefore not be surprised to learn that the iPhone does not offer any tool for backing up contacts on a SIM card (when the reverse is possible). It is not in the philosophy of the brand. Apple prefers that its customers save their phone book on iTunes via its backup system or in the cloud (preferably iCloud).
However, this choice is problematic especially when a user decides to migrate to an Android mobile. Obviously, many smartphone manufacturers like Samsung offer software to facilitate the transfer of data from iOS to Android. But this does not apply to all Android devices..
The jailbreak
For those who would like to get out of the way marked by Apple and save their address book on a SIM card, the only solution is called Jailbreak. Unlocking Apple's mobile operating system will allow you to have full access to all the features of your iPhone, including transferring contacts to a SIM .
Please note, jailbreaking your iPhone is a delicate operation requiring solid technical skills. Even if there are many tools on the net capable of jailbreaking your mobile, this technique remains perilous. You can seriously damage your phone. Also, don't forget that handling will void the iPhone warranty..
Transfer contacts from iPhone to Android
If you just need to copy a few contacts to a SIM and you have an Android mobile, here is a fairly quick procedure that will allow you to get around the restrictions put in place by Apple. Before getting to the heart of the matter, know that you will need to remove the SIM card from your iPhone to slide it into an Android mobile.
Please note that not all phones use the same SIM card size (standard SIM, Nano Sim or Micro SIM). Start by checking if the one you use fits your different mobile devices.
- Open the Contact app on your iPhone
- Select the party you want to transfer to a SIM card
- Click on the Share contacts button and then on share contacts by e-mail
- Turn off your iPhone and remove the SIM card
- Take your Android smartphone
- Open the drawer and swipe inside the smart card (SIM)
- Turn on the mobile
- Open your mail application
- Save the vCard files received by email in the internal memory of your smartphone
- Open the Contacts app
- Press the application menu button
- Click on Import Export option
- Then check the Phone box
- Select the SIM card to which you want to copy your contacts
Now you just have to choose the contacts to import to your SIM by checking the box to the left of your correspondent's name. Once the selection is complete, click on the ok button to start the data transfer. The contacts you have selected will be copied to your SIM card. A notification will inform you of the good progress of the procedure.
Do not forget to put the SIM card back into your iPhone. Without this, you will not be able to receive your messages, nor call or surf the internet.