How to Use an iPhone without a SIM Card

Hello, Just got an iPhone which I wouldn’t want to use a SIM Card on. However, I’m trying to configure it for usage now, and it’s requesting a SIM Card. How do I bypass this stage, and use my iPhone without a SIM Card? 

If the scenario above sounds familiar, this is the right place to visit. Here, our team of iOS experts have curated a tutorial guide explaining how to use an iPhone without a SIM Card. Read on! 

Will an iPhone Work without a Sim Card?

Yes, you can use an iOS device without inserting a SIM Card. Actually, for most iPhone and Android phone, you don’t need a SIM card and cellular service. However, you need to note that the ease of use depends on the model of iPhone you’ve got at hand. If you own the newer model of iPhone that runs on iOS 11.4 and later, you can configure the device without a SIM Card and it will work perfectly without any challenge. And that’s because of the recent updates on iOS 11.4 and later which lets you set up your iDevice via WiFi connection thereby eradicating the need for a SIM Card. 

7 Ways to Use an iPhone without SIM Card

Bypass the SIM Card activation screen on your iPhone today following any of these 7 techniques down here: 

Method 1: Dismiss “No SIM Card” Pop-up

Generally, when you power up a new iPhone, you automatically come across the pop-up message “No SIM Card” or “SIM Card required” if you haven’t inserted a SIM into the device. You can dismiss this message easily if you own an iDevice with OS 11.4 or above. Here’s a simple guide to do that: 

• Boot your iPhone by pressing the corresponding power buttons. 
• Next, slide right to commence phone configuration. 
• Select your desired Language, Country, and select Set Up Manually from the instruction page. 
• Now connect to a nearby WiFi Network, then dismiss the No SIM Card error message.

• On the next screen, Data and Privacy agreements will pop up. Kindly click Continue to proceed. 
• Set up Touch ID, or Face ID depending on the iOS model. Alternatively, you can click Setup Later to configure the security feature at a later time. 
• Next, you have to set up Lock Screen passcode. Do that to proceed to Apps and Data page. 
• On the next screen, click tap on Set Up as New iPhone, then import backup if you have one. 
• Follow the on-screen instructions, and agree to the terms and conditions to proceed to Home Screen. 

If your iDevice runs on iOS 11.3 or lower, there’s no way to bypass SIM Card activation page with the aforementioned technique. 

Method 2: Activate iPhone with Somebody else’s SIM Card

Here’s an alternative method to configure your iPhone without a SIM Card. This solution works with all iOS models, regardless of the operating system (whether iOS 11.4 and above or below). What you need is to borrow a SIM Card from your friend or relative, insert it into your iDevice, and then use it for setup. Once you are done with the activation process, you can eject the SIM Card, and return it to the owner. 

Method 3: Use iTunes to Activate iPhone without a SIM Card

iTunes is an amazing service integrated to all iDevices to help manage nearly all of your operations, including screen unlock, storage subscription, and more. You can also use it in critical situations where you don’t have a SIM card to activate your iPhone.  

Apply the illustration down here to activate your iPhone without SIM Card using iTunes: 

Step 1: Get the latest iTunes app installed on your computer system via the official webpage. 

Step 2: Launch the app after successful installation, and connect the iPhone to the computer using the appropriate USB cable. 

Step 3: Once iTunes detects your iPhone, a dialogue page will appear. Select Set up as new iPhone > Continue. 

Step 4: Next, iTunes will direct you to a new screen labeled Sync with iTunes. Tap on Get Started > Sync. Wait patiently for synchronization to complete. After that, detach your iPhone from your computer to complete setting up manually. 

The method above only works for iOS models without the Home button. If you use an iDevice with Home button, follow the procedure down here: 

Step 1: Run the iTunes app on your computer system, and connect the iOS device using the appropriate lightning cable. 

Step 2: Simultaneously hold down the Power and Home buttons for a while to boot your device to DFU mode. Release the Power button after 10 seconds, and continue holding the Home button for 5 seconds. 

Step 3: Your iPhone will immediately enter DFU mode (usually a blank screen). After that, iTunes will recognize the iPhone, and automatically send a prompt for you to restore the device. Tap on OK to proceed. 

Step 4: Install the corresponding firmware package provided by iTunes. Wait for the installation to complete, and your iDevice will upgrade to a new OS. 

Method 4: Activate iPhone using Emergency Call Feature

Although it sounds silly, this technique is another effective one you can use to activate your iPhone without a SIM Card. It works perfectly with iOS models with Home button. 

Follow the steps below to activate iPhone via the emergency call feature: 

• Boot your iPhone. 
• When you come across the No SIM Card Installed prompt, press the Home button. 
• Next, the emergency call screen will automatically pop up. 

• Dial 999 or 112, and hold down the Power button to terminate the call. 
• A prompt will immediately appear for you to cancel the call. Press it, and your iDevice will activate without a SIM Card. 

Method 5: Activating an iPhone using R-SIM/X-SIM

Do you have an R-SIM or X-SIM at your disposal? You can use it in place of the normal SIM Card to configure your iDevice, whether new or older model. Here’s the simple explanation to activate your iPhone with R-SIM or X-SIM: 

Step 1: Eject the SIM Card tray from your iPhone using the appropriate tray ejector to avoid damage. Place the R-SIM/X-SIM correctly on the tray and reinsert it into the iDevice. 

Step 2: A screen showing the different R-SIM/X-SIM network providers will pop up. Select the corresponding network provider for the X-SIM/R-SIM to continue. If you cannot find your network carrier, click on input imsi. 

Step 3: Next, you will be required to enter a seven (7) digit imsi code. To find this code, click on the link provided on your screen. 

Step 4: After entering the correct code, proceed to select your iPhone model from the options that appears. 

Step 5: Once done, proceed to choose an unlocking method from the ones listed on your screen. Wait patiently for the process to complete, then reboot the iPhone to validate your actions. Once done, your iPhone will activate without a SIM Card. 

Method 6: Jailbreak your iPhone

Jailbreaking your iPhone is another effective technique you can use to activate your iPhone without a SIM Card. It involves bypassing all the restrictions imposed by Apple Inc. on your iPhone so you can tamper/manipulate the internal settings. 

Method 7: Bypass iPhone Activation Lock Without a SIM Card

If you purchased a used phone or if you forgot your iCloud password, even if you managed to USE iphone without sim through the above methods, there is still a chance that you may encounter activation lock issues. In this situation, you should consider using a professional iOS unlock tool like AnyUnlock. The software is one of the industry leading tools suitable for bypassing activation lock on an iDevice without SIM Card. 

There are some outstanding features you need to know about AnyUnlock – iPhone Password Unlocker:

• Bypass iCloud Activation Lock on iPhone iPad iPod touch without SIM car just with a few clicks.
• Remove the unknown Apple ID or crack Apple ID if you forget the password.
• Find the linked Apple ID or sign out of the current Apple ID of the iOS device in a simple way.
• Crack various iOS screen locks, involving numerical password/PIN/Face ID/Touch ID on your iPhone/iPad.

Step 1. Free get AnyUnlock – iPhone Password Unlocker installed. Launch the software and you will see the page below.

Step 2. Connect your device and click Start Now button.

Step 3. Then, you need to jailbreak your device to allow AnyUnlock to bypass for you. Read the jailbreak tutorial to do and click Next once finished.

Step 4. Then you can start bypassing after clicking Start Now button.

Step 5. Wait until the process finished, you will get iCloud Activation Lock is bypassed successfully page as below.

FAQs

Check out the frequently asked questions and answer below to gather more knowledge about this topic: 

How to transfer number or data to new iPhone without SIM Card?

You can transfer contact from one iOS device to another without a SIM Card. There are many ways to do this:

• Via AnyTrans

With AnyTrans, you can easily to transfer any data from iPhone/Android to new iPhone even without SIM card, including WhatsApp, Contacts, Messages, etc.

Step 1. Install and launch AnyTrans> Connect your iPhones to the computer via USB cables > Choose “Phone Switcher” > Click on “Phone to iPhone” mode.

Step 2. Select the source device and target device > Click the “Next” button to continue.

Step 3. Select the file categories you want to transfer, here we take Contacts as an example (Or you can Select All to move) > Click the “Next” button to start transferring data from old iPhone to new iPhone.

• Via iCloud

Transferring contacts via iCloud is straightforward. However, there’s a precondition that must be fulfilled before you can do this, which is end-user must have sync contacts to iCloud in the past. 

If you meet this condition, here’s the simple guide to follow: 

Step 1: On the source iPhone (the one you wish to move contact to), kindly login your iCloud account using the correct details. 

Step 2: Click on the Settings icon and tap on your profile picture. 

Step 3: On the new screen, select iCloud. Toggle the slider beside Contacts to enable it. Wait for iCloud to sync all the contacts to the iDevice. 

Can you take photos on an iPhone without a SIM Card?

Yes, you can. Your SIM Card has nothing to do with the camera feature on your iPhone. Rather, its primary function is to provide service between two network providers. 

Can you still use iPhone without a service?

With the recent iOS updates, you can now use an iPhone without a SIM Card. Apple Inc., now allows iOS users to configure their devices using nearby WiFi-hotspots.  

Final Words

Gone are the days when iPhone activation was mandatory. With the new iOS update, you can configure your iPhone without a SIM Card. For folks with older operating systems, kindly update your OS version. Alternatively, you can apply the techniques shared in the article above. 

We recommend using the AnyUnlock software to bypass activation Lock Screen on your iPhone without a SIM Card. This software removes activation lock on all iOS devices freely at a remarkably high speed.