Transferring contact details from one Sim to a new Sim?

[andrewkennedy]

My present Vodaphone  PAYG Sim is dead as it hasent been used for ages.  In the Sim are all my contacts.  Can I, and if I can, how do I transfer my contacts to the new Sim I am about to buy.

[BandOfBrothers]

Hi

If your current Payg sim card has been deactivated due to non usage then you may not be able to access it. 

Normally contacts are stored in the phone's memory as a SIM card has very limited storage space and can't hold addresses etc. 

To add A sim swap will not work as the original number will be terminated, quarantined and put into a number pool to be recycled at a later date. A sim swap only moves a number and tariff too. 

Can you check your phone's contacts app and places like Google Contacts and or Gmail as they might be there too depending on if you backed up and if you used these options. 

An iPhone backs up to iCloud. 

[AnnS]

Hi @andrewkennedy

Even if the SIM has been disconnected from the network, if you put the SIM in a phone, you should still be able to access the contacts on the SIM.  It should then be a simple process of going into your contact settings and copying the contacts to the phone memory.  Alternatively, you should be able to copy the contacts to a memory card. When this has been done, you can copy again back to your new SIM.

When you are using an Android device, your contacts should automatically be backed up to your gmail account, try looking there under contacts.  When you sign into your gmail account from the phone if the contacts have been synchronised, they will automatically be copied to the phone you are using.

I always think its best to double back up contacts and any previous photos to a file on your PC, this way there is no chance of losing any content.

[hrym]

Vodafone shops used to have a device called a Red Box, which could transfer contacts from and to just about anything.  I think this service has been discontinued, but it might be worth dropping in to check.  They might also be able to advise on what else you can do.   It used to be possible to buy SIM readers for this purpose, so check Amazon or eBay - I don't think they're expensive.

For this exercise, it'll be easiest to transfer the contacts to another SIM, but do look at getting them onto the phone and sync'd to a cloud service.  That provides backup and automatic syncing back to any new device.  There should be an option to copy under Manage in the Contacts menu.

[andrewkennedy]

My old android phone sim card (Vodaphone PAYG) is inactive as the credit is out of date, however, the sim contains all my contact details which I need to transfer over to my new android Smart phones Vodaphone PAYG sim.  If someone could tell me how I achieve my aim I would be grateful!!  Please keep the response simple.... I am not very computer/phone savvy.

[hrym]

First of all, make sure your phone is logged into Google.  Now put the old SIM in the phone and access the contacts and copy them to phone memory.   They should store as Google contacts and sync with Google so that they follow you to any future new device.

Once this is done, put in the new SIM so that you can use the phone.

If this doesn't work, any phone shop that offers technical assistance should be able to help you.