How to Backup a SIM Card on an iPhone
By Travis Meyer
Unlike the first generations of cellular phones, the iPhone doesn't necessarily save much information on its Subscriber Identity Module or SIM card, the removable data chip that identifies your phone to the cellular network provider. However, it does save contacts, depending on the settings preferences on your iPhone. If you want to backup the contacts saved to your SIM card, you'll need to transfer them to your iPhone's memory and then sync the device with your computer.
Step 1
Activate and unlock your iPhone.
Step 2
Tap the "Settings" app icon on your home screen.
Step 3
Tap "Mail, Contacts, Calendars" in the settings menu.
Step 4
Scroll down and tap "Import SIM Contacts." This will save all the contacts on your SIM card to your iPhone's memory.
Step 5
Connect your iPhone to your computer using its Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector cable. Launch iTunes on your computer if it doesn't automatically load.
Step 6
Click the iPhone icon shown in the left sidebar of iTunes and click the "Info" tab.
Step 7
Click the checkbox next to "Sync Address Book and Contacts."
Step 8
Click the "Sync" button at the bottom of the screen. With the new sync preference enabled, all of your contact data -- saved onto your iPhone from your SIM card -- will be saved to your computer.
References
Tips
- Windows stores your iPhone's contact data to "C:\Users\username\Contacts\".
Writer Bio
Travis Meyer is a co-editor at Poor Claudia and Pocket Notes. Also a front-end web developer, he specializes in server-side content management systems, web-based business solutions and graphic design.