How to remove a SIM card from an iPhone, and what to do if there's no tray

How to remove a SIM card from an iPhone

To remove a SIM card from an iPhone you need four steps and a SIM-eject tool. A straightened paper clip works too. These are Apple's own instructions, read on 9 November 2026:

1. Find the small hole beside the SIM tray on the side of the iPhone.
2. Push the eject tool or paper clip into the hole, towards the iPhone. Apple's words are to push in but not force it. The tray pops out.
3. Pull the tray out and lift the SIM card from it.
4. Put the tray back in, the same way round it came out, unless you are fitting a new card (below).

If the tray will not come out, Apple says to take the iPhone to your carrier or an Apple Store rather than forcing it. A bent tray or a jammed pin is a repair job.

Where is the SIM card tray on my iPhone?

It depends on the model. Apple's list:

So if you are wondering how to remove the SIM card from an iPhone 11, look on the right-hand side. On an iPhone 12 or later, look on the left. If you cannot find a tray at all, your iPhone may not have one.

Which iPhones have no SIM tray?

Apple says that if your iPhone has no SIM tray, it supports eSIM only. Two groups are affected:

• iPhone 14 models and later bought in the United States can only be activated with an eSIM. There is no tray to open.
• iPhone 17e, iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models without a physical tray are also eSIM only, Apple says.

Apple also notes regional exceptions, such as certain models in Hong Kong and Macao with two nano-SIM slots. The model matters less than where the phone was bought. A US iPhone 15 and a European iPhone 15 are different on this point. Our eSIM compatible phones pages, such as the iPhone 14 page, go model by model.

If your iPhone is eSIM only, nothing is removed by hand. You delete or turn off the eSIM in Settings instead. If you are moving it to a new phone, Apple's eSIM Quick Transfer can do that from the new iPhone's Cellular settings when your carrier supports it. Most travel eSIMs cannot be moved that way, so do not delete one you still need for a trip.

How to insert a SIM card

Fitting a new SIM is the removal in reverse:

1. Eject the tray as above.
2. Look at the new SIM card. It has a notch cut from one corner.
3. Lay it in the tray so the notch matches the tray's shape. Apple says it only fits one way.
4. Slide the tray fully back in, the same way round it came out. That also only fits one way.

Use only the tray that came with your iPhone. Apple's example is that a tray from an iPhone 6s will not fit an iPhone 7.

What is a SIM card ejector pin?

It is the thin metal pin that came in the iPhone box. Any thin, stiff wire that fits the hole works; Apple names a paper clip as the alternative.

Swapping in a local SIM against adding an eSIM when travelling

This is the reason many people go looking for the SIM tray: to put in a local SIM card abroad. On any iPhone that supports eSIM you may not need to.

Adding an eSIM leaves your SIM where it is. Apple's Dual SIM page says an iPhone XS, XS Max, XR or later can use a physical SIM and an eSIM together, and iPhone 13 and later can use two eSIMs alongside a physical SIM. Only one line uses mobile data at a time, but both can take calls and texts. So you can leave your home SIM in the tray, add a travel eSIM for data, and still receive texts to your home number, such as bank security codes. Apple's travel page adds that the iPhone must not be locked to a carrier: check Settings, General, About, and look for No SIM Restrictions next to Carrier Lock.

Swapping the SIM takes your home number offline. Once the home SIM is out of the tray, calls and texts to that number stop reaching the phone until you put it back. Keep the card somewhere you will not lose it. A taped envelope in your passport wallet is better than a coat pocket.

When the swap still makes sense. A local SIM can be the cheapest option. In Japan, our research puts an airport SIM at around $12, against a 10 GB eSIM from $16, as our Japan guide sets out. It also suits a phone too old for eSIM. You will usually need ID to buy one, and time at a counter.

To compare travel eSIMs before you go, see our cheapest eSIM ranking and best eSIM for international travel guide. If eSIM is new to you, read what an eSIM is first. For setting one up, there is our walkthrough on installing an Airalo eSIM on an iPhone.

How to get an eSIM instead

You buy a travel eSIM online from a seller such as Airalo, Holafly, Nomad, Saily or eSIMCard, and install it from a QR code or the seller's app. Apple says carriers give activation steps such as a QR code or an app, and that you need wifi during setup. Install it at home before you fly, and leave your SIM card exactly where it is.