Many users know that cell phone models produced over the last few years have a so-called “nano format” connector, which requires a special small SIM card. And the question is: “What is a nano SIM card: how to cut a regular SIM card to the required size?” — familiar to them from their own, unsuccessful experience. To solve this problem, you need to familiarize yourself with certain rules that may be useful to you or your friends.

Definition and types of SIM cards

For a modern mobile device to work, an individual chip is required. It contains special chips that allow receiving/transmitting communications, storing a certain amount of information and providing services provided by the operator. It is usually called “Simka”. Currently available in several formats:

• regular size cards;
• micro SIM card;
• nano sim card.

Owners of iPhones of the fourth and higher series were the first to know about the nano SIM card. The introduction of a new format was driven by the competitive need for manufacturers to reduce the thickness of new gadgets (up to 20%), while simultaneously increasing their capabilities and performance. All major global manufacturers of cellular communications have now switched to the nano standard.

Domestic cellular operators were not ready for the rapid increase in demand for devices with such connectors. Their production was not adjusted to new technologies. This forced many users to resort to cutting off old SIM cards and adapting them to new standards.

Differences and adjustment of micro SIM to nano size

The difference between micro (12x15 mm) and nano (9x12 mm) SIM cards is only in size and thickness. In terms of technical characteristics and communication parameters, they are absolutely identical.

The lucky owner, of course, can’t wait to try it out. The only obstacle is the slight difference in size. The current micro sim is a little larger and “does not want” to fit into the nano groove. You can use one of the options:

• go to the nearest communication store and replace the card;
• use the services of a master in a specialized workshop;
• solve the problem yourself.

If everything is clear with the first two methods, then to perform the third you will need:

• fine sandpaper;
• Double-sided tape;
• ruler;
• pencil;
• paper and printer;
• scissors.

All actions should be performed carefully so as not to damage the microcircuits. To do this, download a nano map template from the Internet and print it (can be on a regular black and white printer) and perform the following steps:

1. from the printed template you need to cut out a copy that matches the size of the existing card;
2. attach the SIM card to the tape, with the side with the operator’s logo facing inward, and the template on the other side, the cut angles must completely coincide;
3. cut off, using scissors, excess plastic exactly along the line of the template;
4. Release the resulting SIM card from the tape and round the edges with sandpaper.

The cut line will run close to the microcircuit, do not worry, this will not affect performance. The card should fit into the groove tightly, without jamming or distortion. After installation, check its functionality by activating the phone.

Cutting a regular SIM to a nano connector

Regular SIM cards are adjusted to nano size in the same way as micro ones. A distinctive feature is that they have a larger chip size and thickness. The procedure should be carried out more carefully so as not to damage the microcircuits. The required thickness is achieved using sandpaper or a nail file. The side with the company logo is carefully cleaned until the card begins to fit freely into the slot.

There is a special mechanical device that looks like a stapler into which the existing card is installed. With its help, with one click, you can trim the card to nano or micro format. It’s not worth buying it because of its one-time use, but it’s quite possible to ask your friends. This is what is used in communication shops and repair shops.

If you fail, the cut line catches the microcircuit and the card becomes unusable and does not activate when turned on, do not worry. There is always the option to contact your telecom operator.

The procedure for replacing an old card with a nano

If you do not dare to cut off your old card, you should contact the nearest office or your telecom operator. For this you will need:

• personal passport;
• old SIM card;
• contract for the provision of communication services.

Replacement is free of charge, preserving the existing number and funds in the account. Within 24 hours, the old card will stop working, and you will become the full owner of a nano SIM card.

Reverse adapter from nano to regular format

If you use a gadget with a nano SIM card and there is a need to install it in an older model phone, it is enough to purchase a special adapter. The card is tightly inserted into the device, which fits into regular slots in format. The connection problem is resolved within a few minutes. The adapter can be purchased in specialized stores or communication stores. It is not expensive and can always come in handy.

Contacting specialists

You can cut a card to nano size by contacting a specialized workshop or a communications salon. Using a special stapler, in your presence, it will be adjusted to the required standard. Typically, fitting is not expensive, or is completely free.

Choosing for yourself the appropriate option for fitting a SIM card to a nano connector is not difficult. The listed methods are not complicated and low-cost. Don’t forget that operators replace an old SIM card with a nano one completely free of charge. The production of this type of product is established in the required volumes and there is no shortage of them, even in the most remote areas.

The creators of modern mobile devices are striving to make them more compact and thinner, introducing new capabilities thanks to the development of technology. All this leads to a change in generally accepted standards. Phone owners are constantly faced with this manifestation of progress - with almost every new generation of phones a new type of charger appears, and in recent years, instead of standard SIM cards, which are available at any sales office of mobile operators, micro and even nano SIM cards have begun to appear.

A small SIM card allows you to save useful space in a mobile phone, and owners of the latest phone models, such as Samsung and Apple, are faced with the fact that a standard SIM card is not suitable for the device. At the same time, all the functionality of the card will be preserved, only its size changes: 12x15 mm for micro versus 15x25 mm for standard. In this article we will tell you what to do if the SIM card does not fit into a modern phone.

How to cut a SIM card for Micro SIM?

Owners of new phones often face the problem of cutting a SIM card after purchasing a new product: not all sellers warn that a standard card is not suitable for certain models that require a micro-SIM card. In this case, you can trim the SIM card yourself.

In reality, it is not as difficult as it might seem. In order to make a micro SIM from a regular SIM card and trim the excess yourself, you will need:

• pencil
• ruler
• sharp scissors
• sandpaper

To simplify the process, we recommend using a micro SIM card template - download and print it. After that, stick your SIM card using tape onto a printed sheet of paper on top of the selected template. Then, using a ruler and a pencil or pen, draw the dimensions of the future micro-SIM on the SIM card.

Carefully cut it out with sharp scissors or a stationery knife and trim the edges with fine sandpaper. Additionally, you will need to slightly sharpen the thickness of the card on the logo side with sandpaper. That's it, the Micro SIM card is ready and can be used for its intended purpose.

If, after trimming, you want to use your micro SIM card in a phone with a standard slot, you don’t have to change it, just buy an adapter for micro SIM cards at an electronics store.

Or you can use a ruler to measure the required dimensions and manually cut off the excess plastic. When marking, place the SIM card with the chip facing up so that the beveled edge is at the top right. Measure and cut 1.5 mm to the right and left of the edge of the SIM card, 2 mm from the bottom and 8 mm from the top.

Be careful not to damage the gold chip on your card. Now measure where to cut the beveled corner: from the upper right corner 2 mm down and the same amount to the left, connect the resulting points using a ruler and pencil, then carefully cut. Use scissors to slightly round the edges of the SIM card.

Sometimes it's easier to change than to cut

If cutting a micro SIM from a regular SIM card yourself seems too difficult, then you can seek help from a consultant at the office of your mobile operator - Beeline, Megafon, Tele2 or MTS. Ask to change your SIM card or cut it off - they will be happy to help you.

When replacing, you will be given either a universal card on which micro and nano sizes are already marked. All you need to do is carefully squeeze the SIM card of the desired format out of the plastic frame. The only inconvenience when replacing a SIM card is that the numbers from it will need to be saved to your phone.

Also, in communication stores there are special devices that allow you to quickly and accurately cut any SIM card to the required slot size on a mobile device, both micro and nano. This service is provided free of charge, and the SIM card is cut to the required parameters in a couple of minutes.

Modern technology is becoming more compact and convenient. Manufacturers of mobile phones, smartphones, and communicators have to sacrifice something in order to fit a more powerful processor, a more capacious battery, or two or even three SIM cards under the cover of the device. In many models - exactly the size of the SIM card. Optimization of the regular SIM card has led to the emergence of MicroSIM, which is used in the latest phone lines. But what if the standard SIM card does not fit the new smartphone?

Of course, you can buy another SIM card and the size matching problem is solved. But you are used to this number, all your friends and acquaintances know it, and it has a favorable tariff from a mobile operator. And there is no need to spend money on buying a MicroSIM if you can easily make a micro SIM card from a card of standard dimensions. To do this, you can contact a service center, where your card will be corrected with a device similar to a stapler, and you will get a micro SIM card. But again, this is a waste of your time and money, which you can do without, because you can actually make a micro SIM card yourself at home. The “transformation” procedure requires 20 minutes of your time and attentiveness. The tools you will need are an accurate ruler and a pencil, as well as sharp scissors and, just in case, have some sandpaper handy.

Getting a full-fledged MicroSIM for your phone is not difficult at all. The size of the standard card is 25 x 15 x 0.76 mm, and the parameters of the reduced card are 15 x 12 x 0.76 mm. The thickness, that is, the “working surface,” does not change; only the external dimensions are reduced by cutting off the protective casing.

The SIM card consists of two parts:

First- SIM chip on which user information is stored: phone book, archive of SMS messages, call log, etc.

Second part– plastic casing. It is almost twice the size of the chip itself and its task is to adjust the size of the card to the parameters of the card slot in the phone. As a rule, the linear dimensions of the chip of a regular SIM card and a MicroSIM are identical, and the only difference is the size of the casing, so making a micro SIM card will not be difficult.

So, we have a standard SIM card in our hands, from which we need to make a micro SIM card:

1. The first stage is to mark the cutting lines. To do this, use a sharpened pencil to clearly describe a rectangle around the metal chip with the size 15 x 12 mm and mark the lines. It is worth noting that some SIM cards have an oversized chip. In this case, you will have to cut using foil. This, of course, is more difficult, but if you do everything slowly and carefully, the result will please you.

2. The second stage of converting a regular SIM card into a MicroSIM is directly cutting off the plastic casing. Without sudden movements, use sharp scissors to cut off the excess plastic on the sides of the chip. Miniature manicure scissors are well suited for this delicate “operation”: with their small size and convenient design, they are powerful enough to cut through the plastic on a SIM card. We also cut off a small corner of the plastic.

After the trimming is done, check whether you were able to make a micro SIM card: compare the size of the resulting chip with the card slot in the phone. All the joints fit together - excellent. Sometimes, however, there is one problem - after trimming it turns out that you need to reduce it a little more, about half a millimeter. It is difficult to do such filigree work with scissors. To avoid damaging the SIM card, take sanding paper and manually remove the excess.

The vast majority of modern smartphones, especially ultra-thin ones, work only with small Nano-SIM cards due to the fact that they are slightly thinner than their standard Micro- and Mini-SIM “brothers”. Despite the difference in size, their chip is exactly the same. That is why, if necessary, you can cut the SIM card for Nano SIM yourself. Many communication shops offer to cut your SIM card for money. If you are afraid to do it yourself, you can use their services.

By the way, recently telecom operators have begun to make SIM transformers:

The user just has to break out the size he needs. Moreover, if necessary, you can not only reduce the size of the card, but also increase it in reverse.

So, how to cut a SIM card for Nano SIM without damaging it? I offer you two options.

Template for Nano SIM card

I present to you two templates for Nano-Sim, which you need to download, print on A4 sheet and use in accordance with the instructions. For work you will need good sharp scissors, a powerful construction knife or metal scalpel, a nail file, as well as a plastic or wooden board.
Attention! The templates presented below allow you to make a Nano-SIM from both a regular and a Micro-SIM.
Template 1- Download
Cut it out to the size you need and stick it on your SIM card. After that, you need to cut it to fit the Nano-SIM card. Sharp or crooked edges can be corrected using a nail file. The main thing is not to damage the chip.

Template 2- Download
In addition to the cutting tool, this cutting template also requires a pencil and a ruler. Print the template in A4 size and place your SIM card on it. Using a ruler and pencil, draw lines according to the template:

After this, you can cut the SIM card to fit the Nano-SIM along the contour. The main thing is not to touch the chip!
File sharp or curved edges with a file.
After this, you can insert the Nano-SIM into the phone and check its operation. Good luck to all!

The iPhone does not use regular SIM cards, but smaller ones - micro-SIM and nano-SIM. For what? For a very simple reason - Apple and other developers do this to save space, and therefore to reduce the thickness of the device. And if you want to have a thin gadget, you will have to reduce the size of the standard SIM card. It may seem complicated, but it's actually not that bad. In order to cut a SIM card for Micro SIM and Nano SIM, you need to contact a special center or do it yourself. Now we’ll find out what you can do on your own if you have such a problem.

There are several options:

1. Order a new card at your mobile operator's mobile phone store. This is a good option, but it takes time and effort to get there and place an order. The advantage is that you don’t need to trim anything, and it will be free. The downside is that this is time and there may be a queue at the mobile phone store.
2. When you buy a new phone, the sales assistant can cut your SIM card with a special tool, but this service may be paid. And even then, this is provided that you buy in an offline store, but what if in an online store? Have questions. You can buy a card cutting tool yourself, but is it worth it? Maybe there is another option? Yes, and I hope you like it!
3. Independent sim card cutting hill. You can save time and money if you cut your SIM card yourself into a micro-SIM card or nano-SIM card - the one you need. How to do it?

Micro-SIM is one of the types of SIM cards, which has reduced dimensions compared to a regular one: 15 × 12 × 0.76 mm. How to make a Micro SIM card?

1. Take a pencil and a ruler and measure 12 millimeters by 15 on your SIM card. It is better to turn the card with the contacts towards you. If you are afraid of incorrectly drawing the outline along which you need to cut, then it is better to print out the template and cut according to it.
2. Take sharp scissors - preferably small, manicure scissors - or a knife and cut out a micro-SIM card along the drawn contour.
3. If there is excess left, you can carefully remove the remaining plastic with sandpaper or, if you don’t have one, use a nail file.
4. Your Micro-SIM is ready. Insert it into your gadget and use it.

But what if you don't want a micro-SIM, but a nano-SIM? How do they differ and how to get a card of the right size?

Nano SIM is one of the types of SIM cards with the smallest dimensions: 12.3 × 8.8 × 0.67 mm. It began to be used quite recently, for the first time - in 2012 in the iPhone 5. The nano-SIM is the size of the chip, which makes the cutting process a little more difficult - there is a risk of damaging the contacts. How to make a SIM card for Nano SIM?

1. Better download and print the template. It's easier to cut through.
2. If you do not have this opportunity, then take a pencil and use a ruler to draw a contour of 12.3 millimeters by 8.8. It will be almost a chip.
3. Trim off the excess with sharp scissors and file the edges without touching the chip itself, otherwise it can be damaged.

A nano-SIM can be cut not only from a SIM card, but also from a micro-SIM card, because it is smaller than them - a nano-SIM is the smallest in size. You can download and cut.

If you are afraid that you will cut out a micro or nano SIM card, and then you will need a larger SIM card, then do not worry - in this case, you buy an adapter that serves as a kind of adapter, and there is no need to buy a new SIM card and use it as regular or re-cut for a micro-SIM card.

For which phones do you need to cut the SIM card?

The micro-sim is designed for iPhone 4/4, and the nano-sim is used in iPhones starting from 5/5s, i.e. iPhone 6, iPhone 6S, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPhone Xr, iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max.

So, we found out that the SIM card can be cut both in the communication store or store where you buy the phone, and at home, which will help you save time and money. Which option to choose is up to you. If you are afraid to cut out the card you need, then for courage you can watch a video on how to make it, how to get it, or how to cut it out. Then everything will definitely work out for you.