Is it possible to cut a SIM card yourself? Micro SIM card: what is it, what devices is it used in? Cut mini-sim to nano-sim

On older, non-touch phone models, and on many touch devices, there was a slot for large SIM cards. But in modern mobile devices the slot has become much smaller, and a regular card is no longer suitable.

When exchanging an old mobile device for a brand new gadget, there is no desire at all to purchase a new SIM card. You can visit the sales office of your operator and exchange your old SIM card for a new one, while keeping all available funds, tariff and connected options on it. But some users prefer to do everything themselves at home. Therefore, we present step-by-step instructions on how you can make a Micro-SIM from a regular SIM card.

What are mobile device manufacturers most proud of? Of course, with its compactness and relative lightness. And to perform these tasks, you need to reduce the allocated space, including for the SIM card slot.

For the old standard SIM cards, a lot of space was used, and if you significantly reduce the size of the card, then the space for the slot will be allocated an order of magnitude less, many manufacturers agreed with this. And now, in order for the new device to work from the selected telecom operator, you need to either purchase a new SIM card size, or cut the existing one to the required slot size.

What standards are used in the latest gadgets?

In addition to the usual size, familiar to many owners of old phones, manufacturers use Mini, Micro and Nano-sim slots.

Micro SIM card size is required for Apple devices of generation 4/4s, Nokia Lumia, Sony, Samsung and other manufacturers. But the nano size will be needed for iPhone series 5/5s and newer, as well as on new devices from different manufacturers running the popular Android OS.

Cutting SIM card to Micro-SIM

When buying a device, not all sellers warn about the need to install a Micro-SIM card in a new mobile gadget. And this sometimes discourages the user when he tries to insert an old SIM card into a slot that is completely inappropriate for it. Or it’s simply a pity to part with your tariff and the list of available services that are directly related to an existing card.

The usual size card has parameters of 25 mm X 15 mm X 0.75 mm. It is a durable plastic with a chip applied, which is the main component.

If the chip is even slightly damaged, it will be impossible to use the mobile operator’s communications. It is this condition that should be the main one when adjusting a standard SIM card to the Micro-SIM form. Pruning must be done very carefully.

Required Tools

So that at home you can independently adjust the SIM card to the desired parameters, stock up on the following set of tools:

  • Sharp manicure scissors;
  • A sharpened pencil or ballpoint pen;
  • A ruler with millimeter markings.

The size we need will be 15 mm. X 12 mm. X 0.75 mm.

Trimming process

  1. Place the card on a flat surface so that the chip is on the outside;
  2. We turn it with the cut side up, so that the corner faces to the left;
  3. From the side of 15 mm (on the right) we put 1.5 mm towards the center, cut off the excess;
  4. Along the bottom side, 25 mm long, we set aside 1 mm also towards the center, draw a line and cut along it;
  5. We need the right side of the card to be 12mm long. To do this, draw a line from the top side to the center 2 mm. Since we have already cut it earlier, we will get exactly 12 mm, that is, the desired parameter. But at the same time the corner will be cut off. There is no need to worry about this, since it will be restored later;
  6. Now we need to align the required length, that is, 15 mm: starting from the right side, measure the indicated distance, remove the excess with scissors. This is not a SIM card yet, but only its preparation;
  7. Now you need to round off all the corners a little, because this is exactly what the old SIM card looked like;
  8. The final touch is trimming the corner. It is necessarily present on all maps - we need to draw an equilateral triangle with sides of 2 mm. Attach a ruler, measure 2 mm down and to the right, and then you can trim.

Let's try to insert the resulting sample

If everything is done correctly, then the SIM card should fit exactly into the slot installed for it. If it is a little big, cut off the side that is larger.

The network should be found, and if so, then try calling someone. In case of failure or damage to the chip, you will have to contact your operator to have your SIM card restored.

Currently, many modern gadgets can only use a smaller version of a standard SIM card - micro sim. This is due to attempts by technology manufacturers to save internal space in the device in order to place other elements more compactly and make our phones and tablets smaller, thinner, lighter and ultimately cheaper to produce than their predecessors.

Having bought a new phone or tablet (for example, Samsung, HTC, iPhone or iPad), you may find that the standard SIM card does not fit it and in order to continue using your usual SIM card after purchasing a new device, you can cut it off. The main chip remains in place, only the size of the plastic base is reduced. It’s not difficult to make a micro sim from a regular SIM card at home; you only need sharp nail scissors, a sharpened pencil, a ruler, sandpaper (or a nail file) and a little patience.

A regular SIM card is a plastic rectangle with a chip, measuring 25x15 mm. The dimensions of the micro SIM card must be 15x12 mm. You can cut a regular SIM card to the desired size as follows:

If the SIM card after resizing is larger than necessary, this can always be corrected; if the size is significantly smaller, the SIM card will become impossible to use and you will have to change it to a new one.

If you are afraid of ruining your SIM card or are simply too lazy to tinker, you can replace the standard SIM card with a card of the required size at any Beeline office. Upon presentation of a passport, the subscriber will be issued a new SIM card, or an old SIM card will be cut to micro sim format using a device that looks like a stapler. It will take a minimum of time.

The opposite situation is also possible - using a micro SIM card in devices with standard slots. To do this, you will need a special adapter for micro SIM cards, which can be purchased at any communication store. Thus, your micro SIM card will become universal for most devices.

Mobile device users often wonder how to make a micro-SIM from a SIM card. If you've opened the SIM slot on a new iPhone, you might have noticed that this slot is significantly smaller than the standard one. These tiny cards are known as Micro-SIMs. The new format is rapidly gaining popularity, but many mobile operators and mobile device manufacturers still use regular-sized SIM cards.

Some data plans associated with regular SIMs are still very good value. It is not possible to insert a regular SIM card into the reduced slot, but a solution has already been provided for this problem. You can manually shrink a standard card, which will turn it into a microSIM.

Preparing for work

If you are interested in how to make a micro SIM card from a regular SIM card, then you need to keep in mind that this process is quite tedious and can take more than 10 minutes. In the case when you do not want to remake the card manually, you can buy a special set called Micro SIM Cutter & Converter, consisting of 2 special devices that make it easy to reduce the card to the desired format. You can order such a device from an online store (for example, Amazon).

If you still decide to remake the card manually, you may need the following tools:

  • sharp scissors to cut the SIM card;
  • sharp knife for marking cutting boundaries;
  • a nail file to sand the edges of the card;
  • finished microsim as a sample;
  • a ruler, which may be needed if you do not have a micro SIM card for the sample.

If a user wants to learn how to make a micro SIM card from a regular SIM card, then he does not have to use a full set of tools, since in many cases he can get by with just scissors and a nail file. In some cases, a ruler and pencil may be needed, but keep in mind that the components of different SIM cards may vary in size. The only thing that is the same on all SIM cards is the location of the metal contacts. It is recommended to use a ready-made Micro-SIM card as a sample, since it can be quite difficult to take accurate measurements.

Conversion process

Cut the edges of the SIM card so that its size matches the new standard. If you have a cut sample, the process will look like this:

  1. Cut out the excess plastic on the SIM card so that its dimensions are comparable to the Micro-SIM. When doing this, you need to be careful not to damage the metal area. On some older maps the edge of this area may have to be trimmed, but the scissors should not be allowed to extend beyond the first black line.
  2. The 3 contact points on the tip of the SIM card are the most important elements. On the converted SIM card they should be in the same position as on the factory Micro-SIM.
  3. Using a nail file, you need to sand the edges so that the card can be easily inserted into the Micro-SIM slot. It is important not to overdo it, since the card should fit tightly in the slot, and not loosely.
  4. Now you can insert the modified SIM card into iPhone 4, 4S or any other compatible phone model.

Within 30 seconds, you will know if the conversion worked because your mobile device will immediately begin searching for the network and attempting to connect to it. Regardless of what phone model you use, the card should be activated. In the future, phone manufacturers and mobile operators will completely abandon regular SIM cards, so sooner or later you will still need to switch to the new standard.

Progress does not stand still, technology is becoming more perfect, smaller, and in connection with this new standards are coming. This happened with the long-familiar telephone line. SIM card. It was replaced by a new standard - MicroSIM card. Micro SIM is used in the iPad, most new cell phones, and other mobile communication devices. This standard is firmly established in our lives and there is no escape from it. Mobile operators are currently offering replacement services SIM cards to MicroSim, many people offer to cut your card - but for some reason the prices for these services are prohibitively high.
For those who do not want to pay or who do not have the opportunity (or desire and time) to replace their SIM card, here is a simple, proven method of making it yourself MicroSim from SIM cards. The whole procedure takes no more than 3 minutes. There were no unsuccessful attempts, although there is still a slight risk of ruining the card (well, this is understandable, if your hands have grown out of the wrong place, then...). I repeat once again - the risk is very small, especially since you are not seriously risking anything, you can always restore your number and card, well - 99.99% rest assured - it will not come to that.

First, let's look at the device of a regular SIM card. The SIM card consists of two parts:
1) The actual electronic SIM chip with contacts
The electronic chip stores all information about your number, phone book, SMS (memory size is very limited) and other information for subscriber identification in the mobile network
2) Plastic backing - casing.
The substrate is almost twice the size of the chip and serves solely to meet the SIM card size standard.

Note that often the dimensions of the chip (contacts) of a regular SIM card and a Micro SIM card are absolutely the same, and the only difference is the size of the plastic substrate.

If the contacts of your SIM look different from those of a standard Micro Sim, don’t worry. Although the contact patterns are different, all SIM cards are compatible and you can make a Micro Sim with any one.

For cutting Sim cards for MicroSim All you need are sharp scissors and a ruler.

Below are the required standard sizes MicroSim

The contact sizes of a regular SIM card may be slightly larger than the standard Micro Sim contacts. In this case, when cutting, you also need to cut off the contact tracks a little (in the upper part according to the picture, on the opposite side from the cut). Don't be afraid - these are not CHIPs, but only contact tracks. It is important to cut off a little more than a millimeter (albeit along the tracks) on the side opposite to the cut so that the contacts of the new Micro Sim meet the standard. Let me note again - Micro Sim can be cut from any SIM card.5

We start cutting 1.4 mm and 1.85 - it’s easier not to measure but to cut by eye. A small error will not affect the result. Then we measure 12 mm - cut it off, then 15 mm (length) - cut it off and the bevel. Don’t confuse which side the bevel is on - watch the position of the card being cut, since the already cropped rectangle looks almost the same on all sides (depending on the initial configuration of the tracks of your SIM card), and the cut should be exactly on the side where it was originally.

It is worth noting that the plastic from which the SIM card substrate is made is quite soft and not fragile - it can be cut perfectly with ordinary scissors, so the options for cutting with a knife or, especially, a hacksaw are clearly inferior both in quality, speed and reliability. You can damage (peel off) the contact tracks or miscalculate the dimensions due to an apparent increase in accuracy. The scissors are excellent at cutting both plastic and thin contact traces (on one side if necessary).

If you are still afraid of ruining your favorite SIM card, find an old, unused one and practice on it. After cutting off any old card, the phone should see it (there will be no inscription - “Insert SIM card”)

Make DIY MicroSim from SIM Anyone can do it in a matter of minutes, without specific tools.

From an old unused SIM card you can Make your own adapter from MicroSim to SIM. To make an adapter you need to use a knife. Description will be unnecessary, everything is already clear.

Good luck, why pay more, why pay at all?

I'm sure you didn't wander here by chance. Well, if by chance, I hope that you will become my regular reader.

The topic of today's article is not entirely common, but, nevertheless, quite relevant for many. Most modern cell phones have micro SIM card formats. But a huge number of users have SIM cards of a standard size, and modern phones are produced only in new sizes. And when buying a smartphone, we are faced with the problem of dimensional incompatibility between our old SIM card and the new gadget. It's a shame!

Today I will talk about my experience and other options for solving the problem " how to cut a sim card for micro sim" Be sure to read the article to the end - I’ll tell you about the most civilized and simplest way to acquire a micro sim.

There are several ways to solve the problem - paid and free. First, I’ll tell you about the paid ones.

Crop a micro SIM card in a store

Everything is simple here! Come to any store that sells cell phones, or to a communication salon, say what you need cut sim card. The price for this service varies. In our city it’s from 150 to 200 rubles. If you cut it off at a communication store, your operator’s cards will come out cheaper, while others’ cards will be more expensive.

A nice girl asks what size you should cut it to - nano or micro. She takes out a device that strongly resembles a stapler (by the way, this is a special stapler), chick-chick - and cut it. 🙂

If you have a lot of SIM cards that need to be cut, or you want to, it makes sense to buy such a stapler. It costs from 100 to 500 rubles. Enter “stapler for cutting SIM cards” into Yandex.Market and choose what you like.

If you don’t want to pay anyone, and you are sure that your hands are sharpened correctly, You can cut the SIM card yourself. The main thing is not to make a mistake in size.

But what are the dimensions of a micro SIM card? It's good if you have a sample at hand, but what if you don't? Cut at random? You can permanently damage the card.

Even if you know the overall dimensions (by the way, the dimensions of the micro SIM card are 15x12 mm), you need to trim off the excess so that the chip remains in the right place. This is also very important.

The figure below shows how much you need to cut on each side so that the SIM card fits into the niche of the phone and remains working.

Making the markings

It is inconvenient to make markings on the map itself. In addition, there is a high probability that the dimensions will not be transferred accurately. And here even tenths of a millimeter are important. That's why you need to take this stage seriously. So,

If you have a micro SIM card:

  • overlay it on your standard map;
  • make sure that the chips of both cards are aligned strictly one above the other;
  • Press the SIM cards together and carefully trace the outline of the top (micro) SIM card so that this outline is clearly drawn on the card to be cropped.

This can be done with a sharply sharpened pencil. Better yet, scratch it with a needle. Then rub along the scratched lines with your fingers, and the outline will become clearly visible.

If there is no sample from which to transfer the size

  • Take a sheet of paper and make markings as shown in the picture above. First, attach and trace a normal-sized SIM card, then draw straight lines, continuing the outline.
  • Next, draw lines according to the dimensions of the micro sim.
  • Place the SIM card in the center of the picture and press it, or better yet, secure it (for example, with double-sided tape).
  • Apply a ruler to each line and draw them through the SIM card.

And some people print out a template on a printer, glue it to a card and cut it out.

How to cut a SIM card for micro sim

There are several options here, choose the one that suits you:

  • Scalpel or sharpened knife;
  • Scissors are more powerful and not dull;
  • A red-hot thread, but this option doesn’t inspire confidence in me.

I would also like to give a couple of tips on cutting technology.

If you are cutting with a knife or scalpel, do not try to cut off the excess plastic at one time. It is better to apply light pressure several times over the same place. This will make it more accurate and accurate.

If you cut with scissors (and a knife too), step back one or two tenths of a millimeter from the intended line. With larger sizes, the SIM card can be sharpened, but with smaller sizes, it will no longer be possible to increase the plastic.

After the SIM card is cut to micro size, you need to sand its edges with sandpaper or a nail file.

Do you know, there are such wide plastic files, not metal ones? In the store, a girl like this sharpened my SIM card after using a stapler.

Be sure to try yours on locally micro sim card. If it does not fit into the desired niche, or is too tight, bring it to the required size using the same file or sandpaper.

Free replacement of a SIM card with a new one in a communication salon

Above I talked about two ways cutting sim cards for micro sim. There is another way - also free, but more civil.

Go to the showroom of your mobile operator (I have Beeline, so I went to Beeline) and say: “I need to replace my SIM card.” There are no additional questions, you don’t need to hand over your old SIM card or even just show it. One “but” - the card must be registered in your name, and, accordingly, take your passport with you.

The operator fills out some paperwork, you sign there and receive a new SIM card with your old number. New SIM cards are now made with such “sales slots” so that you can use both a standard size and squeeze out a micro SIM and even nano. Very comfortably!

Oh yes, I almost forgot. The new SIM card will be completely empty, without all your contacts. Therefore, in order not to be left without old connections, before going to the operator, transfer all contacts from the SIM card to the phone.

I wish you good luck in all your good deeds and see you soon!