Copy old SIM contacts into iPhone contacts

[Tadow]

Does anyone know how to copy all of my old sim card contacts into the iPhone? I am using it on the Digicel network now but I don't see any options to copy sim contacts into contacts(like on Nokia phones). Is this an option with the iPhone?

[killmoms]

Since the iPhone doesn't support copying regular contacts into the SIM, I'd imagine the reverse is similarly impossible.

[nkawtg72]

Does anyone know how to copy all of my old sim card contacts into the iPhone? I am using it on the Digicel network now but I don't see any options to copy sim contacts into contacts(like on Nokia phones). Is this an option with the iPhone?

You're not real clear on what it is you've already tried. Saying "I am using it...", what is "it", an iPhone? or the SIM that has the contacts currently in another phone.

Either way. The iPhone is not engineered like a typical cellphone. The SIM card in esence is uesd simply to authenticate with the AT&T network and not much else. The iPhone has a full blown operating system on it. So the contacts you see on it are stored in a file similar to the storage for Address Book on a desktop class version of the OS.

My suggestion would be to "start fresh". Not sure if your on a Mac or PC, but I would enter your contacts into Outlook (PC) or Address Book (Mac), and use the sync capabilites of the OS and iPhone.

SIM card contacts are not very efficient. It really is just a card with several hundred cells on it. Each cell contains a piece of info, so one contact could be spread across several cells in order to save all the numbers for that contact.

iPhone uses the vCard format. It's basically a digital rolodex card, or business card for that matter. All the info for a contact is stored in a single "container", and all those containers together are contained in a file that Address Book or Outlook accesses. You'd be able to enter far more info for each of your contacts with this format, so honestly you'd be wasting your time trying to get nothing but a set of Contact Names and Numbers off your old SIM.

Hope this helps. Again, I wasn't exactly sure what you were driving at in your question.

Good luck


------------
Update:
After reading your question again. I think another answer would also be this: no there are no controls on the iPhone itself (on screen) that pertain to any SIM card functions whatsoever. Again the SIM is transparent on the iPhone, and is primarily for authenticating the device on the AT&T network.

[Tadow]

Thanks for your help. I have been using a cheap Nokia for the last few months while waiting for the unlock and was just seeing if there was an easy way to transfer all of the local numbers I had on my sim to the iphone. I ended up just typing them all out in address book which didn't take too long. I guess I am used to phones that have the ability to interact with the sim data a little more easily but either way, I am glad that I am able to use my iphone in the Caribbean on Digicel.

[stuff99]

so does that mean I have to reenter ALL my contacts manually onto my iPhone either in Address book or onto the iPhone itself??

[Mydel]

what I did was sending all contacts vis bluetooth to mac and than just moving that file to address book. from my Nokia all were exported as vcd files and synced perfectly with iphone. Now once I have simlock removed from my iphone maybe someone will enable bluetooth:cool: Why in the name of god they had to criple it??:mad:

[gceo]

I set up a new group in my address book, then synced my old phone to that group using iSync. Then later synced that group to the iPhone. Easy as pie, took about 10 minutes for a little over 300 contacts.

[ivi7]

I set up a new group in my address book, then synced my old phone to that group using iSync. Then later synced that group to the iPhone. Easy as pie, took about 10 minutes for a little over 300 contacts.

Did the same thing worked well for me too.

[stuff99]

is it possible to isync with a motorola v3?

[ivi7]

is it possible to isync with a motorola v3?

I synced a moto razr so yes it is possible.

[renkin]

Thanks for your help. I have been using a cheap Nokia for the last few months while waiting for the unlock and was just seeing if there was an easy way to transfer all of the local numbers I had on my sim to the iphone. I ended up just typing them all out in address book which didn't take too long. I guess I am used to phones that have the ability to interact with the sim data a little more easily but either way, I am glad that I am able to use my iphone in the Caribbean on Digicel.

which Digicel are you using it on? I am in Jamaica but cannot get the iPhone to work here on Digicel, but it works well on Cable & Wireless.

[johnboul]

Mine works fine on Digicel Haiti, I even have edge set upwhich Digicel are you using it on? I am in Jamaica but cannot get the iPhone to work here on Digicel, but it works well on Cable & Wireless.

[alljunks]

Use address book if you are Mac user, outlook if you are PC user..

[stuff99]

is it possible to copy old text messages from your old phone to your iphone as well?

[spacepower7]

is it possible to copy old text messages from your old phone to your iphone as well?

New
http://www.markspace.com/missingsync_iphone.php

this might work for you?

[brak]

Hello,
I've allready sync my contacts in outlook ... but now I can't sync them with my iPhone ... why ??
In settings I set "sync with windows adress book" or sth like this ... And nothing ...

btw, i don't there "Sync contacts from Outlook"

[jrhind]

I do not have a solution to transferring data from your SIM to iPhone but I am interested to know more about your using the DigiCel SIM in an iPhone. Can you share information about how you got the DigiCel SIM to work in the iPhone?

[ThinkGeek]

Well actually there is a neat solution to this. Jailbreak your iPhone (I think its already jail broken since you obviously unlocked it to use the Digicell carrier) Install Installer.app for iPhone. Find SIMPort. Walah.. Easy way to import old SIM contacts to your iPhone...

[JD2008]

if your contacts are on your old SIM card, simply go to 'settings' then 'mail,contacts,calendar' and select 'import SIM contacts'

[mrtune]

Settings > Mail/Contacts/Calendar. Scroll Down. Picture below taken, modified, uploaded in the last five minutes thanks to the iphone, sketches app, and mobileme :)

http://gallery.me.com/johndimo/100016/photo1218129897383/web.jpg

[taran420]

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

i was going to post the same thing. Really guys it takes playing around with your phone and you will realize some features that you didnt even knew existed. it took me 5 min after i got my phone to figure out how to transfer contact from sim to iphone

[marksman]

Realize that the original thread here was 6 months before you could import the sim, but it is a good bump for those who don't know.

[the diver]

1 place your Sim card to an unlocked phone

2 copy contacts to phone

3 replace sim card with Iphone Sim card into unlocked phone

4 Copy contacts from phone to Sim

5 Insert iphone sim into iphone - will not see the contacts

6 Go to Mail, cntacts, Calendars - scroll down and hit the IMPORT SIM CONTACTS button - and that is it!

Ps Geek Squad told me this could not be done!!!

[thelatinist]

The nice people at the AT&T store can do this for you. They offered to do it for me, but I declined since I had all my contacts in Address Book already.

[Goodeye]

My question would be is there a way to export to the SIM. I looked and cant find it.

[marcusiphone]

I have a iphone 3gs. i have tried using the import sim function. this doesn't bring my contacts in to the contact area, but I can access them through the following path:
Settings > Phone > Sim Applications > Sim Contacts ...

Does anyone know how I get these contacts across into my contact section?

Thanks...

[-aggie-]

My question would be is there a way to export to the SIM. I looked and cant find it.

No, unless there's some JB app to do it.

I have a iphone 3gs. i have tried using the import sim function. this doesn't bring my contacts in to the contact area, but I can access them through the following path:
Settings > Phone > Sim Applications > Sim Contacts ...

Does anyone know how I get these contacts across into my contact section?

Thanks...

Import SIM contacts is for importing your old non-iPhone sim contacts onto the iPhone. That's it. Okay? There are no contacts on the iPhone sim.

[mikeUK]

Does anyone know how to copy all of my old sim card contacts into the iPhone? I am using it on the Digicel network now but I don't see any options to copy sim contacts into contacts(like on Nokia phones). Is this an option with the iPhone?


did u get this working as ive tried to move contacts from my nokia to new iphone 3gs using "import sim contacts" it just dont work ????:rolleyes:

[mikeUK]

I have a iphone 3gs. i have tried using the import sim function. this doesn't bring my contacts in to the contact area, but I can access them through the following path:
Settings > Phone > Sim Applications > Sim Contacts ...

Does anyone know how I get these contacts across into my contact section?

Thanks...

did u get this working as ive tried to move contacts from my nokia to new iphone 3gs using "import sim contacts" it just dont work ???? i have 1287 to move so not an easy option to re type all

[notAmacChick]

phone - bluetooth - laptop - Outlook - itunes - info - sync contact with iTunes (Outlook) and click Apply. All transfered. :)

[Noobsybot]

You guys making me waste my damn time creating an account just to reply.
Ive been searching the same thing and everyone saying you cannot and slate te iphone coming out with all this Science explaining why not. How foolish can you be.

then I work it out.

Go to Settings.
Select Mail, Contacts, Calender.
Scroll down to Impert SIM contacts


Complete.

[-aggie-]

You guys making me waste my damn time creating an account just to reply.
Ive been searching the same thing and everyone saying you cannot and slate te iphone coming out with all this Science explaining why not. How foolish can you be.

then I work it out.

Go to Settings.
Select Mail, Contacts, Calender.
Scroll down to Impert SIM contacts


Complete.

The question was already answered, if you had read the entire thread. Not sure what the bold means.

[Applejuiced]

You guys making me waste my damn time creating an account just to reply.
Ive been searching the same thing and everyone saying you cannot and slate te iphone coming out with all this Science explaining why not. How foolish can you be.

then I work it out.

Go to Settings.
Select Mail, Contacts, Calender.
Scroll down to Impert SIM contacts


Complete.

Another failed post.

[ngenerator]

You guys making me waste my damn time creating an account just to reply.

Yup, post it twice. Then we'll feel bad for you and change our minds, that'll work!

[thinkpad77]

1 place your Sim card to an unlocked phone

2 copy contacts to phone

3 replace sim card with Iphone Sim card into unlocked phone

4 Copy contacts from phone to Sim

5 Insert iphone sim into iphone - will not see the contacts

6 Go to Mail, cntacts, Calendars - scroll down and hit the IMPORT SIM CONTACTS button - and that is it!

Ps Geek Squad told me this could not be done!!!

thank you so much . this WORKED !!! awesome !!!

I searched on google today on how to move contacts from my old unlocked phone to my new iphone and I hit this thread. perfect :)

[stormchaser]

Thanks "thediver" that saves me asking this question too :)

[haveaname]

See the solution to transfer contacts http://www.trickyways.com/2010/09/how-to-import-sim-contacts-to-iphone-4/

[MelyLon]

there is an option under Settings -> Mail, Contacts, Calendars -> Import SIM Contacts.
Obviously you need the sim card in the iPhone to allow this to happen
Also be aware that if your iPhone is locked to a carrier, it will not let you import contacts from a different carrier's SIM card.
What's more, i suggest that all of our iphone users need to backup our iPhone important contact.
Personally I like to share a tutorial about how to transfer contacts from iPhone to computer (http://www.softwarebbs.com/wiki/How_to_transfer_and_backup_contacts_from_iPhone_to_PC), which can help you backup all iPhone contacts and contact photos from iPhone to your computer and keep them safe on the computer.
Hopefully this works for all of you like it just worked for me!

[green7o7o]

You can import the contact using an option that is available in settings.

[Alessio]

I copied my old sim contacts to my iPhone 4S as per above, but then I noticed that it doesn't copy all the data of each contact, for example it copied name and mobile number of a contact but not his home number....all the contacts in the iPhone now have only 1 piece of info while they had several numbers on the sim.....any solution to getting all the data for each contact out?

[bonoboy]

if your contacts are on your old SIM card, simply go to 'settings' then 'mail,contacts,calendar' and select 'import SIM contacts'

Dude, this method was dead on perfect. My wife's phone died (Motorola)and she bought an Iphone from a friend. Followed your method and the contacts imported perfectly. I had to be certain she had saved her contacts on her old sim card, which she had not. Once I exported them to the card and followed your steps, I was good to go. Anybody reading this, I would recommend trying this method. Simple and easy.