Can I use my old iPhone 3GS as an iPod touch?

[dad2rem]

I dropped it and cracked the screen a bit, and just can't live with that as my primary iPhone, so got a new one. I want to use the now-deactivated one as a Touch. I attach it and iTunes seems to force me to try to activate it, which I (obviously) do not want. I can't find a way to sync it to get the music, etc., on there. In advance, thanks for any help.

[The Californian]

It's wanting to activate your phone, not your service ... Go through that process on iTunes then move the sim card over to the phone you use and you'll be set.

[dad2rem]

Sorry to be dense, but I can't really afford to screw up my replacement phone that is now activated and working, so, to be clear, I should:

Activate the dead/screen-cracked phone with its SIM to my number, then pull that SIM and put it in my newer/screen-intact phone? The newer phone will then work just as before? Put the newer SIM in the old phone and it'll work?

[kAoTiX]

From what I can tell that's pretty much what he said.
Basically you're using your new sim card to activate the old iPhone to show you are supposed to be using the iPhone on a carrier. Once it's activated you will be able to take out the new sim card and return it to your new phone then simply continue the use of the old phone but obviously with no phone features due to its now lack of a sim card.

You have nothing to lose really, you're only switching the sim card around briefly. Unless of course a family of racoons steal your sim card or sim tray or both and destroy your home in an electrical fire.

[SWISSHAT]

Sorry to be dense, but I can't really afford to screw up my replacement phone that is now activated and working, so, to be clear, I should:

Activate the dead/screen-cracked phone with its SIM to my number, then pull that SIM and put it in my newer/screen-intact phone? The newer phone will then work just as before? Put the newer SIM in the old phone and it'll work?

You do sound very dense.

Sim cards are not tied to the phone.
You can even have multiple sim cards, and use the same phone (you need to take out one simcard, and insert the next one...etc).

Activation is not related to simcard id.

While using the 3g as a ipod touch, you may like to put to "airplane mode", I say this since you say you were dense.

Peace.:D

[bolen]

You do sound very dense.

Sim cards are not tied to the phone.
You can even have multiple sim cards, and use the same phone (you need to take out one simcard, and insert the next one...etc).

Activation is not related to simcard id.

While using the 3g as a ipod touch, you may like to put to "airplane mode", I say this since you say you were dense.

Peace.:D
Putting you phone into airplane mode will also, if I'm remembering correctly, disable the WiFi-connection which may not be desired.

[Chris.L]

Putting you phone into airplane mode will also, if I'm remembering correctly, disable the WiFi-connection which may not be desired.

Nah, you can switch wi-fi back on