It may happen that we meet an old mobile terminal SIM. It may also be that a family member, perhaps not very familiar with technology, asks us to check if their numbering is still active.
In this article we will cover all the most practical methods on how to see if a SIM is still active.
Unfortunately, SIM cards automatically expire with different times depending on the operators if they are not used or the mobile terminal is not recharged for a certain period of time. Each operator has its own, so check with your company in Spain to find out.
How to know if a SIM is inactive
We can check if the card has been deactivated or is still active with various methods, some of which are very simple and can be used even by those who are not used to technology.
Check if the card allows connection to the network.
An expired SIM card does not allow you to connect to the operator's network. So, to check if the SIM is still active, simply insert it into a mobile terminal and see if it receives the signal from the mobile terminal (usually the field indicator is in the upper right). The field is usually indicated by vertical bars indicating its intensity. On some mobile phones Android there is a small antenna icon next to the bars.
If the field is present and therefore the connection to the network is active, surely the SIM is still active and in the worst case you will at least be able to receive calls. If the field is not present, the SIM is most likely disabled.
For added certainty, other simple tests can also be used.
Try to call the number associated with the SIM
It seems trivial, but if a SIM card has been deactivated, the associated mobile terminal number is also no longer available.
So a quick call to the number associated with the SIM is enough to understand what its status is.
These are the two cases:
- in case of active SIM, you can hear the rings or a voice that will tell you that the mobile terminal is turned off or is not available;
- in case of deactivated SIM and therefore expired, the voice will warn that the dialed number does not exist or is no longer active.
If by any chance you don't remember the number associated with the SIM, you can find it on the plastic card supplied with the card at the time of activation. If it is not available, you can try to recover the Android number or iOS.
These are the fastest methods:
Find a card number with Android
Insert the card into an Android smart mobile terminal. If you don't know how to do it, just refer to the manual of the smart mobile terminal or search on Google entering the keywords «how to insert the SIM model of your smart mobile terminal"(Without quotation marks).
Once you have inserted the card and started the mobile terminal, with a bit of luck, you can find the number by entering the settings and then pressing on the item «Device Information / Mobile Terminal Information" and later "Status / SIM card status«. Here will be the entry of the mobile terminal number, with the numbering associated with the card.
(The methods may be different depending on the customizations made by smartphone manufacturers.)
Another useful solution is to install the free app. SIM-CARD, where you can find various information about the card, such as the associated mobile terminal number and ICCD.
If the entry says "Unknown number“ could mean that the SIM is no longer registered on the network, that there has been a port, or that it is a replacement card. In this case we are forced to take the ICCD code and call the operator to return to the numbering.
Find a SIM number in iOS
Find the number associated with the card on devices Apple it's even easier. Go to settings, press «mobile terminal» and the first entry will be «My mobile terminal number«.
Similarly to what was said in the last paragraph, if the item says "Unknown number“ could mean that the SIM is no longer registered on the network, that there has been a port, or that it is a replacement card. In this case it is necessary to take the ICCD code and call the operator to return to the numbering.
Check if it has expired using the operator sites
A handy way to check not only if it has expired, but also if there is any remaining traffic and what promotions are active is to consult the operator page.
Registration is often required to use the service, but the procedure is simple and guided.
Check if the card has expired by contacting the operator
This alternative was left for last because before calling, you must get:
Also in this case, the operator will be able to tell us if the card has expired, if we have residual traffic and what are the active promotions. Each Spanish operator has a different number, which is available on their website.