Quick tip: How to never lose your SIM card tray pin

By Mark Guim
published

We check out a lot of phones here at WPCentral, so we frequently switch where our SIM cards go. Many devices nowadays like the Lumia 1520 and Lumia 1020 have SIM card trays that require pins to open. It can be frustrating when we lose them. Good luck asking around for one. Chances are, they aren’t carrying it.

We have one quick tip that will make it hard to lose your SIM card tray pin. Put it in your key ring!

We never leave the house without our keys, wallet, and phone. The SIM card tray pin does not take up too much space, so it fits nicely in they key ring.

When we get a new device, we normally use the pin once to insert our SIM card and then set it aside. Putting the pin in the key ring ensures we never lose it again. Do you have another way of storing your SIM card tray pin? Let us know in the comments!

Mark Guim
Mark Guim

Mark Guim is Video Editor at Windows Central. He switched to Windows because the MacBook Pro isn't Pro enough. You can follow him on Twitter at @markguim.

146 Comments
  • Paper clip?
  • Yeah, it's right next to my card catalog and Rolodex. Who uses paperclips in the digital age? lol
  • Funny story, back in the day when I was still using my 900 I had lost the SIM tray key and I spent about a half hour looking for a paperclip to open the tray. Once I found the paperclip I put it on my keychain and its been there ever since, I even left my new SIM key that came with my 1020 in the box. Honestly I never even realized the SIM tray key had a hole in it for putting it on a key chain.
  • Yeah, and.what about paper? Who uses paper to write on, on this digital age? And with what? With those ink -stick things...  
  • Ugh I know damn those plastic ink filled sticks like wtf right.
  • I carry one in my wallet in the coin pouch.
  • Who uses coins??
  • Who uses a wallet either? We have the Wallet feature in WP! Oh, wait...
  • I have a box of paper clips right next to my stack of removable type on my press.
  • I don't understand this sense of negativity in your replies sometimes. Paperclips are not that uncommon as you may think. Some people don't see the glory living in a full digital age, you know.
  • 8X that
  • This big time.
  • No, ask from ladies their hairpin, available everywhere
  • Too big.
  • Attach it to the treasure tag when it comes out.
  • That would be very painful in the pocket... IMO
  • Indeed, hurts ALOT, hence I have one taped under my keyboard lol
  • bahahahahahaha
  • I tried this for a bit, stabbed my leg quite a few times, my hand a couple of times, and weakened the pocket in one pair of jeans. This is a terrible idea IMO.
  •    
  • Why carry the pin? Any pin, needle, etc can do the trick.
  • Some of us have multiple phones. Also, pins and needles? I'm a man, what am I using pins and needles for, my skirt? 
  • Exactly what does gender have to do with possessing pins or needles? I'm a man and have those objects. Sholokov was just offering alternatives.
  • It has everything to do with it. I'm writing a 567 page dissertation on this very topic. Look for my PDF e-book soon.
  • So it's true then! I thought it was only a rumor. I can't wait to read it!!
  • Chill man, Daniel was just joking haha
  • I concur Daniel.
    Mine is kept on my keys, its so accessible that on a visit to the local Vodafone store they were amazed and I beat them to it with the sim tray pin... And they work with handsets all day!
  • Talk about first world problems...
  • +920 LOL
  • Don't lie Daniel we know you where skirts, Doesn't make you any less masculin.
  • A real man can always find a woman willing to lend him a pin. :P
  • :)
  • I think you hurt some of our (female) readers feelings with that comment Daniel. For some reason they thought that having needles and pins was a normal thing for a man.
  • Yeah, sometimes we can be a little pinfull!
  • I saw her today, I saw her face...it was a face I loved, I knew I had to run away and get down on my knees and pray that they'd go away. Still it begins-uh...I feel the needles and pins, uh what?! =P
  • In the junk drawer.
  • I normally keep my most recent tech boxes all in one place so if I need a SIM pin, I can pull directly from the box it came in.
  • I do the same thing. I keep the boxes for devices I currently own and I put the spare stuff like this in the apprpriate box. When I get rid of the device I get rid of the box too.
  • Same here
  • Hope that Mitsubishi key is to an Evo.
  • I wish. It's for an Eclipse.
  • My other car is a Cub Cadet. :)
  • Its broke down ain't it.
  • put in pocket, pin then sticks you in the leg.....reminder to never put pin tool in pocket after that.... :-)
     
  • Safety pin , paper clip , I kept the SIM card tray pin back into the lumia 920 box , 
  • Overkill much? Just put it in the man draw in the house
  • You'd really describe this as...overkill? Louis CK wants a word with you...lol
  • Cheers for replying. My god that guy is annoying. Keep up the good work on the site but some articles such as this are just not needed. There really needs to be a quality check on the grammar as well because many articles are sub par of what this site deserves.
  • We right vry gud on dis sight. 
  • You handled the jerk well. Nicely done.
  • lol +920 :D
  • He wants you to stop poking holes in his pants. Oh, that's Calvin Klein. Pants comment still relevant though.
  • I work at Geek Squad so I swap phones out way too often. I have actually kept a sim card removal tool on my keychain for quite a while now!
  • If you think that's overkill you'd hate to see my key ring, LOL.
  • i keep it in the small pocket of my wallet
  • Me too. I have 3 Windows Phones. I've been keeping a SIM card tray pin in my wallet ever since I bought my second Windows Phone. Having the pin always with me also helps when I need to help my Dad and Mom with their Windows Phones.
  • Had mine on my key chain for forever, never bothers me...and I'm not fat...just saying.
  • I put it in my phone case...Lumia 920 between the rubber and plastic. Always handy, but key chain sounds good too
  • Used to do that too, but was a pain when it fell out. When im cleaning the hole for the lens.
  • Do tell...
  • Carry mine in my wallet :p, that mini pouch has finally has a use lol.
  • So that's the point of that hole.
  • I wonder if that was intentional
  • That's what she said
  • I use a paper clip for my moto x and lumia 925.  A paper clip is too big for my nexus 5, so I have to use the tool and it is in my secret place.  I still have the ones for the Lumia and Moto X in their boxes. 
  • Just take thy thumbtack from thy wall and commence to poke top of phone till try is out
  • More importantly, what Mitsubishi do you drive?! Lol
  • He said Eclipse. We had hoped Evo.
  • Hey that's ok, they're all great cars. I have 3 of them :]
  • I just have mines tucked into my wallet behind my Id
  • What? this is a topic that requires discussion? "we normally use the pin once to insert our SIM card and then set it aside. Putting the pin in the key ring ensures we never lose it again" WTF? just thow it away after you put your sim in! Oh, i get it you're the 0.000001% of users that change their sim every hour... If you need a pin, how about trying....a pin...or a needle or paperclip or the pin part of an earing, or porcupine needle or...
  • Yeap, Mr. Guim always find original ideas to write on.  That gives me an idea... We need filters by author, here in wpcentral.
  • Some of use have more then one phone and switch on a regular basis. I have a phone for work and after work. So I switch my SIM twice a day.
  • The fact that henhen59  is bent out of shape by this article makes me want to write a dozen more.... That and everyone is an expert on mobile content and what people want.
  • Hey Daniel, I was just wondering if you have German ancestors cause of you're everyday aggression, thought that would be a typical German behavior.
  • Keeping it on my keyring is a surefire way to have the pin break off 
  • Been on my keys for 3 months. Not broken yet. I have an active job so my pockets jiggle all the time and only once did it bend, which wasn't even at work.
  • I lose my keys all the time. :-(
  • put your keys with the sim card pin
  • hahaha +920
  • hahahaha!!!
  • I have it on key chain, and the screen of my lumia 920 got scartched by it when I put the phone and the keys at the same pocket :( :'(:'(
  • I work as a stainless steel fabricator so if I ever lose mine I'll just make a new one ! Yous can all have one for only 5 euro! Only messing, the key thing is a good idea though!
  • I have the Incipio Dual Pro case on my 8X. The SIM tray tool is in between the silicone sleeve and the hard plastic back of the case. I have to take it off to get to the SIM tray as it is, so this is where I keep it.
  • Tried that once.  That would work great if you A. Carry your keys in a purse or a carry-all B. Wore one of those Janitor key rings on your belt. I carry my keys in my pocket and you never felt pain until you shoved your hands into your pocket and that sim key got under your fingernail.  I now carry it in my wallet in a credit card slot where it can't cause any damage.
  • I wanted to do that since I got my phone but I was scared it'll break xD
  • Isnt that obvious..... Its called a SIM door key that means it's supposed to be attched in a key ring, but the only down side, if you have your phone and key in same pocket, you might end up scratching the scratch gaurd on screen or even worse the outer glass elements of the camera .
  • I always wondered what the "key" stands for...
  • Or, key. An item used to unlock things.. I.e unlock a sim tray..
  • I'm pretty sure it's called a "key" because it unlocks the SIM tray, not because it's supposed to be on a key ring.
  • Duh >_<.... you are going on the technicalities :P  Its a key that unlocks the SIM door so attach it you a regular keyring !!!!  NO ROCKET SCIENCE HERE
  • On my HTC 8X I use a staple
  • I used this it hurt like hell, you really need a rubber cork if you want to use this method.
  • I've had too many incidents where the I got poked by the pin while grabbing for my keys in my jacket or pocket of my pants. I really got stuck good when my keys were thrown to me from several feet away as blood was drawn! I've ditched having it on my key ring since, so I just borrow an ear ring from my wife.
  • I have one pinned to my cork board.
  • Plus you need the key if you're gonna fix something in your phone. Like the 900, to pull the digitizer rod out before you separate it from the cover. I forgot that part and ended up ripping the cover and the rod was bent and couldn't slide it out. Ordered replacement cover, rod and earpiece.
  • it would last 5 mins before i snapped it. No thanks. Just leave it in the Nokia box.
  • I just keep mine in my wallet but this is a good idea as well.  
     
  • How often do you need to pull your sim though?
  • Why am I so mind effed by that?!
  • I also carry it in my key ring :) safest place to carry around all the time for me
  • Just get a Samsung ATIV S. You don't need one. LOL
  • I've just been using my girlfriend's earrings
  • Smart, but does she know you do this?
  • Yeah, I cant imagine why anyone would have a problem with it. It' the perfect size for the hole (giggity)
  • I have an HTC one that won't fit on a key ring. Its a rectangle with the letters "HTC" cut out.
  • stabby stabby thing in pocket is bad   I keep mine in a little ziplock bag in the retail box it came in.
      I must admit though that for quite a while I used to carry a P38/John Wayne in my pocket.  It poked my finger more than a few times.  
  • I have mine in a draw somewhere.. If i lose my draw I have a back up stash of pins and toothpicks and forks and other stuff
  • And whilst I,m thinking on! People are always losing their keys. So putting the chuff with a set of keys is asking for trouble
  • putting it into key ring is good ya i agree, but i havent used this. what i do is buy 3.5mm anti-dust plug-in and put it into the audio plug-in on the phone + i dont get dirt into the audio plug-in hole... the plug-in they r selling on mini in the box... the stick is a little bit too big, but it fits into lumia 1020. im not sure about other phones on the market http://www.miniinthebox.com/3-5mm-anti-dust-cap-plug-for-samsung-galaxy-... on this link there is micro-usb anti-dust plug-in too but it doesnt fit into lumia 1020
  • I lost it 3 days ago and I really can't find it :/ this post is a bit too late
  • or, you know, paper clip.
  • i have a head phone hole protector (plug) that has a pin on the end, 2 bird 1 stone
  • What i brilliant idea. I want one.
  • I used to put mine on my keys, till i sat on my keys one day and felt a pin go into my buttock. Now its taped a clear photo keyring to prevent such a painful reoccurrence
  • That's where my SIM tray pin for my Nexus lives. On the keyring clipped to my belt loop. Posted via the WPC App for Android!
  • Next Quick Tip: How to Never Lose Your Car Keys
  • Did this along time ago and think about taking it off everytime it stabs me in the thigh or in my finger reaching into my pocket
  • Nice tip!
  • Tape on the back of my ID card. Done.
  • I've been doing this since the L900 came out. Just be careful when you put your hand in your pocket. It's a real bitch when the pin stabs you under the finger nail.
  • bingo
  • Got a safety pin in my wallet. I swap my phones when battery runs out since one can't really swap out batteries these days.
  • I did this the day I got my Lumia 920 back in the summer last year. Only problem is, the pin kept stabbing me in the leg!! No joke. Now I keep it in a certain place, along with all my other phone related stuff. :^)
  • SIM door key**
  • Tray Pin on the key ring, since they came out.
    But, Pin in the leg on the odd occasion...sigh....
  • Nice, but doesnt always work if you are switching out cars with wife or ride a motorcycle like I do sometimes. But I kept mine in my wallet. check it out...  
  • I have no need for keys or tools, all things are laid bare and open for one such as me...yeah, right? Lol =P
  • I do that. One time I meant to quickly remove my keys from my jeans pocket and stabbed myself under a finger nail. It went so deep I dangled the keys for a moment.
  • Wpcentral. I find it strange that you would write about this as if you have discovered something. Surely that was the manufacturers intentions when they designed it!?
  • Can't put on my key rings I already use 3 filled to the max so I keep it on my desk with computer parts like fans and processors and stuff like that
  • I don't know why anybody would lose it though. I keep mine in the box my 920 came in. It's stored in a safe place. No worries. Same goes for the one that came with my iPhone 4.
  • yea, I keep mine in the retail box too.  was wondering where you were, haven't seen you around....
  • I left my pin on my desk at work and someone stole it.  I keep watching to see if it shows up on eBay so I can track down the thief.
  • Great way to scratch your phone.
  • Isn't using the Pin to open tray, micro sd slot on a downward technical scope. Back in the early days, even unibody designs were having a small cover panel for sim, sd etc. Even the battery. My old HTC Desire HD was far superior in its design than current Nokia. It all began with the ifruits, they started pin opening trays and everyone followed suit.. Ahhh the craze!!
  • This looks so dangerous. That would cause a prick in your pocket. Sorry bit dumb idea. Ill stick to a paperclip.
  • Paper clips are good, also you could just leave it in the original box. That's what I do.
  • I've been doing this since i got my Nokia Lumia 1020 as it seems to throw and 'Sim Error' message up every now and again, so i have to remove and reinsert the sim/sim tray and then wait for the phone to reboot before it works again
  • I dont carry keys, so I put it in the back of my Nokia 6500s. It lives with battery pretty well. ;)
  • I love great little tips like this! Thanks Mark, I'll try this out!
  • Once I had to ask a lady on my flight if I can use one of her earrings. And it worked (~.^)
  • Itll hurt real bad if it pokes you
  • I've had mine on my key chain since my first 920. Been jabbed a few times. Just reminds me that I'm alive, I guess.
  • Just in case your keys weren't stabby enough already.
  • I would think the sim card opener would easily get bent on a key ring, but that's just me. Besides, I don't like clutter on my key ring.