SIM Adapters

Making a smaller SIM fit a larger tray

A SIM adapter is a plastic frame that a smaller SIM clicks into, so it fills a larger tray. It is useful when you move a nano SIM into an older phone, a tablet or a mobile WiFi box that takes a micro or standard SIM, and for travellers who swap SIMs between devices.

SIM sizes, and which way an adapter works

There are three sizes of physical SIM, all with the same chip:

• Nano SIM: 12.3mm by 8.8mm, the smallest.
• Micro SIM: 15mm by 12mm.
• Standard SIM: 25mm by 15mm, also called mini SIM.

An adapter only works one way: it makes a smaller SIM bigger. Nothing makes a standard SIM fit a nano tray. If your SIM is too big for a new phone, ask your network for a SIM in the right size.

What is in this range

• A card-sized adapter kit. A slim card, the size of a bank card, holding three adapters (nano to micro, nano to standard and micro to standard), an ejector pin, a SIM holder and a microSD memory card reader. It lives in a wallet.
• A dual SIM adapter for Android phones. A hybrid adapter that lets some Android phones take two SIMs, or a SIM and a microSD card, in one tray. It comes in nano, micro and mini versions. It is a fit-it-yourself part, so read its product page and check your phone before you order.

Fitting a SIM into an adapter

1. Match the cut corner of the SIM to the cut corner of the adapter, gold contacts facing the same way as the frame shows.
2. Press the SIM in until it sits flat. If it stands proud, it may catch in the phone.
3. Put the adapter in the tray the way the tray shows, and slide the tray in gently. It should go in without pushing hard.

To open the tray first, see SIM ejector tools. To keep spare SIMs and adapters together, see SIM card cases.

Questions people ask about SIM adapters

Will my phone work with an eSIM instead?

Many newer phones take an eSIM, a SIM built into the phone that your network sets up over the air, and some have no tray at all. If yours has no tray, it needs no adapter.

Can I leave the adapter in the phone?

Yes, if the SIM sits flat in it. Take the tray out gently when you need it.

How long does delivery take?

Delivery is included in every price and tracked to your door. Each product page says when it usually arrives.

More to look at

• SIM ejector tools
• SIM card cases
• Travel kits
• Adapters and converters
• All SIM and small tools