This, which may seem very simple for most users, is complicated by the changes that Apple implements in its menus from the different versions of iOS that we have available. That is why it is important to know that each of the versions can change the location option without us noticing, so today we will see how we can change our SIM card PIN in the latest versions of Apple's OS.
First of all, it must be said that over time the settings that we find in the iPhone have increased and that is why in Apple some options change places from time to time. The fact is that previously this configuration option was "simpler" to locate, now it may cost a little more to find despite the fact that not something we use on a daily basis.
This may precisely be the problem and it is that by not having to constantly change your PIN, it is an option that hides among the menus and in the end remains in a place where we do not expect it. In the new version of iOS 12 or higher the option is a little more hidden than usual, so today from Actualidad Gadget let's see with this tutorial how you can deactivate or change the PIN of your SIM card on your iPhone or iPad with the different versions of iOS.
It is important to have a PIN on the iPhone or iPad
The PIN is what allows users to block using an identification code from making phone calls or using mobile data. This code is really important in the case of loss or theft of our iPhone, since it allows us protect our SIM and thus prevent others from using it to make phone calls or use mobile data. Once the initial PIN is entered, when you restart the device or remove the SIM card, the SIM card will be locked automatically and you will see "SIM locked" in the status bar.
At that time, if you do not know the PIN, you will not be able to use the SIM until you unlock it using the PUK code (which we will talk about at the end of the tutorial), so it should be noted that this is a very important code for us and we have to remember it. Do not try to guess a SIM PIN because if we make a mistake, the SIM card will be blocked until we have the PUK and we can unblock it.
Change the SIM PIN in iOS 12 or higher
We start with the most recent version of Apple's operating system and therefore with iOS 12 or higher. In this version, as we mentioned at the beginning, Apple changed the location of this option and we can get involved thinking that it is in the Phone settings, as it was in the previous iOS.
It is true that the location is not so strange and it even makes sense that it is here, but of course, the first of the options in which we are going to look for the menu to change the PIN will be another. The new location is at Mobile data. So to change the SIM PIN we have to perform these steps:
- We access Settings
- Let's go to Mobile data
- At the bottom we will see SIM PIN
Now once we are inside, two options appear available. If we have the PIN active, the check appears in green at the top, if we do not have it active it appears in gray. Just below we have the option Change PIN, which is actually what we want to do. To change the SIM PIN we have to know the current code and once we click on «Change PIN», the option to enter the current PIN appears.
Change SIM PIN on iOS versions earlier than iOS 12
It is important to note that the correct place to place this configuration option is not bad in Mobile data either, but previously in the iPhone and iPad you could change the PIN of the SIM cards from the settings within the Phone option. In this case, it seems to us a fairly successful place to change the PIN, but this does not depend on us and Apple now adds it in another site from iOS 12 so that it finds the option in the same place as in the iPad that do not have Phone settings. So to change the PIN in iOS prior to iOS 12 you will have to go through:
- Settings> Phone> SIM PIN. If you have an iPad, go to Settings> Mobile data> SIM PIN (which is the current place for everyone)
- We activate or deactivate the SIM PIN
- We will have to enter the SIM PIN
If we have never used one since at the time of activating our iPhone we did not have the SIM PIN active, we will have to enter the default SIM PIN of our operator that is usually on the card itself or on a piece of paper that they give us from the operator. Then we will have the option to change this PIN. In the event that we do not know the initial SIM PIN It will be necessary to consult directly with the operator to find the solution. Again we have to say that trying to guess the PIN is not a good idea and in this case without having the PUK, even less.
PUK in case of PIN loss
This is a code that is added to all SIMs and that is used to unblock the PIN of our SIM in case we make a mistake more than three times in putting the code or do not remember it. This code is usually attached to the cards themselves and although it is true it is rarely necessary, it is important to keep it well in case we need it one day.
Current operators can also provide us with this code in case we don't have the card or paper with it, so don't worry if you can't find it. To do this, we have to call the operator we are with directly and request that they provide us with the PUK code. Be very careful because this PUK may also appear as "PUK exhausted", and in these cases the only thing we can do is request a new SIM card, which is one more headache.
As we said at the beginning, it is not an option that we make every day to change the PIN on our iPhone, but it is important to be clear about the place where the option to edit or change it is located and be clear about what happens when we make a mistake when Press it several times wrongly.