iPhone Tips

2024 Answered! Does Find My iPhone Work If the SIM Card is Removed?

by Jenefey Aaron   Updated on 2021-12-30 / Update for  iPhone Tips

Ola Senor! Does find my iPhone work if the SIM card is removed? I'm in deep trouble. Someone stole my iPhone 8 while I was busy with my shift. I want to find my phone, but it seems like the thieves have taken out the SIM already. Is there a way out? Please help this lady, and I'll treat you to some spicy quesadillas. Gracias!

If your iPhone has been picked by ruthless stealers, or if you have misplaced it by mistake, then turning on the ‘Find my iPhone’ feature will help you find it in no time. Read the article below to know how ‘Find my iPhone’ works and what problems can you face.

 

Part 1: Does Find My iPhone Work If the SIM Card is Removed?

Many customers inquire about this feature. They say: “Does find my iPhone work if the SIM is removed?” The answer is “Yes.” The ‘Find my iPhone’ feature can work even if the snatchers have taken out your SIM card. However, there could be some issues – the internet connectivity.

 

1. It Works, If The Phone is Connected to Internet or Wi-Fi, Or New SIM Card is Inserted

So you might be wondering how does ‘find my iPhone’ works if the SIM card is removed. Well, it can work if your iPhone has an active internet connection. The internet or Wi-Fi connection will send the exact coordinates of your iPhone’s location to your iCloud.

People question that can a lost phone be tracked if the SIM card is replaced? Yes. Even if the mugger inserts a new SIM into your iPhone and connects to the internet, it would still send you the location as the phone still has your iCloud account inside.

2. It Doesn't Work If The Phone isn't Connected to the Internet or Wi-Fi Or Powered Off.

Does removing a SIM card disable Find my iPhone? No, it doesn’t. But hope that your iPhone is not powered off or disconnected from the internet. 

Part 2: Can I Track My Phone If the SIM Card is Removed?

Can you track an iPhone without service? Quite probably! If your cellular service is inactive and mobile data is off, there is a slight chance that your stolen phone might connect to Wi-Fi; you can track it then. If there is no data connectivity, then you might kiss your iPhone goodbye.

Does find my iPhone work without a SIM card? Yes, just activate the lost mode into your iCloud and wait until the thieves connect an internet service to your lost iPhone.

Part 3: What Should I Do If My iPhone Is Lost or Stolen?

Losing an iPhone hurts more than a breakup. If your SIM card is inserted and the data connection is turned on, then you can easily find it through 'Find my iPhone.'

The users only have to log in to their iCloud account from a different device. The iCloud and your phone’s GPS services are connected. As soon as you log in, you can check its current location. Here is what you need to do:

  • Open your browser.
  • Go to iCloud.com.
  • Sign in to your Apple ID.
  • Tap on ‘Find my iPhone.’
  • Navigate through all connected devices.
  • Find the lost device.
  • Enable the ‘Lost Mode’ on the iPhone.

The Lost Mode will track your stolen iPhone’s last location. Just pray that it’s connected to some internet.

Wondering what happens if the SIM card is removed from the iPhone? It will make it less likely for your iPhone to be found. A cellular or Wi-Fi data connection is a must for the location services to connect to your iCloud server. The lock mode will also make the thief unable to use the iPhone so just wait for him to turn the data on.

Part 4: How to Prevent My iPhone from Being Maliciously Locked?

There is no way the thieves can disable the automatic lock iPhone. Furthermore, you can also use these security features for a more robust lock.

  • 1. Enable Two-Factor Authentication

    The 2F authentication process by iPhone will give you an option to enter a passcode and a Face ID or fingerprint.

  • 2. Set Security Questions

    You can add security questions that only you can know the answer to. It would make hacking into your phone almost impossible.

  • 3. Set SIM Card Lock

    Go to the iPhone settings and put a SIM card lock on your iPhone so it wouldn’t recognize any other SIM other than the original one.

Extra Tip: How to Remove Find My Activation Lock without Previous Owner?

Do you want to know a solution? Let’s give you one. There is an app Tenorshare 4MeKeythat will help you bypass the activation lock on an iCloud account. Once you pass that stage, you could easily turn off ‘Find my iPhone’ from the iPhone.

Video Guide: How to Remove iCloud Activation Lock iPhone/iPad with 4MeKey

Here’s what you need to do:

  • Download Tenorshare 4MeKey and launch it on your PC.

    does find my iphone work if the sim card is removed
  •  
  • The ‘Remove iCloud Activation Lock’ will appear. Brace yourself for a device jailbreak. Also, don’t connect more than one iOS at a time.

    does find my iPhone works if the SIM card is removed
  •  
  • Read the Jailbreak precautions before proceeding. After reading them, accept the terms and click Next.

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  • Connect your iPhone with compter. Use a good-quality USB cable. Make sure it’s firmly connected at both ends.

    iphone activation lock bypass
  •  
  • Jailbreak your iOS. Make sure your computer isn’t doing anything else. The jailbreak tool will download on Mac and will proceed. Click on “Start Jailbreak.” And then follow the tutorial shown on the Tenorshare 4MeKey windows to do the process.

    does find my iphone work if the sim card is removed
  • The iCloud activation lock will be removed within minutes.

    does find my iphone work if the sim card is removed

Conclusion

So, we finally know how does find my iPhone work if the SIM card is removed. If you want to unlock a locked iPhone and turn off the Find my iPhone feature, then use Tenorshare 4MeKey to do the job.