TS2529: iOS: If you can't back up or restore from a backup in iTunes

Learn about iOS: If you can't back up or restore from a backup in iTunes
G F3

Q: Why do I need a SIM card if I only use my iPhone 3GS for music?

Today after several years of using my old iPhone 3GS for music it insisted I connect it to iTunes to restore it.  After that iTunes said "We're sorry, we are unable to continue with your activation at this time", and the phone says"No SIM card Installed".  But it is an old 3GS, SIM card was removed a long time ago and it is being used like an old iPod.  Can I get around this without a SIM card?  Is the hardware broken, or is this a new bug?

iPhone 3G, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5), old phone, used only for music

Posted on Dec 15, 2013 8:37 PM

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Q: Why do I need a SIM card if I only use my iPhone 3GS for music?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by G F3,

    G F3 G F3 Dec 15, 2013 8:39 PM in response to G F3
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Dec 15, 2013 8:39 PM in response to G F3

    Note that http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3406 seems to have been removed.

  • by diesel vdub,

    diesel vdub diesel vdub Dec 16, 2013 3:40 AM in response to G F3
    Level 7 (22,030 points)
    Dec 16, 2013 3:40 AM in response to G F3

    iPhones require a SIM for activation.

  • by KiltedTim,

    KiltedTim KiltedTim Dec 16, 2013 6:34 AM in response to G F3
    Level 9 (54,952 points)
    iPhone
    Dec 16, 2013 6:34 AM in response to G F3

    You need a SIM because it's a phone.

     

    You can not activate it without one.

  • by weeowey,

    weeowey weeowey Jul 3, 2014 4:26 PM in response to KiltedTim
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Jul 3, 2014 4:26 PM in response to KiltedTim

    Hello, iPhone owner here,

    do you have a sim card to activate the phone? If not, just insert the one from your phone (if it is the right size for the tray) if you insert it, and it is too small, you won't be able to get it back out. Just a normal sim will work. An old one may work, but I'm not sure on that. Try it anyway, if your sim is too small, Identify your sim and get an adapter for it from eBay. Oh, and once you have inserted it, make sure to connect to iTunes so that the phone can get 'activated'.

  • by diesel vdub,

    diesel vdub diesel vdub Jul 3, 2014 4:50 PM in response to weeowey
    Level 7 (22,030 points)
    Jul 3, 2014 4:50 PM in response to weeowey

    What purpose does digging up a 6 + month old thread to provide essentially the same information serve?

  • by pogster,

    pogster pogster Jul 3, 2014 4:54 PM in response to diesel vdub
    Level 4 (2,269 points)
    Jul 3, 2014 4:54 PM in response to diesel vdub

    diesel vdub wrote:

     

    What purpose does digging up a 6 + month old thread to provide essentially the same information serve?

    There seems to be a lot of that going on lately.

  • by weeowey,

    weeowey weeowey Jul 6, 2014 4:04 PM in response to diesel vdub
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Jul 6, 2014 4:04 PM in response to diesel vdub

    Why not?

    it gives anyone else with the problem a nice solution and help give them experience (not xp points) so that they can go help another person and it goes on... I call it the xp loop.  It's not really that infinite, but it could...?

  • by JohnSwofford,Helpful

    JohnSwofford JohnSwofford Mar 30, 2015 2:31 PM in response to weeowey
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Mar 30, 2015 2:31 PM in response to weeowey

    So I have an old Apple iPhone 3Gs that I want to use to play my old disco tunes lol. Don't want to call nobody just play me some **** Silver Convention, dig? Why do I have to have a sim card (whatever that is!)? Thanks for your help!

  • by Lawrence Finch,

    Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch Mar 30, 2015 2:43 PM in response to JohnSwofford
    Level 8 (37,854 points)
    Mac OS X
    Mar 30, 2015 2:43 PM in response to JohnSwofford

    You have to put a SIM card in it to activate it because regardless of how you plan to use it the iPhone is a PHONE. Once it is activated you can remove the SIM. It does not need to be a working SIM, but it must be for the carrier the phone is locked to (if it is carrier locked).

  • by Paul Melzer,

    Paul Melzer Paul Melzer Jan 30, 2016 11:21 AM in response to Lawrence Finch
    Level 1 (106 points)
    Jan 30, 2016 11:21 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

    I have the same question: How do I use my old iPhone as an iPod? Experts here insist that you need to have a sim card installed, but then how do you explain that I'm able, sans sim card, to download apps and play wifi streaming music, etc? I want to load some mp3s on this iPhone, not make phone calls (and I could do this anyway with wifi Skype, fiber, etc.

  • by ChrisJ4203,

    ChrisJ4203 ChrisJ4203 Jan 30, 2016 11:26 AM in response to Paul Melzer
    Level 9 (57,152 points)
    iPhone
    Jan 30, 2016 11:26 AM in response to Paul Melzer

    Read Lawrence's response again. A SIM is necessary for activation of the phone, and once it is activated, then you can remove it and use Wi-Fi to your heart's content. The SIM is only necessary for the initial activation process. It doesn't have to be an active SIM, but if the phone is locked to a carrier, it has to be one from that carrier. Using the device on Wi-Fi allows you to do everything you mention. The SIM is only necessary if you have to restore the device and it needs to activate.

  • by Michael Vallance,

    Michael Vallance Michael Vallance May 18, 2016 12:36 AM in response to ChrisJ4203
    Level 1 (81 points)
    Desktops
    May 18, 2016 12:36 AM in response to ChrisJ4203

    This topic/ thread  just keeps popping up and rightly so as  I too have the same query.

    Why oh why can't I use my old iPhone 5 as a WiFi device (music/ Skype etc). I have no phone contract anymore -- too expensive!!

    I have a SIM card but it needs to be ACTIVE (or ACTIVATED . whatever that means) to get the iPhone working.

    So now I have a useless 'brick' of an iPhone 5.

    This is just so wrong IMHO.

  • by Lawrence Finch,

    Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch May 18, 2016 3:20 AM in response to Michael Vallance
    Level 8 (37,854 points)
    Mac OS X
    May 18, 2016 3:20 AM in response to Michael Vallance

    To activate an iPhone it must have a SIM in it AT THE TIME OF ACTIVATION. The SIM must either be currently active, or one that was once active in the past. It only needs to be in the phone for the few seconds it takes to contact Apple's activation server. So borrow a SIM for 5 minutes, or take the SIM out of your current phone for 5 minutes. Of course, if you have an old iPhone there's no reason to remove the SIM after the wireless account is disabled, so that's another option. Just leave the old SIM in the phone.

  • by ahpitre,

    ahpitre ahpitre Jun 17, 2016 8:21 PM in response to G F3
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Jun 17, 2016 8:21 PM in response to G F3

    This is one of the many issues I have with iPhone, that is why I prefer Android. Apple makes everything too complicated or simply restrict what you can/can't do with your device  (need to use iTunes for everything, can't connect and trasnfer files w/o iTunes, and the list goes on and on). With an Android or Windows phone you just simply ignore any sim related messages and you can use your phone via WiFi.