Can I use 2 SIMs (different carrier) with the same Iphone

Question

Level 1

4 points

Can I use 2 SIMs (different carrier) with the same Iphone

Hi. I currently have an iPhone 8 Plus on Spectrum Mobile. I would like to temporarily (maybe 3 weeks) activate an AT&T SIM card long enough to port a landline number to that cell phone account. (Longggg story as to why but the bottom line is I temporarily need to have AT&T account of some sort.)

Can I activate the AT&T SIM card on the iphone without losing my Spectrum Mobile service? I am fine without having the Spectrum phone number/service for the time I use my AT&T SIM Card.... but I didn't want to permanently lose that Spectrum account.

I wasn't sure if the IMEI was affiliated with the phone such that if I try to set up an AT&T account they will connect the service to AT&T and disconnect the Spectrum Service? I will end up migrating the AT&T phone number out and closing out my AT&T account. Thanks in advance.

(Ideally I'd love to be able to put the AT&T SIM card into an inactive Ipad I have and port the number to that but it doesn't seem like that's an actual phone account. That would certainly be the cleanest since it isn't affiliated with any company.

Posted on Oct 17, 2023 1:00 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Servant of Cats

Level 6

16,546 points

Oct 17, 2023 1:14 PM in response to kathryns91

kathryns91 wrote:

Ideally I'd love to be able to put the AT&T SIM card into an inactive Ipad I have and port the number to that but it doesn't seem like that's an actual phone account. That would certainly be the cleanest since it isn't affiliated with any company.

Some iPads can connect to the Internet using cellular data – but I don't believe that any were ever sold as being able as act as cellular phones.

Given that, the very best you could hope for would be that transferring a SIM to an iPad would allow the iPad to send and receive data using the plan associated with that SIM. The iPad wouldn't become an iPhone.

Reply

Answer 2

kathryns91 Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 17, 2023 1:52 PM in response to Servant of Cats

I just did a bit of research though and it looks like maybe porting it to a tablet might add some complications and not be the best idea - assigning it to an iPhone might be better.

Soooo... getting back to the original question... can I set up a SIM card with AT&T service on my Iphone and switch between Spectrum (on one SIM card) and AT&T (on another SIM card)?

(In answer to your question though - it's okay if the ipad doesn't become an Iphone since it's really about the actual phone number (336-662-xxxx). I just have to have an AT&T account with that number.)

Reply

Answer 3

Oct 17, 2023 2:02 PM in response to kathryns91

kathryns91 wrote:

I just did a bit of research though and it looks like maybe porting it to a tablet might add some complications and not be the best idea - assigning it to an iPhone might be better.

Soooo... getting back to the original question... can I set up a SIM card with AT&T service on my Iphone and switch between Spectrum (on one SIM card) and AT&T (on another SIM card)?

(In answer to your question though - it's okay if the ipad doesn't become an Iphone since it's really about the actual phone number (336-662-xxxx). I just have to have an AT&T account with that number.)

You can't port the number to an iPad. The "mobile number" on an iPad is for billing purposes only.

The iPhone 8 does not support an eSIM so doesn't have the dual SIM capabilities later models do. In theory, you should be able to sway the SIMs back and forth, though.

Reply

Answer 4

kathryns91 Author

Level 1

4 points

Oct 17, 2023 2:18 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

Thanks - that helps eliminate the iPad option.

If I set up a new AT&T Mobile account with one of their SIM cards (I'm guessing that I would need to give them my phone IMEI?) will that disconnect the Spectrum account affiliated with the same IMEI? I only need to switch the SIM cards twice - once when I put the AT&T SIM in and then several weeks later when I go back to the Spectrum Mobile SIM card.

Reply

Answer 5

Oct 17, 2023 2:42 PM in response to kathryns91

It shouldn't. You should be able to swap SIMs in and out. But, it wouldn't hurt to check with the carriers.

Reply

Can I use 2 SIMs (different carrier) with the same Iphone

Similar questions