I'm looking to purchase a used iPhone, but I only wish to use it as an iPod touch. Could I do this? Does it matter what plan the phone it is on? Does in matter what generation the phone is?
iPhone 4S, iOS 7
Why not buy a used Touch? It would be cheaper.
Here is Apple's tip on doing this: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3406
Thanks! But it says "If you update your iPhone to a newer model" but i do not currently have an iPhone. Would this still work or do I have to have an iPhone already on a plan?
You don't need a current iPhone, but you DO need a SIM card that has been used in the past with an iPhone (just for a few minutes to activate the phone). It does not have to be a SIM that is currently working, but it can be. So if you have any friends with an iPhone perhaps they could lend you the SIM for the 15 minutes it will take to activate the phone? Or buy a phone that still has its deactivated SIM in it.
Thank you!!! This was very helpful! So, I could just borrow my friend's sim card while i activate it and then give it back? Would that do anything to their phone?
It won't affect their phone, except that the won't be able to use the phone while the SIM is out.
OK!!! Thank you so much!
One word of warning. There are a lot of stolen iPhones being resold on eBay and Craigslist. Since September stolen iPhones are dead - they can never be activated, except by the rightful owner. So BEFORE buying a used iPhone make sure it has not been stolen. The best way is to unlock the phone with the unlock code (which the seller should give you), then go to Settings/iCloud and check Find My iPhone. If it is on, or the seller doesn't have the unlock code, the phone is probably stolen. Don't buy it.
Ok good to know! One last question, what if i purchase an iPhone that was on say AT&T and my friends phone is Verizon, does this mean i cant use her sim card to activate it?
No, it has to be a SIM from the same network the phone is locked to.
Great info, sir. Just found your posts while searching for this exact information. I do have a couple of questions though.
I currently have an iPhone 4S, but am upgrading to a 5C. My wife has the same 4S and is also upgrading to a 5C. We want to use both of our old phones as iPod Touches.
How do we remove the SIM card? We've never opened up an iPhone and have no idea how to do it. Other, older phones had sim cards that you just pull out from the battery compartment. But, we don't know how to do it on the newer iPhones.
Is there a link to a "SIM Cards for Dummies" page? We're definitely in that category.
If you are upgrading to 5C's you will get new SIM cards, so you can just leave the old SIMs in the old phones. To remove the SIM from a 4S look on the right edge of the phone. You will see the outline of the SIM tray and a small hole. The phone came with a SIM removal tool, but a paperclip will work just as well. Push the paperclip end into the hole and the SIM tray will pop out.
The iPhones have a sim tray on the side you can pull out using the provided tool or a paper clip. Just insert the clip into the tiny hole and push to pop the tray out.
Sim Tool:
Ohh, and the 5C's use a differetn size Sim card, so you won;t be able to use the one from the 4S. They come prepackaged with a sim you can use to activate the service. Or yo can get one from your carrier.
Cool. Thanks for the help.
You guys are great. This is going to make life simple, for sure. Thanks for the great info from everyone.
Can I use an iPhone as an iPod touch?
