How to prevent iOS/iOS apps to recognize changed SIM card in iPhone?

Question

Level 1

82 points

How to prevent iOS/iOS apps to recognize changed SIM card in iPhone?

Hi,

I am not sure how to best ask this, so I start with what I would like to do:

For abroad trips, I typically get a local SIM card for my iPhone (4S) and exchange my home / main SIM card for the period of travel. For various reasons, I would like to keep all my iOS apps / accounts (iMessage, WhatsApp, etc.) associated with my main SIM card (main mobile number) and not associated themselves with the temporaty local SIM card (Unfortunately, this association with the new local SIM / number seems to be happening automatically in iMessage, WhatsApp, etc... I guess this is meant to make it easier for users, but it is a dis-service to me)

In other words, I would like to have one setup of accounts to be associated with my main SIM card, and an alternative set of accounts to be associated with alternative SIM cards.

Or again in other words, I would like my iPhone to be treated as a different phone (or me as a different user) when I exchange SIM cards.

How can I achieve this effect?

Do I need to create a second AppleID, take out the main SIM card, log out from my main AppleID and log in to my second AppleID (via Wifi), and then insert the local SIM card? (I cannot test this at the moment as I am not abroad and the abroad SIM cards do not work at home)

Currently, I do not understand what is the key element that makes and iPhones/iOS recognize an account/device/user account as identical. Appartently, it is not the SIM. Is it the MAC address of the hardware device? Is is the user account / AppleID? A combination thereof? Depending on the app...?

Thank you for your thoughts and ideas!

Posted on Apr 14, 2014 5:14 PM

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Answer 1

Apr 14, 2014 5:36 PM in response to _daniel_

The Apple ID governs everything except the phone number. The only thing on the SIM is the phone number. Changing SIMs should not change any other settings except the phone number for calls, text messages, and iMessage/FaceTime if you have iMessage set to use your phone number.

WhatsApp uses your phone number also; there's no way around that. It's a "feature" of the app.

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Answer 2

_daniel_ Author

Level 1

82 points

May 29, 2014 2:55 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

Hi Lawrence,

Thank you for your response. I Meant to respond earlier...

"Changing SIMs should not change any other settings except the phone number for calls, text messages, and iMessage/FaceTime if you have iMessage set to use your phone number."

OK, I understand. But what is the reverse implications for the case that I wish (as I do) to change the settings when changing the SIM card? Exchanging SIM cards and logging in with an alternative Apple ID at the same time: would that lead to the desired effect of the phone being treated as a different phone/different user?

"WhatsApp uses your phone number also; there's no way around that. It's a "feature" of the app."

Actually, that was not my experience so far: I have exchanged the SIM card (number) several times and Whatsapp and most other message would still recognize me as the same user (still displaying the old number to other users until I change the number in the settings, but still working in almost all cases). How can I get those apps to, well, not work?

Thank you for any additional thought!

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Answer 3

Citysinz

Level 1

5 points

May 29, 2014 4:29 AM in response to _daniel_

So... Do you need any of the settings/account info/contacts/etc. for the "roam" SIMs to remain AFTER you re-insert the "home" SIM? If so, then there seem to be few choices:

1. Buy a 2nd 4s specifically for the "roam" SIM(s) and create a 2nd Apple ID.

2. Switch to another OS.

Otherwise, you will need to:

1. Backup your "home" phone with your current Apple ID/iCloud/etc.

2. Create 2nd Apple ID for your "travel" SIM(s).

3. Factory reset your phone.

4. Use your 2nd Apple ID during the setup process.

5. Install your Apps (paying again for the same Apps you used with Apple ID #1).

6. It doesn't really matter when you insert the "travel" SIMs... But whenever you want to return to the "home" phone/apps/etc., you will backup your 2nd ID's apps, contact info, etc.

7. Then restore settings/apps/etc. using your 1st ID during another factory reset process.

Seems like a lot of effort each time (going away and coming home)... Are you sure you can't travel with two phones? :-)

Good Luck!

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Answer 4

_daniel_ Author

Level 1

82 points

Jun 4, 2014 11:30 PM in response to Citysinz

Hi,

Thank you for the help, appreciate it.

Here is what I did (if someone else is interested), based on above suggestions:

1. Performed backup of iPhone (via iTunes)

2. Removed home SIM card

3. Logged out from home AppleID (on iPhone)

4. Inserted abroad SIM card

5. Created abroad AppleID (on iPhone)

5. Performed a factory rest of iPhone (via Settings>General>Reset>Reset All Settings/Content/Data)

6. Set up phone / logged in with abroad AppleID…

Let’s see how I do with that... will post.

D.

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Answer 5

_daniel_ Author

Level 1

82 points

Jul 1, 2014 11:22 PM in response to _daniel_

Hi,

Though to share back my experience:

Well... it worked... kind of...

I backuped the iPhone and factory resetted it, installed a abroad SIM and set it up as a new phone. This worked all fine.

HOWEVER, on return I found that iTunes did not keep that backup of the "home" iPhone install but apparently overwrote it with a backup of the "abroad" iPhone install. So, when I wanted my "home" iPhone back the backup was gone! Oh well, so I lost my data from the past half year... (there was still a backup from 6 month back, which is better than nothing).

The mistake is to think that iTunes would keep several backups of your phone: it only keeps one, the latest. Also, I assumed that iTunes recognized the two different "installs"/two different AppleIDs: iTunes is not so smart, for iTunes this is still the same phone (I guess the identification is based on the MAC address of the device, not the AppleID?). Potential solutions: a) I could have turned off "automatically sync iPhone when connected" and/or b) ZIPed the "home" iPhone's backup to protect it and/or c) not connect the "abroad" iPhone to iTunes at all (which I did for charging, carrier updates, and podcast sync).

Well, would have been great to have that information before I lost the data... At least, now I know how to do it (I think). Will try again next time.

This is the REVISED guide:

1. Perform backup of iPhone (via iTunes) – STORE BACKUP IN A SAFE PLACE, DO NOT LEAVE IT IN THE ITUNES FOLDER OR IT WILL BE OVER-WRITTEN

2. Remove home SIM card

3. Log out from home AppleID (on iPhone)

4. Insert abroad SIM card

5. Create abroad AppleID (on iPhone)

5. Perform a factory rest of iPhone (via Settings>General>Reset>Reset All Settings/Content/Data)

6. Set up phone / log in with abroad AppleID…

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