If you have an iPhone or Android Phone without service, mobile plan or SIM card, it can still be used to make calls, send messages and pretty much used like any other mobile phone with a cellular plan.
Use Phone Without Service or SIM
The possibility of using a phone without service and SIM card should be of interest to anyone thinking in terms of avoiding expensive phone services and also those who have extra phones.
The good news is that it is indeed possible to use an iPhone and Android Phone without SIM card by connecting it to Wi-Fi network and downloading VOIP apps and other essential apps.
For example, you can make free voice/video calls to anyone without a cellular plan by using WhatsApp, Skype, Google Hangouts, TextNow or Telegram.
You can use Google maps in offline mode to find directions, use Gmail to send/receive Email messages over a Wi-Fi network.
When it comes to entertainment, you can project movies and Tv shows from your phone on to the large screen of your home Tv by using Google’s inexpensive Chromecast device.
1. How to Activate Phone Without SIM Card
While SIM card was required for older models of iPhone, recent versions of iPhone and Android Phones can be setup without using a SIM card.
All that is required to Setup or Activate a Phone without SIM Card is to start your device and follow the setup instructions.
If you see “No SIM Card” pop-up, tap on OK to dismiss “No SIM Card” pop-up and follow the instrucions to complete the setup process using your Wi-Fi network.
If you have an older iPhone (iOS 11.3 and below), you can borrow a SIM card from another iPhone, complete the setup process and return back the SIM card to the original device.
2. Use WhatsApp for Texting, Voice & Video Calls
As mentioned above, VOIP apps like WhatsApp, TextNow, Telegram and others can be used to send messages, make free voice and video calls.
In this regard, you can refer to our popular guide How to Use WhatsApp Without Phone Number or SIM to get started with WhatsApp.
3. Use Google Maps Offline
Even if your Phone is not connected to cellular network, it can still be used to find directions and navigate you can use Google maps in offline mode to get turn-by-turn directions.
For more information, you can refer to this guide: How to Use Google Maps Offline On iPhone.
4. Use Safari or Chrome for Web Browsing
Depending on your preference, you can either use the default Safari browser for web browsing or download and Install Google’s popular Chrome browser from the app store on your iPhone.
5. Project Movies & Videos from iPhone to TV
To fulfill your entertainment, knowledge, discovery and learning requirements, you can download media streaming apps like YouTube, Netflix and others from the app store.
If you have a Chromecast device, you can easily project movies and videos from iPhone to the larger screen of your home television.
6. Use Skype to Call Landlines
To call landline phone numbers, you can make use of VOIP apps like Skype, Google Hangouts and others.
Google’s Hangouts Dialer app is an outstanding service that allows you to place calls to landlines and mobile phones within North America for free.
All that is required to get started with Google Hangouts is your Gmail account, there is no requirement to have an active SIM card or a mobile phone number.
Microsoft’s Skype app allows you to place voice and video calls to other Skype users for free and also allows you to call landlines and mobile phone numbers, within United States/Canada for a reasonable monthly fee.