There are a few things you can do to ensure that your SIM Card and Android phone are secure if you lose them; setting SIM Card Lock Android feature and a lock screen is a good place to start. SIM lock needs your SIM card PIN as well as your lock screen code (PIN, pattern, password, or fingerprint) to be entered before the phone may be opened. Consider it as physical two-factor authentication that discourages criminals from removing the SIM.
Before you set up SIM Card Lock on Android, there are a few things you should be aware of. First and foremost, you must know your carrier’s default unlock code. For many, this is just 1111, but be careful that if you input it wrong three times, it will render your SIM unusable. You’ll most likely need to contact your carrier to obtain the default code.
Second, and it should go without saying, if your carrier does not use SIM cards, SIM Card Lock will not work (and is unlikely to be accessible on your device). As a result, this article is not for you.
Now, let’s go through how to set up a SIM Card Lock on an Android phone.
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Step-By-Step: How to set up a SIM Card Lock on Android
The first thing you should do is navigate to the Settings menu. You can accomplish this on most phones by bringing down the notification shade and clicking the gear symbol.
Then, in the upper right corner, select the Search icon and search “SIM Lock.”
If your phone supports it, “Set up SIM card lock” will appear at the top of the list. If not, this indicates that the functionality is not accessible for your SIM.
Tap the “Set up SIM card lock”, which will bring up the SIM Lock menu. When you click the “Lock SIM card” box, it will request for your SIM PIN and show you how many attempts you have left. As previously said, the default is generally 1111, but if that doesn’t work, contact your network carrier to know what they use.
SIM Card Lock will be activated after you input the correct PIN. At this time, you should select the second option in this menu: Change the SIM PIN. You’ll input the existing PIN (again, the default), then choose a new one between four and eight digits. Make it difficult to predict yet simple to remember (it can be different from your normal lock screen PIN). If you forget, you just have three chances to get it right before your SIM card is destroyed!
You’re good to go after you confirm the new PIN. The phone will now require both your existing lock screen security code and the locked SIM card to be inserted before it can be used.
SIM lock is a wonderful feature for adding an extra layer of security against would-be criminals if your smartphone is lost or stolen.