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Sims and Sim Swapping.
What does SIM mean (Subscriber identity module)
Sim cards need to be installed into a mobile phone to enable the use of the mobile phone onto the mobile network. A Mobile number will be associated with the Sim card when in use. However there are Sim Cards that are called Blank Sims.
A Blank Sim is when no mobile phone is associated with it, so this allows what is known in the Industry of Sim Swapping.
There are 3 types of Sim Cards that you will see. There are called Mini Sim, Micro Sim and Nano Sim. (Photo Below)
Up until Middle of 2012 we only used Mini Sim and Micro Sim in the Industry. However a New Sim has arrived with the Launch of the iPhone 5 and this is called Nano Sim.
The Mini and Micro Sim were the same thickness as each 0.76mm however the Nano Sim is smaller in every dimension at 0.67mm thick.
At present Many phones use the Mini Sim, The Microsim is used in the Galaxy S3, Iphone 4, 4s, Lumina 800 and a few others. The Nano Sim at present date is only used in the iPhone 5. But expect other companies to introduce this as a standard Sim size.
Sim Swapping
So what is meant by Sim Swapping. Well as you can see from the above, not all Sim cards are the same and all phones now take a different Sim. So you need to ensure the correct Size Sim is used in the correct phone.
Sim swapping is transferring your Mobile Information from one card to another.
So How Is This Done?
Every Sim Card normally has a Sim number etched onto the Sim Card itself and this is a 19 Digit unique never to be used again Number. Like DNA to a Human (Unique to one person only)
O2 currently have 4 Ways of Swapping your Sim Cards over for instance Mini to Micro, or Micro to Nano.
1st Way is to go into your Local O2 Store and ask them to do this.
2nd Way is to call customer care and again ask them to swap over your Sim Cards (202 for Contract and 4445 for PAYG)
3rd Way is to fill in the Online Form on the Internet http://swapmysim.o2.co.uk/ All you need to do is enter your Mobile number and follow the onscreen questions and when asked enter the new Sim Card ID Number.
4th Way is the newest way of swapping you Sim Over with O2 which I used Yesterday and was very efficient.
To do this, you need to send a message with the word “Swap” to 20220.
- A message will then be sent back with a Auth Code. All you need to do is reply to the Message and type in the Code they have just sent you. The reason for this, is to ensure that you didn’t send a message by accident to active a Sim Swap
- A New message will be sent back asking you for the Sim ID Number. So reply back to the message with the New Sim number and press send. A SMS will be sent back telling you its complete and to wait until you lose the Network on the old Sim card.
- At present I have only tried the NANO Sim using the Text Facility, however this doesn’t mean other Sims will not work.
As in all the above. When the Old Sim card looses the signal, the Sim Swap is done and you will need to insert the New Sim Card to continue working.
Now the Confusion becomes and you think well my Sim Card has more than 19 Digits and has letters. So I will Explain.
Mini and Micro Sims Generally start with numbers 89441 1006 (This is Unique and is the address of O2 for the Sim card) So the 19 Digits it is referring too starts from 89441 1006x xxxxx xxxx (x are only representing numbers that may be on the Sim Card.
However the O2 Nano Sims are 13 Digits long and don’t have 89441 1 at the beginning.
Don’t worry though and even though the Sims start with 006xxxx xxxxxx. Even texting the 13 digit number to O2, entering the Number on line will not stop the Sim for swapping over.
O2 customer care all know that every O2 Sim always starts with 89441 1 and so does the Text Facility and O2 Online.
The rest of the digits on the Sims normally indicate what type of Sim is and which model it is and nothing more.
O2 Sim Swap takes up to 24 Hours to Swap over.
I have however in the Past never had to wait longer than 3 Hours and I have done many Sim swaps.
As a General rule from my experience.
Sim Swapping over the phone or in store can be done within Seconds to a couple of hours.
Using the Online facility can take 24 Hours. Reason is that Anything done online after 8pm, is not generally picked up until the day after and it depends on how many they have to do and what else they have to do is to say how long it will take. Also its not Automated and is dealt by hand.
Text Swap is Automated and from recent Experience takes 25-30 Seconds from start to finish to swap over the Sim. In fact when I sent the Sim number, I received a SMS and then the Old Sim instantly went dead and the new one activated.
Couple points to note. Before doing any Sim Swap, Please ensure that you have back up all your contacts or transferred them to the phone.
You could be without service for a couple of Hours while the Sim Card swap takes place. It does happen that one Sim can deactivate instantly and the New Sim takes a while to Activate (Normally its within Seconds of one stopping from working and the other Sim working.
Sim Adapters
Can I use a Micro or Nano Sim in a Mini Sim Phone?
The Answer is Yes as long as you have the correct Plastic Adpater to convert the Sim card Back. ** Note ** Some Phones do not Recoment you using an adapter in the phone as this could become jammed inside the Sim Slot resulting in you not being able to remove the Sim card. Adpater should be used only if you feel comforable in using them and know the risk where ever possible.
Can I convert a Mini Sim to a Micro Sim?
Answer again is yes, There are tools on the Internet and even some mobile shops have them to cut the Mini Sim to the the Micro Sim Size. However O2 Mini sims (New ones) have Dual capabilities and you only have to push the sim out of each other to change from Mini to Micro.
Can I Convert a Mini or Micro Sim to a Nano Sim?
On this one I would advise No. Reason is that You have to ensure that you cut the Sim Card Perfect and also shave of some of the thinkness to get the Sim Card to Fit. However doing this may not only Damaged the Sim Circuit it self, but if not cut correct cause the Sim to become trapped in the Phone. So on this one I would strongly not Recomend this.
Thanks for this. I just did my swap using my existing standard sim sized phone, in preparation for my iphone arriving. I was a bit worried as I popped my nano sim in my old phone using an adapter just after the swap, just to make sure it fitted and everything, and being straight away it was obviously still offline. So I put my old standard sized sim back in and it was saying offline too. So was worried that the new one should have been working already. But now I know from this thread that one can go off before the other is active. I'm slight concerned though as I noticed that the way the adapter places the nano, it's metal connection is more to one end and the phone's metal connection for the sim is more towards the other. So the nano only conducts with one of the phone's two of rows of metal connectors. Is that standard with all nanos in standard sim sized phones? :-s
---EDIT---
After examining my old standard sim, I notice it's actually the same. So it should just be a wait now for the new/nano sim to become active. 
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I think that the sim card being provisioned (new one) needs to be in the UK but I'm not 100% on that. Best to check with customer service as @MI5 says.
