Every SIM card has a 13 to 19-digit number to identify it called the ICCID or SIM card number. This number is quite unlike mobile numbers that we all use to talk with others; it has a different and special meaning from your SIM card. This information is needed by your mobile carrier so it can enable and control your SIM card. If you want to locate your SIM card number on Android devices here’s how.
How do you catch SIM Card Numbers on Android?
If you don’t have your SIM card number on an Android device then there are a few methods you can use to locate it.
Method 1: Check Phone Settings
There are two easiest ways to find your SIM card number on Android devices, through the setting of your phone. Here’s how:
- Open your Android device Settings app.
- Tap on About phone on the screen and it will show you the whole thing.
- Tap on SIM card status.
- If there’s no SIM card number entry, look for that of the ICCID. Your SIM card’s unique ID number is your SIM card.
The specifics change a bit based on your Android device’s manufacturer and version of the operating system, but just to keep a record of the steps here are the ones noted.
Method 2: Use a Third-Party App
If these methods don’t work for you, you may resort to the use of a third-party app to get your SIM card number. Here’s an example using the SIM Card Information app:
- Go on your Android device, and open the Google Play store.
- Install the app Search for SIM Card Info.
- After the setup, open the app.
- The Serial Number (ICCID) or similar entry should display your SIM Card number in the app.
Just a note- there are lots of other apps on the Play Store that will get you your SIM card’s number (e.g. SIM Tool Manager, SIM card info, etc.).
Method 3: Use the Phone Dialer
Some Android devices let you get your SIM card number without having to go through the phone dialer. Here’s how:
- Click on the Phone app and enter the Phone app on your Android gadget.
- Type that particular carrier’s USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) code.
- Enter the code, and click on the Call or Dial button.
- Your number on the SIM card should appear on the screen.
- For note – USSD codes will vary according to your mobile carrier and geography.
Method 4: Check SIM Card Packaging
There is a SIM card number printed on the packaging if you still have it which your SIM card came in. You will be looking for long numbers, typically between 18 and 22 digits each lumped together and identified as an ICCID or SIM card number.
Method 5: Check Your SIM Card
The number mentioned behind the SIM card appears in some SIM card providers. And therefore you have it out, you look any number printed. Your number is your SIM card number.
What exactly does the SIM Card Number mean?
There’s one number that identifies each SIM card, which we call the SIM card number or ICCID, and which follows a particular format. Here’s what the different parts of the ICCID represent:
- Major Industry Identifier (MII): The first two digits (89) in these numbers designate that these numbers are for telecommunicating purposes.
- Country Code (CC): The SIM card was issued in the country code which is represented by the next one to three digits.
- Issuer Identifier Number (IIN): Following that, the following one to four digits refer to the mobile network operator that issued the SIM card.
- Account Identification Number (AIN): Your SIM card can be assigned a unique account identification number, the digits of which (usually around 11) remain behind.
- Checksum: It’s a checksum so that we can verify the integrity of the ICCID.
For example, an ICCID of 89461700000123456789 can be broken down as follows:
- 89 (MII): Telecommunication purposes
- 461 (CC): Country code for China
- 70 (IIN): China Mobile Issuer Identifier Number
- 0000123456789 (AIN): Account identification number
