Mobile Phone Enquiry

[Tilly2]

After a very long and tedious phone call to Tesco Mobile about the uselessness of my phone, network coverage keeps dropping out in the middle of conversations, they are sending me a new Sim. How do I transfer the 'data' on my current, seemingly useless Sim to the new one I will receive?

[Togo]

We will need more than that Tills. Phone specs would help. Is the phone able to carry 2 sim cards?( newer phones do and some take 3) That would be a big help. Otherwise you are going to have to load the sim into another phone and transfer data. You can do this with a lead or via wifi but both need a bar code or q code reader installed. What is the phone model number?

P.S I upgraded "She who must be obeyed " to a newer phone last weekend using her old sim card and transferred all data to the new sim via wifi. Pleased with myself afterwards.

[Togo]

Tills if you have a sim carriage on one edge of your phone and push the little pin shaped tool that came with the phone the carriage will pop out and show the sim carriage watsit. If it has no external carriage then the phone will need to be split and the simm card and battery will be accessible. A little knowledge before trying this is useful and youtube is your friend there. The sim carriage looks like a little oblong that has a pinhole next to it. (looks like a piercing in an earlobe)

[Tilly2]

Hi, Togo.
Device name moto e(7i)power.
1 SIM slot

[Tilly2]

I really wanted them to replace the phone but didn't get anywhere. If I want an upgrade, I will have to pay £42.00.
I don't want an upgrade, just a decent phone that will run on the O2 network that Tesco use.

[Togo]

There are so many "options" Tills. It can be done with a pc or via your account with the provider, or getting serious in the settings programme after the sim has been replaced. Have you asked if the staff at your local Tesco branch are able to do the transfer when you have possession of the new sim. It is not something that is possible without a modicum of tech ability and patience. If the staff there cannot help come back to me on this thread and I will talk us through it. Meanwhile I would hook the phone up to your pc and check whether you can transfer all your sim details to a file there. First though make sure that all your contacts and photos are indeed saved to sim. Most of us ( I am one) when asked whether to save contact to phone or sim are liable to choose phone ... so the contact is not on the sim. I had to move all data from her phone to sim before even starting. Just a thought. Is this a pay as you go phone? Is the Tesco coverage crap where you are? Have you the option to change to one of the better nationwide providers using the same number?

[Togo]

Crossed posts Tills ref O2 etc. I got "She who must be obeyed" a Galaxy 13 for her birthday after she was having trouble using WhatsApp on her old one due to lack of available memory and operating abilities. She is delighted. I am jealous. Afraid you really do get what you pay for with tech gear, and the best policy is get the best that you can afford. Does the phone drop out everywhere that you use it or only in certain locations? If it is only certain locations I can't see how a new sim will help.

[Tilly2]

When my contract, monthly payments is up, I intend to change to BT/EE, SIM only.
O2 coverage is rubbish.
Good idea to just take it to the Tesco mobile shop and ask them to do it. I can 'pretend' to be a confused old lady who doesn't know what she's doing.
Thanks for trying to help Togo. Off to get tea ready, a bit late tonight!

[Togo]

Just been looking at the phone specs Tills and in fairness it is not a bad phone in any way. It is the coverage of the provider that will be the culprit I feel. I would tell Tesco that they change the sim and transfer the data or reimburse you. I know that the phone was only released in Feb. 2021 and Motorola is a good make.

[Togo]

Aww Tills, Ta for that. We seem to have come to an almost comparative decision on where the problem lies ... almost by accident. I would do a bit of research about mob phone coverage in your locality( not on here Tills) and go with the best rated provider. Pretend? I thought that you were. (^_*)

[Tilly2]

Oi!

[Togo]

I am with EE payg Tills. Good coverage just about everywhere easy online top up with mobiletopup.co.uk on line.

[barry1010]

Do you keep data on your SIM card? I don't so have never had that problem, maybe you don't either.
If you do, it really isn't a problem.

There should only be phone contacts on your SIM card, so open the 'contacts' app on your phone, click the three dots top right of the screen and then tap 'settings'.
Tap 'import from SIM card' - save to PHONE. I would also save to Google (the option will be there) so you will have a back up should your phone be lost.

Really it is a 30 second job

[Xeronema]

I was going to say the same thing Barry, however I realised that more than just contacts can be saved on the SIM card, especially if it's an old SIM that was used in an old phone (back when phones used to utilise the storage in SIM cards, albeit a very small amount of storage).

The following information may be on the SIM: user identity, location and phone number, network authorisation data, personal security keys, contact lists and stored text messages.

That's why I didn't bother to respond to this question when it was first posted, because Togo has given very good answers :)

[barry1010]

The phone was released less than 2 years ago, I’d be surprised if there is anything other than phone number and contacts stored on the SIM

[Tilly2]

I really don't understand what you are trying to tell me Barry. Surely when I get my new SIM from Tesco and put it in my current phone, there will be no information on it?

Or, can I just put a new SIM in my phone and find all my contacts, photos etc?

[Xeronema]

Tilly, pictures will definitely be on the phone (or the SD card in the phone, if it has one) and more than likely so are all of your contacts too. If your phone is only a couple of years old, it will have stored the contacts on the phone and not the SIM.

SIM's only have a very small amount of storage space, not even enough for one photo.

There is a simple way to test it though, just remove the SIM and turn the phone on. You'll see that all your contacts and pictures are still there. :)

[Tilly2]

Thanks, Diz. I obviously misunderstood what a SIM is for. I thought it was a storage facility as well as a network connection.

I did as you suggested and , yes, everything was still there.

Thank you very much.