Do you recall the location of your SIM ejector tool? Those small metallic items that sometimes accompany a new phone? If you’re like me, the answer is probably no. However, there’s no need to worry. I’ve ingeniously managed to access the SIM card tray and microSD card slot on numerous occasions without the official tool. Let me share several effective methods for opening the SIM card slot without needing a specific ejector tool.
How to Open SIM Card Tray with an Earring or Piercing
The right tool for the job might be closer than you think, as in on your body. Traditional earrings with thinner wires or hooks work best. On others, you might need to unscrew the ball/spike on the end. More extreme piercings might be too large to serve as SIM tray openers. (Be careful not to bend your earrings!)
How to Open SIM Card Tray with a Paperclip
Probably the next most common thing, if you happen to work in an office. Not the fat plastic-coated paperclips, but pretty much any small metal paper clip will get your SIM tray ejected. And when you’re done, you can use it to attach various bits of paper together.
How to Open SIM Card Slot with a Needle
If you repair socks and pants as much as I do (you don’t want to know), then you’ll have a needle floating around the house somewhere. Just use the not-pointy end in the SIM eject hole and press down on the edge of a table. I’d advise you not to try this using your hand. But desperate times call for desperate measures!
How to Open SIM Card Tray with a Thumbtack/staple
Another ubiquitous object that you may find in most homes and offices is the humble little thumbtack. There are many shapes and sizes, but pretty much all of them are capable of opening your SIM tray. If you’re embracing innovative approaches, then you’ve probably realized that you could also use a staple.
How to Open SIM Card Tray with a Safety Pin
A safety pin is very ubiquitous and found in nearly every household. Thanks to its sharp, pointed edge, it makes for a great sim tool. The fact that its design allows for more force to be (safely) exerted makes me think the safety pin is a better sim ejector tool than needles.
How to Open SIM Card Tray with Toothpicks
Now, this is an option that can be used as a last resort if none of the objects above are at your disposal. But you’d be already aware that most toothpicks aren’t thin enough to be inserted into the tiny SIM hole. To get around this, you might be required to whittle away some buts towards the bottom using a knife.
Once again, if none of these things is an option, just look for any pointy thing you have lying around—and if you still failed in your mission, it’s time to get to a store for a solution.
Go to a Store and Ask Nicely
If you ever find yourself needing to eject your SIM card tray while on the go, as I have, one of the most convenient solutions is to step into a nearby shop. Admittedly, if you’re deep in a forest, this might pose a challenge, but in a city environment, surrounded by shopping centers or storefronts of mobile phone carriers, there’s no cause for alarm.
During my last visit to a cell phone shop for this very reason, I encountered an accommodating staff member who sported a SIM tool as a necklace. He was more than willing to assist me with my dilemma at no cost.
Got any other hidden SIM tools up your sleeve? Drop them in the comments!
