Porting number from Nokia

P. Breathnach

This Luddite has finally given in and acquired a smartphone.

I want to port my existing number over from my ancient Nokia, and know that the SIM on the old phone will be disabled after I have done so. But disabled to what extent?

1. Will I be able to access my contacts so that I can put their numbers into my new phone?
2. Will I have access to stored texts?

All helpful advice welcome!

jacksie66

This post has been deleted.

P. Breathnach

jacksie66 wrote: »

It depends if the contacts were saved to the device or the sim card. Same goes for the text messages. If everything is in the sim you should be able to access it in the new smartphone.

Thanks. I suspected that might be the answer.

I don't know where that leaves me, because I don't know where the contacts are saved.

I'm not transferring the sim card (different type). Does that mean that everything stored in the sim card will be lost?

Would it be wise to spend an hour or two making notes?

long_b

P. Breathnach wrote: »

Thanks. I suspected that might be the answer.

I don't know where that leaves me, because I don't know where the contacts are saved.

I'm not transferring the sim card (different type). Does that mean that everything stored in the sim card will be lost?

Would it be wise to spend an hour or two making notes?

If you got the phone from a mobile operator then just go in to one of their shops. They should have a simple reading thingy.

Also, when you get your new sim you'll probably get a fill size SIM that you push the little SIM out of. This would fit in your Nokia. Just make sure the contacts are stored on your phone too as well as on your old SIM.

Wheety

How old is the Nokia? If it's a smartphone, I'm sure there's apps to transfer numbers.

For peace of mind, you're probably better off taking notes and doing it manually. As you say the sim card won't fit in your new phone.

P. Breathnach

long_b wrote: »

If you got the phone from a mobile operator then just go in to one of their shops. They should have a simple reading thingy.

Also, when you get your new sim you'll probably get a fill size SIM that you push the little SIM out of. This would fit in your Nokia. Just make sure the contacts are stored on your phone too as well as on your old SIM.

I have blown it so far as the sim is concerned. I have already reduced the new one. And my new service provider is Virgin: if they have retail outlets, I have yet to find one. There is nothing near me, anyway.

Wheety wrote: »

How old is the Nokia? If it's a smartphone, I'm sure there's apps to transfer numbers.

For peace of mind, you're probably better off taking notes and doing it manually. As you say the sim card won't fit in your new phone.

The Nokia is an antique - 6303i. Far from smart! My needs are simple. I don't need or want everywhere-connectivity. I'd have chosen to keep things simple except that circumstances ganged up on me, and I need occasional online connectivity when I am out and about.

I'll get me a pen and paper!

Thanks for the responses.

long_b

P. Breathnach wrote: »

I have blown it so far as the sim is concerned. I have already reduced the new one. And my new service provider is Virgin: if they have retail outlets, I have yet to find one. There is nothing near me, anyway.


The Nokia is an antique - 6303i. Far from smart! My needs are simple. I don't need or want everywhere-connectivity. I'd have chosen to keep things simple except that circumstances ganged up on me, and I need occasional online connectivity when I am out and about.

I'll get me a pen and paper!

Thanks for the responses.

If both sims are active you could send the contacts as vcf?
Last option would be to connect the phone to a PC if you have a cable and use Nokia PC Suite to export them to a text file

P. Breathnach

long_b wrote: »

If both sims are active you could send the contacts as vcf?
Last option would be to connect the phone to a PC if you have a cable and use Nokia PC Suite to export them to a text file

Thanks again.

I can't have both sims active at the same time, because I am porting a number.

It seems that if I want a tech solution, I need to spend time learning - more time than I would spend making notes and keying stuff in.

I had hoped to find a way to force all the stuff in the phone to the phone's own memory rather than the sim card. That does not look to be a readily-available option.

I'm going old-tech on this operation.

Thanks all.

niallb

Hi.
This is probably easier than you think.
You can still get contacts from the SIM even if it isn't active, so that's not a big deal.
You might need to scroll down a little further in the menu on your Nokia to find the option you need.

Before you change your SIM, copy all your contacts from the old SIM to the nokia phone:
MENU -> CONTACTS -> COPY CONTACTS -> SIM TO PHONE

Turn off the phone, take out the battery, and before you push out the smaller size SIM,
put the new fullsize SIM into the NOKIA.
This time, reverse the procedure:
MENU -> CONTACTS -> COPY CONTACTS -> PHONE TO SIM

Now you can snap out the smaller part of the SIM you need for your new phone,
and your contacts are on the new SIM when you put it in.
Depending on which model smartphone you buy, the procedure for getting them loaded into the addressbook will be different, but post up the model number and I'm sure you'll get some advice here.

MarkR

Above is probably the easiest way.

Other ways include via software connecting to a pc.
http://androidadvices.com/how-to-transfer-phone-contacts-from-nokia-to-samsung-galaxy-s/

Or you might be able to do it via bluetooth directly from the phone.

Your text messages would normally be stored on the phone, so I don't think they'll go across, unless you export them using the software above.

RacoonQueen

If you've already snapped out the smaller sim, you can usually snap it back into the bigger SIM's aswell. Niall's post is probably the easiest way.

P. Breathnach

RacoonQueen wrote: »

If you've already snapped out the smaller sim, you can usually snap it back into the bigger SIM's aswell. Niall's post is probably the easiest way.

Niall did identify the method that I had failed to find - but I had already done the old-tech pen & paper copy.

Putting the new SIM into the older phone wasn't an available option: I am changing both phone and service provider, and the old phone is locked to the service I am leaving. I'd have to wait a week for the unlock code.

As it happens, I have now ported the number. The old phone has a disabled SIM, but it does everything except make & receive calls or texts - all the contacts and stored texts are still there and accessible.

I have email addresses for most of my contacts, and the new phone has picked them up, so in most cases all I need to do is edit in the phone numbers.

I'm not sure if I need to archive any text messages. In any event, I still have them, and I can fidget with the old phone from time to time to make sure there is nothing critical that I would regret losing.

I know that in the near future using a smart phone will seem like second nature, but right now it looks like a bit of a technology challenge. And it will be a PITA charging the battery almost every day rather than once a week.

Thanks for the practical and moral support.