When we subscribe to a new SIM, it is provided to us in a detachable card in which the PIN and PUK codes are imprinted, usually hidden by a band to be scratched. For those born in the period of smartphones these two codes may say nothing, but for those who have experienced the birth of mobile phones, it has meant the only primitive defense system for their personal numbers and for their voice or data offer in case of loss or theft. Today everything has changed : we have fingerprint sensors, unlocking with the face and unlocking with PIN and system password and in fact the PIN and the PUK are more in the way, since they slow down the startup of the smartphone (in addition to our systems defense we will also have to enter the PIN of the SIM and any PUK).
In this guide we will show you how to disable the PIN and PUK of the SIM card on Android smartphones and on iPhone, so as to be able to remove this additional security system that is now completely superfluous.
Deactivate PIN and PUK of the SIM card
Below we will show you what the PIN and PUK on the SIM card are, why they were once so useful and why locking the PIN for too many errors was synonymous with pain, since we could only use the PUK for recovery. Given its uselessness to the present day, we will show you dedicated chapters how to disable PIN and PUK on Android and iOS.What are the PIN and PUK of the SIM
The SIM cards of mobile phones were introduced, in an intelligent way, in order to have physical support for the identification of the user of the phone or, better, of the owner of the phone number.The SIM cards (abbreviation of Subscriber Identity Module ), could thus be used in any chosen mobile phone, sold separately, with a very reduced cost and an internal memory in which to save some important information including the contact list.
The SIM card basically has a 4-digit PIN protection system, which must be entered each time the phone is started. Thanks to this PIN, in the case of loss or theft, a thief or a curious person could not use our credit to make calls and could not spy on our address book.
The problem with a SIM card PIN is that if you make a mistake three times, you lose the ability to use your mobile phone and are asked to continue with the PUK code .
Unlike the PIN which is customizable and can be changed, the PUK is fixed and is written only in the card where the SIM just sold is present. If you mistake the PUK 8 times, the SIM card can also be thrown away because there is no way to insert it again and you have to go and replace it in an operator's shop.
This PIN PUK protection system is certainly powerful, but also risky if the phone ends up in the hands of a child or a friend who absentmindedly starts typing unlock codes without looking. Considering that the PIN can also be set on the lock screen, together with the fingerprint, the unlocking path or the data of our face, we can also deactivate the SIM PIN so as to speed up the startup of the smartphone; with the PIN deactivated there will never be the risk of having to enter the PUK, therefore in fact it is also deactivated.
To this we add that phone numbers are no longer saved in the SIM, since modern smartphones have real-time synchronization with Google and Apple accounts, keeping a PIN to protect these numbers does not make much sense (in this regard we can read our guide on how to recover the address book of your Android phone and iPhone ).
How to disable PIN and PUK on Android
Deactivating the PIN and consequently the PUK on Android is relatively simple, but we will have to remember (for the last time) the PIN of the SIM in order to proceed with its deactivation.As soon as we are ready, we switch on the smartphone with the active PIN, enter the PIN just requested and overcome any additional security systems on the phone. As soon as the system has started, we open the Settings app, go to the Security menu or similar names (for example Privacy on Xiaomi), open any menus for the SIM options (usually SIM lock or SIM PIN ), press on the name of the the SIM operator then press the button next to the SIM lock item.
The SIM will ask for the PIN code for the last time, then it will unlock the automatic access to the card. From now on, at each startup, the SIM will be immediately available without the need to enter the PIN, even if we moved it to a new phone (the change takes place on the SIM circuit, which will therefore remember our setting) .
Disabling this option will also disable the PUK, which has become useless since there is no risk of mistakenly blocking the PIN.
How to disable PIN and PUK on iPhone
Deactivating the PIN and the PUK on an iPhone is just as simple, we will only have to search for the right entry in the operating system interface (slightly different from Android). First we start the iPhone and insert, when requested the SIM PIN and overcome the locking systems supplied with the phone (Touch ID, Face ID, unlock with code etc.).Once the operating system is started, we open the Settings app, press on the Mobile or Phone menu, open the PIN SIM menu then press the button next to the PIN SIM item.
The iPhone will ask us, for the last time, for the SIM PIN: we press Finish to proceed with its deactivation.
Also in this case the SIM will be immediately available every time the iPhone is started and the PIN will be deactivated even if we move the SIM to a new iPhone or another smartphone. Just like on Android, disabling the PIN from the iPhone will also disable the PUK, having zeroed the risk of mistakenly blocking the PIN.
Conclusions
Nowadays the PIN of the SIM card can also be deactivated and not used, since we can use more effective security systems to protect our sensitive data from snoopers and intruders, as seen also in our protection and blocking system guide screen on Android .To prevent data recovery through forensic software, we can also activate Android encryption to encrypt the phone and make sure that even if you lose it, no one will be able to view our private things.
If our phone ends up stolen or lost, remember that it is possible to use apps to find the stolen or lost mobile phone, so as to track it quickly (if still on and available on the Internet).
