Thanks to the glacially slow progress of e-SIMs, smartphones are still shipping with a physical SIM card slot. While Samsung’s Galaxy S21 (review) actually supports e-SIM, it also features a SIM card slot which you’ll need if your network provider is stuck in the dark ages, which most carriers are.
Inserting a SIM card (or two) into your Galaxy S21 should be a stress-free experience so we’ve detailed the steps for you after the break in the form of a video as well as written instructions.
Inserting or removing a SIM card is fairly straightforward as we’ve shown in the video embedded above, but if you prefer to follow written instructions we’ve got you covered.
Step 1
Once you’ve determined where the SIM tray is (on the bottom of the handset) and found the SIM removal tool in the box, the main task is to avoid inserting the tool into the microphone hole directly to the left of the USB-C port.
Step 2
After you’ve inserted the SIM tool into the hole that is situated on the tray, gently push until you see that tray rise up far enough (1-2mm) for you to pull out with your fingers.
Step 3
Now you just need to orient the SIM cards until they match the layout on the tray before gently pressing, if it doesn’t fit properly you may need to check to see if it’s lined up correctly. Turn the tray and fit the second SIM card if you have one.
Step 4
It’s time to line up the SIM tray with its slot on the phone. Once you’ve done that, it’s time to place the tray into the slot and gently guide it in. If there is any resistance, stop and check that you’ve got the alignment right and change the orientation of the tray if necessary.
It should slide in without any real pressure right until the last millimeter or two, whereby it’s then necessary to gently press it in with your finger until it’s flush with the frame of the phone. The keywords in the task are ‘gently’ and ‘align’, if you need to use brute force to insert the tray it is not aligned as it should be.
Step 5
Once the tray has been fully inserted, head over to Settings, Connections, and tap on SIM Card Manager where you should see your SIM card/s listed. And that’s it, you’ve inserted your SIM card/s into your Galaxy S21. Don’t forget to check our other guides on how to make the most of your Galaxy S21 here.
