Re-activating old iphone?

Spouse’s phone recently drowned in a whirlpool (okay it was a flushing toilet!). Buried it in a rice casket and left it for 3 days, checking status daily.  However, no resurrection has been possible.  


Spouse would be content to use an older iphone that is still around.  Older phone charged up quickly, yay!  Now, how do we get spouse’s line switched over?  What does that process look like?  Will the Apple store folks be able/willing to help us make the equipment switch? Do I call Verizon with the serial numbers?  Can we still use the newer sim card?  How do you pull a sim card out and assess its viability?  Experience with Vz store employees tells me they won’t touch it.  

Thanks in advance.


In the (distant) pass, calling in the serial numbers to Verizon worked.  But those weren't smart phones.  Or - doesn't the Apple store help with everything Apple?


If you're switching from an old phone to a new phone, you just transfer the sim card. I just did this with two new phones for family members (Verizon). No calls or visits required. I imagine it would work the same in the other direction. Remove the old one and let it spend time in the rice casket to make sure it's 100% dry, then plug it in and see what happens.

Here's how to remove. You just need a paperclip or earring post.

https://www.google.com/search?q=remove+sim+card+iphone&oq=remove+sim+card+iphone&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l5.3135j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=1


FWIW, Best Buy has a super-dehumidifier device where you can park your phone for a couple hours to dry it out. No guarantees, but probably more effective than rice.


if the sim card in the dead phone is smaller than what would fit in the old phone, there are adapters, i would guess they have them in the store.


Not worth the effort. Probably won't work well with the new network.


Jaytee said:
Not worth the effort. Probably won't work well with the new network.

 Depends on the age of the "old" phone. 


Jaytee said:
Not worth the effort. Probably won't work well with the new network.

The effort of transferring the SIM card from the dead phone to the other phone? Wow, you must be made of money. 


Take old SIM card out of dead phone. If it fits in the old phone, put it in the old phone and see if it works. It should just work without having to do anything with Verizon or Apple.

If it doesn't fit or is broken get a new SIM card (of the correct size) from Verizon and have them transfer the number to that SIM card and see if it works.

I manage the mobile phones in our office, so I mess with SIM cards every time someone switches or breaks a phone. If I'm moving someone from a broken phone to a spare I don't ever call Verizon.


Thank you, jm and qrsy.  I'll try to find an adaptor!  Good info.


After my new iPhone was stolen in 2017, I re-activated an old phone (4S) by taking it to the phone company (AT&T); $5 charge.  I took that same old phone 4S fairly recently and activated a 6S that had been given to me; no charge.


How well did the 4S work? I know that model had 3G data service, so it probably wasn't like a download speed demon.

It's too bad that phones get overpowered by larger and more data-hungry apps. My Galaxy 6S is four years old and physically in great shape. But it's starting to slow down when starting or switching between apps.


If it charged quickly, that is not a good sign. A healthy battery charges slowly. Picture a water glass filled with pebbles. Water fills it up quickly.



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