Should I remove the SIM card?¶

Do not remove a SIM by habit. Removal changes the handset, interrupts one network credential and still may not isolate Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, another SIM or an eSIM.

The SIM and handset are separate evidence¶

The SIM carries identifiers and limited data that can link a profile to a subscription. Most modern messages, media and app records sit on the handset, in accounts or with providers. Record the device, slot, network state and visible profile information before any action.

Removal can affect live state¶

It can terminate connections, trigger warnings, create logs or change application and lock behaviour. A powered, unlocked or actively connected phone needs specialist assessment before that risk is taken.

If justified, record remover, time, reason, slot, device response and packaging, keeping the card associated with the correct handset. Record other physical and embedded profiles. Neither a fitted SIM nor its registered subscriber proves the current human user.