Or, if the thief is someone close to you and directly interested in your private life, without an active SIM PIN, he or she might be able to also listen to your voicemail or read your new messages. That is not something you would want, so setting and using a PIN for your SIM card is always a good idea.
To protect your SIM card from others using it for phone calls or cellular data, you can use a SIM PIN. Then, every time you restart your device or remove the SIM card, your SIM card will automatically lock and you'll see "Locked SIM" in the status bar. Don't try to guess your SIM PIN.
The SIM PIN code is a security feature that protects against unauthorized individuals accessing your SIM card data. Some smartphone models come with this option on by default, while others need to have the feature enabled.
To prevent fraud
If you use a sim pin, even if your phone is stolen, your sim card becomes useless to fraudsters because if it is inserted into a new phone, it will ask for the unlock PIN before calls can be made or received on the phone and before your data can be used.
Lock your SIM card with a PIN (personal identification number) so that an identification code is required for phone calls and cellular data usage. To stop other people from using your SIM card to make phone calls or use cellular data, you can use a SIM PIN.
You can remove a SIM lock on your Android device in simple ways. You can look for your carrier's contact and ask them to give you an unlock code to bypass a SIM lock. But this happens only if the SIM card is locked to a network. You can still use an IMEI number or input a PUK code.
PINs are not the same as passwords because they are generally tied to the devices you use.
Each operator has a default passcode, usually 1111, 0000, or 1234.
If unavailable, ensure a SIM card is properly inserted. The default SIM PIN is 1111.
You can remove the SIM lock by performing an unlock procedure on the phone. Although the specific unlock instructions differ according to your phone model, the procedure consists of obtaining an unlock code from your existing mobile provider. You can also buy a code online if the provider is unable to give it to you.
This can be done with most Android smartphones, and only Samsung phones have the ability to unlock through a settings menu. If you have a Samsung phone 2019 or later, head to Settings > Connections > More Connection Settings > Select Network Unlock.
SIM card lock protect your SIM from being used on other Mobile Devices.