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Vodafone SIM Won’t Activate: How To Activate SIM Card

Vodafone SIM Won’t Activate: How To Activate SIM Card

Are you having a problem with your Vodafone SIM that just won’t activate? Have you purchased a new SIM from Vodafone or got a replacement SIM card that needs activation? Don’t worry, this article will guide you on how to do it the correct way.

Vodafone offers their subscribers minutes, texts, and data plans through their SIM cards for both pay-as-you-go customers and monthly payment customers. Furthermore, you can either buy a new SIM card and can join Vodafone from another network and keep your existing mobile number.

However, there are certain occasions when Vodafone users can’t activate their SIM cards or don’t know the exact process for it. Let us guide you step by step on how to do it properly.

Why Isn’t My Vodafone SIM Activated Yet?

activate vodafone sim

When you purchase your Vodafone SIM card from a retail shop, you can immediately use it on your mobile phone. All the settings come pre-activated so you only need to wait a few hours to use your new Vodafone SIM card.

However, if Vodafone has sent you a replacement SIM card or you are a Pay Monthly customer, you need to activate it first before you can use it. Activating your Vodafone SIM card is easy. You can do it either through the Vodafone website or through your mobile phone.

What Do I Do If My Vodafone SIM Is Not Activated?

replacement vodafone sim

If your phone is lost or you need a Vodafone SIM of a different size or your old SIM is damaged in any way, you can contact Vodafone and ask them for a replacement SIM.  Once you get your replacement SIM, you can’t use it until you activate it. To apply and activate the replacement Vodafone SIM card through their website:

  • Go to the Swap your SIM option on the Vodafone website
  • Under Activate SIM, enter the phone number you want to move to your new Vodafone SIM
  • You can also contact the chat option on the page to contact Vodafone support to issue you a replacement SIM
  • Once, you get the replacement SIM, go to the Vodafone website
  • Log in with your username and password and head to the SIM activation form
  • Click SIM Swap located at the right side of the page
  • Type in your Vodafone account’s 4-digit inquiry PIN that you set when you got registered with Vodafone
  • Fill out other necessary information on the form such as SIM card number
  • Click the Submit button to send the activation request to Vodafone
  • Wait for 6 hours to let the activation process complete
  • Start making calls and text messages

How Do I Activate My Vodafone SIM UK?

vodafone website

In the UK, you can activate your SIM online if you’re a pay monthly customer. However, If you got the SIM in a Vodafone shop, it will be activated already. If you ordered the Vodafone SIM online, call 17298 after inserting it into your mobile phone.

Pay Monthly customers need to activate their SIM cards in the UK by the following methods.

Activate Through Vodafone Website

To activate your SIM card through the Vodafone website:

  • Go to the Vodafone website
  • Click on My Vodafone from the top menu
  • If you are a new user, click on Register and fill in the required personal information to create a new account
  • Once you are done with the registration, click on My Vodafone again
  • Login with your login credentials
  • Locate the My Device and SIM section on My Vodafone page and click on it
  • Click on My SIM and then click on Activate Your New SIM
  • Check that your SIM number is correct and hit Activate

Activate Vodafone SIM Through Mobile Phone

To activate your new Vodafone SIM card, you need the following details with you.

  • Mobile number of the SIM card you are trying to activate
  • Your Vodafone account’s 4-digit inquiry PIN that you created at the time of the registration
  • First 20 digits of your SIM card number

For Vodafone SIM activation:

  • Call the Vodafone SIM replacement service number
  • Wait for the voice recording to answer on the other end of the line
  • Enter the mobile number, 4-digit PIN and 20 digit SIM card number when the voice prompts you to do so
  • Wait for the system to begin the activation process and end the call when you are notified
  • It will take 2 to 24 hours for your SIM activation request to be processed and have your SIM card activated
  • Afterwards, start making calls and send text messages to confirm the activation

How To Activate Vodafone SIM Which Is Deactivated?

deactivate vodafone lost sim card

If you have a Vodafone Pay-as-you-go number, you need to make it active by using at least one activity such as sending a text or making a call every 180 days.

If you don’t use your Vodafone SIM for 3 months (90-days), Vodafone will send a text message that your account will expire and there is no activity for the next 3 months ( 90-days). After the 180 day period, your Vodafone SIM will no longer work.

Furthermore, if your phone is stolen or lost and you did not apply for a replacement SIM for 180 days, your existing SIM will also get disconnected. In that case, you need to get a replacement SIM and activate it through the above-mentioned methods.

To activate a Vodafone SIM that is deactivated, you can not do it yourself online. You have to contact Vodafone to see if your SIM, MSISDN, and IMSI can be re-activated at all. It is because these settings can be assigned to somebody else if you fail to take any action for 180 days.

To reactive your Vodafone SIM:

  • Call Vodafone customer care or visit a Vodafone store
  • Submit the reactivation request
  • Provide valid proof of address and photo ID
  • Wait for the confirmation call to get your number reactivated

Conclusion

We hope that this guide helped you fix the “Vodafone SIM won’t activate” problem If you are a Pay Monthly Vodafone customer and your SIM is deactivated due to an unpaid bill, you can use the reactive your SIM card by paying the bill on Vodafone quick bill pay centre.

Author

  • Michael Stokes

    Over 10 years of experience working as a technical support engineer. Highly skilled in fixing any technical issue, including app configuration and account setup, gaming errors, television problems, and any other electronics-related issue. You can find out more about him at helpfixthat.com/author/spark-wit/

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