How To Remove Your Sim Card and Cancel 3G Service on iPad

If you plan to sell your iPad or iPad 2 before the new iPad’s release, likely coming next month, then removing your Sim Card and canceling 3G service might be a good idea. You will also want to erase the data and reset it to factory default settings.

I will tell you how to remove the card and cancel the service thanks to the video below from Gazelle, the tech buying service that helps you avoid the typical annoying channels for selling your tech products, like eBay or Craigslist.

Here’s the video that shows you how to remove the Sim card and cancel service on your iPad or iPad 2.

To remove your Sim Card you will need either a Sim Card Removal Tool, which looks a bit like a paper clip. If you don’t have a Sim Card Removal Tool then a paper clip will work too if it’s narrow enough to fit in the hole. I’ve also used a heavy gauge staple.

First, remove the Sim card using the Sim Card Removal Tool. You’ll find the hole for the slot on the lower left side of the original iPad while the iPad 2 has the slot on the upper left side. Push the tool inside the tiny hole and it will pop out. Slide out the card holder and remove the card. Slide the empty holder back in so you don’t lose it.

Now you will want to cancel your 3G service. Go into the Settings app on your iPad and tap on Cellular Data and then View Account.

The resulting screen will ask you to log into your AT&T or Verizon account using the online login information. Enter your online customer account information and it will display a screen with the option to Add Data or Change Plan. Tap on it and select the bottom option to Cancel Plan on the next screen. You will have two options, one for canceling the plan now and the other will cancel it later.

This should work with both AT&T and Verizon. Some AT&T customers won’t be able to cancel their plan from their iPad. If your account is a “postpaid” account you have to call AT&T to cancel it or go online to their website. You will see the following error message if that is the case.

I called AT&T customer service, who referred me to Apple support, who told me only AT&T could fix this issue by switching your account to a pre-paid account. If you’re canceling anyway, just call AT&T and cancel or go online to cancel it through their website if you see this error message.