Best SIM Card Data Recovery & Backup Software Review

SIM card data recovery has been discussed actively on forums and social networks; links to the specific soft, however, are provided infrequently and mostly it is various fake apps whose aim is to make developers rich rather than solve a user’s problem.

Despite this, there is a bunch of functional tools which restore contacts from SIM memory and / or transfer sim card data to computer. We’ve put together the best of the not numerous available SIM card recovery, editing and backup apps.

To work with these tools you’ll need a special device – a SIM card reader, which can be ordered from AliExpress, eBay or Amazon. They are in abundance on offer so pay attention to the rating and feedback.

Sim card data recovery software to be reviewed:

What is this SIM card reader?

A SIM card reader is a device designed to read the content on a SIM card. It gets plugged into your computer’s USB as a regular memory stick.

The best example is SIM Card Reader. This device is compatible with all SIM card types; it needs drivers and SIM Manager app which we are going to talk about later on.

Generally speaking, a SIM card reader is useful not merely for contacts recovery (since it’s not always possible). It can also help with:

• making timely SIM card backup copies (comes in handy in case of losing the content on your SIM card or the card itself, exporting contacts and messages to a new SIM card),
• transferring contacts/text messages from one SIM card to another,
• synchronizing your contacts with your mobile device or services like Google Contacts.

Further on we are going to have a closer look at some of the SIM card data recovery software used in combination with SIM card readers.

Note. Sometimes to work with contacts you need to transfer the content of the phone internal memory to your SIM card directly, otherwise all you are going to see when a SIM card reader has been connected is a blank phone book.

SIM Card Data Recovery

Sim Data Recovery tool for Windows: main window

SIM Card Data Recovery is a tool that recovers contact numbers and text messages stored on your mobile phone SIM card. Unlike other software mentioned in this text, SIM Card Data Recovery is not meant to back up and manage contacts and therefore has purely recovery features.

SIM Card Data Recovery features:

• creating connection via a SIM card reader, specify the port and data baud parity
• to transfer data to a SIM card, PC/SC or Phoenix Standards are used
• the software reads data on a SIM card, shows ICC Mobile Identification number and other customer information
• recovers incoming and outgoing text messages, contact numbers, names and other information about your contacts.

The full price of the SIM Card Recovery app is $69.

Download SIM Card Data Recovery

SIM Manager - universal sim card reader software for desktop

Another Sim Card Data Recovery app for Windows

SIM Card Manager is a tool which helps you to manage your SIM card content. You can use it to make a quick backup copy of the SIM card.

SIM Card Manager has a wide set of features:

• Synchronization of contacts with Google Contacts, Facebook and other services
• Transfering SIM card data to PC
• Export to CSV and vCard formats as well as printing out reports
• Recovery of deleted text messages
• Merging, modifying and deleting contacts
• Synchronization of contacts with other mobile devices
• Complete SIM card cleaning
• PIN change, unlocking SIM card and disabling PIN (if you use one)
• Compatible with all SIM types: GSM SIM, Nextel SIM, RUIM and UICC

Download SIM Manager

monosim

monosim is an easy-to-use free SIM card recovery software using a smartcard reader protocol of PC/SC standard. It has a modest set of features which is, however, enough to perform basic operations. It can read/write and back up your contacts.

This SIM manager is suitable for Windows and Linux but needs certain runtime libraries (examine system requirements).

Download monosim

Monosim - a tiny but useful sim app

SIMCom - sim card manager software for PC

SIMCom is a multifunctional professional SIM card app. It isn’t SIM card recovery software, yet it’s great for phone book recovery, making backups and importing their content to your old or new SIM card.

Main features:

• Edit contacts in the phone book of the SIM card
• Set preferred networks for roaming
• SIM card diagnostics: troubleshoot errors, read customer information
• Manage text messages (copy, edit, delete on SIM card)
• Manage PIN codes (change/disable)
• Back up SIM card content to the computer
• Export/print out content of the SIM card to a local file

pySIM - another sim card app for Windows

pySIM is simple SIM card backup software using PC/SC. It can edit contacts, make your SIM card backup copy and supports any GSM SIM card.

This is a console app written in Python with a user-friendly GUI version for Windows.

Download pySIM

Questions and Answers

My SIM card containing loads of contacts is blocked and I need to restore them somehow. My question is how to retrieve SIM card content if it is physically still there?

Answer. You can’t access your SIM card bypassing PIN and PUK codes since they protect it from hacking.  Sadly, there is no alternative way. A SIM card managing tool can unblock it or change PIN only when you know the previous code.

I can see the contacts in my phone book but not on the SIM card. SIM Manager app didn’t find them either. How come?!

Answer. Your contacts are stored in your phone memory. If you want to transfer them to your SIM card you can do it from Settings. Use 'migrate contacts to SIM' or 'copy contacts to SIM' commands. After that you’ll be able to access your contacts on any mobile phone with this SIM card.

I read somewhere that MobiSaver app recovers contacts, but after I got it connected, still it didn’t find anything on the SIM card. On the website it says "professional SIM card data recovery for Android".

Answer. Indeed, on EaseUS website you can find detailed manuals on recovery from SIM card. The fact is that this app (like other similar ones) doesn’t work with SIM card and only retrieves contacts from the phone memory. So developers want you to pay for the features which don’t exist.