What is the ICCID Number? How to get it on Android and iPhone?
This is a globally unique numeric identifier for a physical SIM, with a maximum value of 22 digits long. The full form is Integrated Circuit Card Identifier. The ICCID number is printed on the sim card and also digitally stored inside. The technical specifications are in ITU-T recommendation E.118 as the Primary Account Number.
An ICCID number is defined in detail in the tutorial. A SIM card’s unique 22-digit long number. Discover how to locate ICCID numbers on Android and iOS devices.
What is an ICCID number?
To access any telecom carrier’s service, such as data or voice, you need a physical chip known as a SIM card. With eSIMs now, it is a little different as there is no physical card, but they also have ICCID numbers. A mobile operator produces sim cards with the help of a manufacturer. Manufacture clubs the operator’s IMSIs and another global identifier into a physical card. ICCID is that global identifier. It gets printed on the SIM card too.
You can see ICCID but not the IMSI, one having a sim card with you. So what do we need to identify? Let’s understand below.
With the feature of multi-IMSI, where IMSI could change over the air. ICCID more accurately identifies a physical sim card chip. A mobile operator stores the sim card information in HLR based on IMSI, MSISDN, and ICCID. Each digit of the number has a meaning which defines the purpose or creator of the hardware.
SIM Authentication Information and ICCID number and IMSI:
The GSM has encryption keys configured in the SIM and AUC to make communication secure. The keys are per SIM chip, so all the IMSIs will have the same set of keys.
What is the format of ICCID?
As this long number is unique globally. The card issuer’s full details can be obtained from the number. To achieve uniqueness, it follows a hierarchical structure.
ICCID = “Industry Code + Country Code + Issuer Code + other information.”
The ISO has published the Industry codes for numbers. Following is the list of codes according to the source.
| Industry | Code |
| ISO and Other Industry | 0 |
| Airlines | 1 |
| Financial | 2 |
| Travel | 3 |
How to find the ICCID Number?
While using a mobile phone, no one cares about the ICCID number. Even mobile operators too. But mobile operators have a list of all sim card numbers assigned to them. Each ICCID value maps to the IMSIs. So that anytime they can get SIM information from IMSI.
ICCID number is not transferred in any message from the handset to the network and vice versa, while IMSI and IMEI do. E.g., in a location update message, IMSI and IMEI numbers are sent to the VLR/SGSN, but no sim number or ICCID information.
As a sim number is printed on the sim card, one can take pictures of a sim or can note down the sim card number. There are other ways to get the information when the phone switches on.
How to get ICCID on iPhone?
- Go to settings
- General Tab
- About
- Now you can scroll down and see ICCID.
How to Find ICCID on Android?
Not all Android phones need to have ICCID information available to the mobile user. In that case, remove the sim card and note down the number. The following are the steps to get ICCID on Android phones.
- Go to settings
- Got in about
- Click on IMEI,
- This will display either an IMEI or ICCID number.
Mobile apps for ICCID:
There are third-party apps developed for getting a sim card number. One has to download the app from the app store and can get the ICCID. The advantage of the app is that you don’t need to switch off the mobile phone and remove the sim tray.
In iPhone:
iPhone has an inbuilt app for reading the number. For that, open the settings and then click General. Along with other details (IMEI etc.), the ICCID number will be shown.
Iccid number checker:
It is a long number. If one gets the number, how can one make sure that this is a valid number? There is a procedure or database to get the ICCID number details. If these match your mobile network provider, then the number is correct. An ICCID number checker can find the mobile country and network codes from the sim card number.