What is the SIM Toolkit application and how does it work?

When you buy a new Android phone, you’re pretty excited, have probably bought a new postpaid plan SIM card and are happy to use it. Now, once you switch on the new device, you will come across many pre-loaded apps. Most of these are Google apps and some essential ones, like calling, camera, settings, etc. Amongst these, you will also find the SIM Toolkit.

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But what is it that a SIM Toolkit does? Do you really need the SIM Toolkit app on your phone? Read this blog to understand all about it:

What is the SIM Toolkit?

Let us dive straight into what is the SIM Toolkit. Now, think about this – over the last couple of years, smartphones have increasingly gotten better at what they do. Newer technology innovations, newer and better chipsets, smarter OS and more. Alongside, the process to set up your new SIM card in your phone has also become a bit more difficult.

This has happened because when you put a SIM card inside a phone, there are a lot of processes that start at the backend. Some of these are – fetching the SMS centre number, MMS server name, mailbox and more. Now, all this data usually varies from one mobile operator to another. Which is why, the SIM Toolkit application was born. 

The SIM Toolkit uses a set of fixed commands on your SIM card to help establish a connection between the SIM card and the nearest tower of the cell phone operator. These commands can be activated by a user or by a networking event. 

You can think of it like this – your SIM card in itself is a mini-computer. So, when the SIM card is activated, it starts multiple small applications so that you can have a seamless experience. The SIM Toolkit app’s preferences are programmed into the SIM card by your telecom service provider. 

Read more: An in-depth guide about SIM cards

What are the features of the SIM Toolkit?

The SIM Toolkit offers a variety of options to your smartphone. Here’s how the various features of the SIM Toolkit can be clubbed:

• Provides you with user interface control: Displays text, menu, plays tones, menu items, language notifications
• Gives you SIM control access: Refreshes your SIM card, checks poll interval, switches on/off your SIM card
• Allows network control: Allows you to send short messages, enables phone calls, etc.
• Inter-network control: Can be used to open the browser, send/receive data, opens channels, retrieve channel status, etc.
• Additional functions: Provide access to timer management and local phone info

Confused by all these features and not really sure if they add value to your SIM card experience? The thing is, these features are essential for your SIM card to have. If these are not there, then you will not be able to make phone calls, send SMS or access mobile data any longer. 

In addition to all these features, your SIM Toolkit will also give you a way to activate your additional SIM card services. These include information like sports scores, astrology, news, jokes, etc.

Read more: The complete guide to buying a prepaid SIM card online

How does the SIM Toolkit work?

The SIM Toolkit on Android does not depend on a smartphone maker or manufacturer. In fact, the SIM Toolkit application looks pretty much the same across all Android smartphones. The only thing that may actually differ in various versions of SIM Toolkit is the list of features available. This happens because the list of functions can differ from one telecom operator to another. 

Think of your SIM Toolkit as something like a client-server relation. Here, it is your phone that is the client, and the SIM card is from the server’s side. Now, the SIM Toolkit adds multiple layers of functions to establish the right connection. Here is a closer breakdown of these layers:

• RIL – This acts as the software from the server’s side
• The SIM Toolkit app – The machine code which uses raw text from RIL and translates it 
• UI – The user interface which reads the translated text and shows it as options and menus for your phone

Before we had modern smartphones, the SIM Toolkit function in the feature phones used to be locked behind a password. 

Read more: The complete guide on how new SIM card activation works

Can I disable SIM Toolkit on my Android phone?

To answer your question, no. The SIM Toolkit is in an important application on any Android phone, which is also very crucial in establishing a connection between your phone and the telecom tower. Due to its importance, there is no method using which you can disable or remove the SIM Toolkit feature from your Android phone.

Moreover, the SIM Toolkit app in itself is quite tiny and does not hinder your storage. Therefore, there is no harm in keeping the SIM Toolkit app installed on your device.

We hope now you have a greater understanding of what the SIM Toolkit is, and how important it is for every Android phone.