There are many apps on our Android phones that we didn’t install ourselves, such as system apps like a phone dialer, calculator, etc. These apps are default apps of your system and hence they cannot be uninstalled. Some apps come installed as bloatware i.e. they come pre-installed when we bought the phone, in some phones bloatware can be uninstalled and in some, they can’t be uninstalled.
There’s one more app that gets installed on its own on Android and it is the SIM Toolkit app. It gets installed when we insert a SIM card into our device. This is not a system default app but still, it cannot be uninstalled, and hence most people consider it to be a spy app. But is SIM Toolkit spyware and is it safe? Let’s find out in this article.
Quick Summary
SIM Toolkit is an Android app that gets installed on your phone when you install your SIM card. On some phones, it may come preinstalled as well. It cannot be uninstalled on your device. For the same reason, most people consider it to be spyware but that’s not the case, it is not actually a spy app nor is it a virus. All in all SIM Toolkit is a totally safe app so you don’t need to worry about it.
What Is The SIM ToolKit App On My Android Phone? Is It Spyware?
SIM Toolkit app is a special app that gets installed on your phone when you install a SIM card on it. This app contains information related to your network provider i.e. SIM card operator. This app allows you to access services provided to you by your network provider. From this app, you can check your SIM card number, check your validity and balance, and contact customer support. However, what you can do with the SIM Toolkit app varies from provider to provider.
So is SIM Toolkit spyware? No, SIM Toolkit is not a spy app. If you see it installed on your device, you need not be worried. It will be there as long as you have a SIM card installed on your device.
However, you need to be careful because spy apps are mostly installed with fake names that look like system applications such as System update service, Play service, etc. So it is also possible that some spyware is disguised as SIM Toolkit on your device. Hence it is important that you check the permissions provided to the suspicious app. If an app is having all the permissions on your device which you don’t remember giving yourself then it’s a sign that it could be spyware.
You can also run a scan using an anti-virus program such as Avast to detect spyware on your device and confirm if the SIM Toolkit app is spyware or not.
Do You Need It? Can It Be Uninstalled?
You don’t necessarily need the SIM Toolkit app, and it is not important for your daily needs. However, it may be beneficial for you if you use additional services provided by your network providers, such as mobile payment, mobile banking, and other value-added subscriptions.
So overall, SIM Toolkit may be important to you based on your usage. But in most cases, it’s not of that great use to most of the users.
Okay, so can you uninstall SIM Toolkit? No, unfortunately, you cannot uninstall the SIM Toolkit app from your device.
No, unfortunately, you cannot uninstall the SIM Toolkit app from your device. Even if it is not important to you, you have to keep it installed on your device because it can’t be removed.
However, if you really want to get rid of the SIM Toolkit app then you can root your device and then uninstall it. That said, it is not worth rooting your device just to uninstall an app that does no harm to your device. So I would recommend you deal with the app and keep it installed on your device.
However, if a spy app is installed with the name SIM Toolkit on your device then you can uninstall or remove it from your phone using an anti-spy app.
SIM toolkit can’t be uninstalled but can SIM Toolkit be hacked? No, SIM Toolkit cannot be hacked. However, you need to be aware because hackers can do anything. If they cannot hack the SIM Toolkit app then they can hack your device using any other app. Hence, you must keep your phone secure from hackers, or else your private information will be compromised.
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Final Verdict
It’s obvious that people believe that the SIM toolkit app is spyware because they can’t uninstall it. However, it’s not the truth, SIM Toolkit is not spyware, it is an app that provides you with information related to your network operator. So you don’t have to worry about it. However, spy apps are mostly installed with fake names. Hence, it is possible that spyware may get installed by the name of SIM Toolkit. So make sure you check the permissions provided to the app on your device. If the suspicious app has multiple permissions without you knowing about it then it can be spyware. In that case, you must get rid of it as soon as possible.
