Don't Throw Away Your Old SIM Ejector Tool – Use It For This Instead

It wasn't long ago that the purchase of a new mobile phone typically involved receiving a SIM ejector tool with the device. This tool allows users to remove a phone's SIM card, the small chip that essentially authenticates the device within a particular carrier network. But as you may have noticed, Android phones are getting rid of SIM cards, and Apple stopped releasing phones with physical SIM slots in the U.S. back in 2022 when it debuted the iPhone 14.

With so much of the industry moving to digital eSIMs these days, there's no guarantee that your next phone upgrade will come with a SIM ejector tool. At this point, it would be easy to assume the tool no longer serves a practical purpose, but that's not necessarily the case. Before you get rid of your old SIM ejector tool, you should know that it can be particularly useful for almost any device that has a recessed, pinhole reset button.

A thread in Reddit's TechSupport subreddit has highlighted at least one instance in which a SIM ejector tool can still be quite useful. The user who created the thread explained they were having trouble resetting a router despite pressing the reset button. This led to a discussion of the exact location and appearance of the router's reset button, with another user explaining the "factory reset button should be hidden and only pressed via a pin such as a SIM ejector tool or sewing needle."

Keep in mind that the location of the factory reset button will vary to some extent from one model of router to another. You should check the manual or manufacturer's information for your router to locate the button if you ever need to perform a reset. However, pressing the reset button on your router is the exact type of task a SIM ejector tool could be ideal for.

Routers also aren't the only devices that feature small pinhole buttons that could benefit from having a SIM ejector tool handy. Various laptops, tablets, cameras, and even video game controllers have them (it's why PS5 controllers have a hole on the back). Compared to other items you might use to press these buttons, a SIM ejector is generally easier and more comfortable to hold than something like a sewing needle, a toothpick, or a bent-up paperclip. At the very least, keeping the tool around could serve as a nostalgic memento from a bygone era of tech.