Can I use/set-up iPhone/iTunes with no SIM and activate SIM later?

[pdiddyfan79]

I bought an iPhone 5s on straight talk. I know I can insert any sim to get around the sim activation screen. I want to set the phone up, but I wasn't quite sure if I'd be able to set the phone up and make purchases using the app store. I plan on using the same sim to activate the phone in two weeks, but I wanted to download some apps and set it up before doing so. I have an apple id as well. Is that a problem and would there be any problems activating with the same sim in two weeks?

 

[Just_Me_D]

According to Apple, "Even without an active contract, your iPhone might still need the SIM card to activate."

Source: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201407

 

[pdiddyfan79]

According to Apple, "Even without an active contract, your iPhone might still need the SIM card to activate.

So basically, I can use the straight talk sim to bypass the activation screen to get into the phone. I can set up the phone and everything. I was gonna use it on wifi for a while to use up some of the air time on my other phone. When I want to actually activate service, I can use that same sim I used to bypass the activation screen to activate straight talk service? I was gonna leave find my iPhone disabled too. I just wanted to jump on wifi and go into app store (i have apple id) and try some apps and set things up.

 

[pdiddyfan79]

Or it's meaning even with the inactive sim, it won't bypass activation screen for setup?

 

[Trees]

Could try putting the 5S in Airplane Mode and then turn on WiFi. Would that get it on the internet as an "iPod"?

 

[mavsguy842]

I bought an iPhone 5s on straight talk. I know I can insert any sim to get around the sim activation screen. I want to set the phone up, but I wasn't quite sure if I'd be able to set the phone up and make purchases using the app store. I plan on using the same sim to activate the phone in two weeks, but I wanted to download some apps and set it up before doing so. I have an apple id as well. Is that a problem and would there be any problems activating with the same sim in two weeks?

The only problem I can think of is that if the SIM you want to use has your current phone number associated with it, iMessages will take over your SMS messages. So if you want to activate the phone then switch back to your non-Apple phone for a couple weeks you could run into texting issues. It's safer to find a friend with an iPhone and use their SIM to get past the activation screen because their texts are already going through iMessages so they won't experience any issues at all.