Question about phone settings when swapping SIM card

You might want to post if it's an Android or Apple phone.
I know with Android ,you can choose to either store contact numbers either on the SIM or on the phones memory and under SIM in the settings can copy them across

It is an Android

So I was looking around on the phone and can't figure out how you select where you store the info. I did find a menu option for exporting/importing, but I don't have an SD card in my phone, so the only option I see says "Internal Memory". Still I was assuming that there is an internal memory in the phone by itself, separate from the SIM card, sinceI would expect apps to be downloaded to that internal memory, and not the SIM itself.

You are correct ,there is internal memory

I have an iPhone but I presume it should be the same with an android.
All settings remain unchanged. All your apps, contacts, etc. are unchanged and will work like with your original SIM. The telephone number is different, as you correctly pointed out.

I was wondering the same thing. Thanks for asking :)

Switched to a new SIM card for this trip -- except for having to enter the SIM card code every time I turn the phone (Android-Samsung 6) on, it's operating just as it did with the original AT&T card. All contacts still there.

If you use an Android, most likely you are syncing your contacts with your Google account - meaning, they would not be saved on the SIM, they would be on your phone + synced to Google. (In case you have more than one device, they are synced up.)

You can try this now before you go overseas: turn off the phone, remove the SIM, turn it on without the SIM. Go to Contacts - are they still there? If so, you know they aren't on your SIM so you don't have to worry about that.

Laura:

Switched to a new SIM card for this trip -- except for having to enter the SIM card code every time I turn the phone (Android-Samsung 6) on, it's operating just as it did with the original AT&T card. All contacts still there.

You can remove the PIN for the SIM card if you like. That's an Android setting under Security - any SIM card (even your old AT&T) could have a security lock set if you really wanted to. The prepaid SIM cards often come with a PIN set by default whereas US carrier SIM cards tend not to. Just spend a few minutes in your Android Security settings and change it under "SIM card lock."

a bit off topic, but have you considered buying ( and testing) a travel sim card, before you leave? particularly if you are going to numerous countries.
we use a https://www.travelsim.net.au/ card that we can use before we go. check out what is available to you.
not only can you test all things work you can do it at your liesure, saving precious time when you are abroad.

hope this helps

The TravelSIM looks like it might save time and be a little more convenient than waiting to buy a SIM after you arrive, but it also looks expensive. For example, to get 3GB of data costs $60 AUD (about $45 USD) or 5GB of data for $100 AUD (about $75 USD). Americans who have Verizon or AT&T can roam for $10 USD/day so two weeks costs only $140 at the most. The only reason to buy a SIM is to save money in exchange for some inconvenience. The TravelSIM wouldn't save much. I guess if you live in a country where international roaming is still super expensive, this might make some sense.

Buying a European SIM would be a much better deal. Some of them (Dutch Vodafone SIM, French Orange SIM) can be bought ahead of time online so you can have a working phone when you land in Europe. You can get a Dutch Vodafone SIM and 6GB of data for about $35 USD now. Some of the British and Irish SIMs you can buy online are an even better deal.

I wasn't suggesting to buy a travel sim, but the idea of getting your sim ahead of leaving.
you have to do your sums as paying for roaming at approx $10 a day is not an option for us when we are there for 9 weeks at a time.
one option we do take advantage of is buying 2 travel sim cards ( not much more than buying one) and having FREE texts between them.
great for texting either home (leave one with family etc) or between each other of the travelling party. great when you are walking through the shops and get 'lost' etc.