UPDATE –
The instructions posted here were based on Apple’s Tiger operating system at the time of writing this Blog.

Since upgrading to Apple’s Leopard 10.5.8 the Address Book, unfortunately, no longer supports Bluetooth.

For further information on SIM Card Contacts read my latest Blog on this subject, Tracfone SIM Card+Phone Book Contacts listed under the Categories Section or simly click here for further reading.

*Personal note: All I want, right now, is the ability to send and receive a phone call or text message. I need a relatively cheap, prepaid, way to communicate. TracFone answers that call…literally.

I’m happy with my Bluetooth enabled LG600G TracFone for now. It has a VGA camera, numerous tools and web access. I can send and receive text messages, MMS meassages and I can send and receive email messages (160 character limit). I can also update my Facebook page and update my Twitter page in real time.

The one major problem, with owning a TracFone, is the inability to swap-out SIM cards even if you decide later to buy another TracFone model. You’re still not going to be able to swap-out the new SIM card with the old SIM card.

Why?

TracFone uses special proprietary firmware and special SIM cards that can only be used in TracFone’s. Therefore, the SIM card that came with your Tracfone are paired together. End of conversation.

I have no complaints because there are no contracts, no monthly bills and you can opt-out anytime without penalties. You send a call. You receive a call. (NOTE: You can actually do much more with a TracFone. Read my other Blog’s on TracFone!)

So, how do you move those 100 – 300 contacts onto your new SIM card without retyping all of them with the phones small keypad.

Hopefully, you’ve been smart enough to have an address book/phone book of some sort on your computer with all of your contacts included. It’s a simple backup plan for contacts much like backing up your computer.

If you’re a Mac user your in luck! Your Mac’s Address Book will save the day. The key to this is, the Mac’s Address Book is Bluetooth enabled. It will connect to your Bluetooth TracFone or any Bluetooth mobile device.

When you add a new person, or card, in the Address Book, you can then transfer this information over to your Bluetooth TracFone or mobile device. It then automatically adds it to your ‘Contacts/Contact list’ in TracFone. Or, you can transfer all of the address’s within Address Book at once. Simply click on the first address and then use Shift + click (Mac only) on as many address’s after that. Then, follow the instructions below.

Here’s how:
(source: Mac’s Address Book Help menu)

I had been been “Googling” around for days, hours-on-end, reading this and reading that, searching for a solution and no one had an answer. A lot of complaints and whining. But, no solution to this problem.

It’s funny though, the solution was staring right at me every time I would open the Address Book but never realized it until I just happened to notice the Bluetooth button at the top!

Sometimes, we just never use all of the functions of an application partly because we never needed to and then just pass over this visually.

So, never having a Bluetooth phone before it just never ‘clicked’.

It worked flawlessly the first time I tried this, saving a lot of time by not typing all of these contacts back into TracFone.

If you decide to get a TracFone, get a Bluetooth enabled one. You can do more with these type of phones such as uploading and downloading files without the use of a USB cable.

Enjoy.

* What Kind of Information Is Stored on a TracFone SIM Card?

*Be sure to check out my other Tracfone related post listed here, Tracfone Email Know-How, Tracfone+Google and “Twacfone”. How Tweet it is!