Your Android or iOS smartphone won’t read the SIM card for a number of reasons. The SIM card may not have been inserted properly, or there may be a software problem with your smartphone. Whatever the cause, you must act fast when your phone indicates that “No SIM card detected.”
Here are various solutions for situations when your phone is unable to recognize the SIM card.
Please take note that some of the settings might not be accessible in the same places as described below, depending on the make and model of your phone. With some phones, for instance, you might need to go to “Network & Internet -> Mobile Networks” rather than “SIM cards & Mobile Networks” to access specific options.
1. Restart or Turn Off Your Phone.
Sometimes all it takes to resolve a software issue that is the root of your SIM card error is a straightforward reboot.
Google Android
Hold down the power button until a pop-up window with a Restart option displays. To restart the phone, tap on it.
This can solve a lot of issues, but if it doesn’t resolve the “no SIM” message, you may try turning off your phone, waiting 30 seconds, and then turning it back on.
If this solves your issue, keep doing this rather than resetting your phone until a carrier settings update or an Android update is published to address the issue.
Apple iOS
When “slide to power off” appears, continue to hold down the power button on your iPhone. Slide your finger from left to right across the slider to switch off your iPhone. Press and hold the power button to turn on the iPhone after it has been turned off.
With an iPhone X or newer, hold down both of the volume buttons while pressing the power button to get the “slide to power off” screen.
2. Turn on Your SIM Card
Checking to verify if your SIM card is genuinely switched on is another quick fix for the SIM problem on more current Android versions.
To accomplish this, make sure your SIM card is turned on by going to “Settings -> SIM cards & Mobile Networks.”
This screen is also where you can check to see if the SIM card you wish to use is turned on if you have a dual-SIM configuration.
3. Switch to Automatic Network Mode.
Another option is to switch the network mode to auto. You may accomplish this by selecting the first option, which will be LTE/WCDMA/GSM, under “Settings -> SIM cards and mobile network -> Preferred network type” (auto connect).
4. Choose the Appropriate Network Provider
You will undoubtedly get the SIM card issue if the network provider you are using is not the one that is specified in your Android device’s settings. Go to “Settings -> Mobile Networks -> Automatically pick network” to make sure you have the correct one. Tap on your carrier when your Android smartphone has finished searching and has displayed the results.
Go to “Settings -> Mobile Data -> Network Selection” on an iOS device. Now, disable Automatic network selection and choose your carrier by hand from the list that appears.
5. Manually Input Your Network APN Settings
If none of the aforementioned fixes succeed, it’s conceivable that your SIM card has entirely lost connection to the network it was meant to be joining. You might need to manually input your network operator’s APN settings if that has happened.
To accomplish this, navigate to “Settings -> SIM cards and mobile networks -> Access point names,” then select the “+” button on a current Android smartphone (9.0 Pie and later).
You’ll need to either receive the correct APN settings from your network provider to input here, or you may check online to see if your network provider has published them. Taking a snapshot and saving your APN settings may also be a smart idea so you can immediately access them if you experience problems again.
On your iPhone, navigate to “Settings -> General -> About” to request a carrier settings update for iOS.
If an update is accessible, a pop-up window requesting your approval to install it will appear. If none of these pop-ups appear, an update is most likely not available. You can always contact your network provider to check this.
6. Take out the battery and SIM card.
You may also try removing the SIM card from the SIM card tray and the battery, if it’s detachable. Ensure that your device is off before you proceed. After removing everything, wait for approximately a minute before replacing everything.
Falling your phone is a typical occurrence, but even if it wasn’t damaged, the SIM card could have shifted. Several people have tried adding some paper or even tape to make a tighter fit because it’s a cheap and original solution. This generally addresses the issue and makes the SIM card fit snugly.
Moreover, keep an eye out for SIM trays that are slightly twisted or out of place. The SIM card may not properly attach to the internal contacts of your SIM tray even with a little misalignment.
On occasion, your SIM card may be the source of the issue rather than your phone. Ask a friend of yours for their SIM card and put it in your phone to be sure. If your phone recognizes this temporary SIM card, the issue is with your SIM, which has to be changed.
It’s quite likely that your phone has a software problem if it can’t identify the replacement SIM card and there isn’t any physical damage to the phone, the tray, or the SIM.
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7. Try using Safe Mode on your phone.
Regrettably, not all of the apps you download are friendly. Certain apps may produce this mistake and do more harm than good. Start up safe mode on your smartphone.
For a few hours, stay in safe mode and check to see if the issue persists. If not, attempt to recall the most recent applications you downloaded and remove them. Leave safe mode, then check to see if the issue persists.
8. The Airplane Mode Fix
It’s time to try the Airplane mode remedy after trying all of the aforementioned fundamental remedies and being certain that the SIM card is not the issue. Turn it on by sliding down from the top of your display (once or twice, depending on where you’ve put the icon).
While using Airplane Mode, you might or might not see a warning message depending on the version of Android you have. Turn it on and let it run for approximately a minute. Your Android smartphone will start hunting for a network when you switch it off, perhaps fixing the SIM card problem.
9. Clean the Cache to Repair the SIM Card Problem
The no SIM card problem may easily be fixed by clearing the cache on your Android device. To clear data, go to “Settings -> Storage.” A pop-up message will appear when you tap on cached data, informing you that doing so will delete the cache for all of the apps on your smartphone. To finish it, simply hit “Delete.”
There would be no need to waste time attempting various solutions if there were simply a way to identify the root cause of the no SIM card problem right away. Sadly, the trial-and-error approach is all you have until the Android smartphone displays a notification informing you of the problem.
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10. Reset Network Configuration
You may also completely reset the network settings if you are unsure of what software issue is preventing your iPhone from detecting the SIM card. This just restores your network settings to their default state without erasing any data.
- Click Reset after going to “Settings -> General -> Transfer or Reset iPhone.”
- You’ll get a menu with choices to reset different iOS components when you click on Reset.
- Reset Network Settings by clicking on it. Your iPhone will then ask you to enter your passcode, at which point the network settings will be reset.
- To continue, enter your passcode.
