If you are looking for a solution to fix the “SIM card not detected”error, you have come to the right place.
After researching various forums and applying practical methods, we have developed our article to provide you with some simple solutions and help you recover the network with a SIM card.
How to fix “SIM card not found”error?
- Restart your Android phone or iPhone
- Remove and insert the SIM card correctly
- Check if the SIM card is active
- Set network mode to automatic
- Clear SIM Toolkit Cache
- Update hotspot settings
- Update your software
- Airplane mode
- Reset network settings
1 – Restart your Android phone or iPhone.
The quickest and easiest way to fix any electronics related problem is to force restart it. In our case with the “sim card not detected” error, you can force restart the device and fix the error in a matter of seconds.
- To restart your Android phone, press and hold the Power button until the restart option appears. Click on it to restart your device.
- To restart your iPhone, press the power and volume buttons at the same time until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
2 – Remove and insert the SIM card correctly
Smartphones come with a dedicated SIM tray that shares space with a microSD card to provide storage expansion for phones.
Sometimes smartphones come with a second SIM or microSD card.
You must insert the SIM card into the correct slot on the tray and align it correctly.
You can remove the SIM tray, check the alignment of the SIM card, and then reinsert it to fix the problem.
Also, before inserting the SIM card, try again, wipe off any dirt, and gently wipe the SIM card to clean it.
You can also try changing the SIM card to see if the problem is with the SIM card or your smartphone.
3 – Check if the SIM card is active
Smartphones provide users with the ability to enable or disable their SIM cards. You can enable your SIM card by going to Settings -> Mobile Network/Connection -> SIM Manager -> tap the switch of each SIM or USIM card to enable and fix the “SIM card”error. not found.”
The SIM may be inactive if you have received a new SIM or are using a fairly old one.
You can contact your SIM card provider to make sure your SIM card is active.
4 – Set network mode to automatic
Smartphones come with the ability to switch between 5G/4G/3G/2G networks for the best connection.
However, some users configure their network to only connect to a 4G or 5G network, which may not be available in their area.
- Go to the Settings app.
- Click on Mobile networks and click on your SIM card.
- Under Preferred Network Type, select 4G/3G/2G (Auto).
Your device will now connect to the correct network depending on the carrier.
5 – Clear SIM toolkit cache
Your smartphone has a SIM Manager feature that controls various SIM card operations, services such as dual SIM, and features such as the SIM Toolkit.
You can clear the cache for your SIM card to fix the “SIM Card Not Detected”error.
- Launch the Settings app and navigate to the list of apps.
- Click on the three dots (menu icon) in the top right corner and click “Show System”.
- Find the SIM card manager in the list of applications and go to “Storage”-> “Clear Cache”.
- Find SIM Tool Kit in the list of applications and go to “Storage”-> “Clear Cache”.
6 – Update APN settings
Updating your APN settings is an advanced solution and should be used if other methods fail.
Your SIM card may have lost its connection to the network and you are having trouble reconnecting to it.
Android
You can update the APN settings on your Android (9.0 and above) by going to Settings -> Mobile Networks -> SIM Settings -> Hotspot Names -> tap the + icon.
You can now contact your network provider or check online for the required APN settings specific to your network provider.
It’s a good idea to take a screenshot of your current APN settings before using this method so you can quickly view them if you can’t find them again.
iPhone
On iOS devices, you can update your APN settings by going to Settings -> General -> About.
In the About section, check if any carrier settings update is available.
You can contact your network provider to confirm that there is no such update.
7 – Update your software
Often, users have reported updating their Android or iOS devices to the latest version; Fixed “SIM card not detected”error.
You can also try updating your phone software and see if the fix works.
On Android devices, go to “Settings”-> “Software Update”. Click “Check for Updates”so your Android can look for any available updates.
If any updates are available, download and install them.
On iOS devices, go to Settings -> General -> About and look for available updates. If any updates are available, download and install them.
Make sure you are connected to a stable internet connection and your phone is charged.
For safety reasons, it is best to connect it to a power source and keep it near the WiFi router.
8 – Airplane mode solution
On your Android or iPhone, check if Airplane Mode is turned on.
If airplane mode is on, your phone will be disconnected from all networks, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular.
To check if Airplane mode is enabled, scroll down the notification panel and check for the Airplane icon.
Make sure the icon is disabled and not highlighted.
Alternatively, you can go to Settings -> Connection and Sharing -> Airplane Mode. The switch must be off. If not, disable it.
9 – Reset network settings
Your smartphone allows you to reset all network settings to default and delete any settings you have provided.
This is especially useful if none of the above methods have proven helpful.
- Go to the menu “Settings”-> “Advanced settings”-> “Backup and reset”.
- Click “Erase all data (factory reset)”and click “Reset network settings”.
- Confirm and reset settings.
Alternatively, you can search “reset network settings”in the Settings app and follow the steps above.
FAQ
Why does my phone say no SIM card?
When your device is unable to connect to your SIM card, it will throw a “SIM Card Not Detected”error. There can be several reasons, and the simplest solution is to restart the device.
Why doesn’t my Samsung recognize my SIM card?
It is possible that your SIM card is not inserted correctly. You should try removing and reinserting it after cleaning the SIM tray and aligning the SIM correctly.
How to fix a detected SIM card?
1. Restart your Android phone or iPhone2. Remove and insert the SIM card correctly3. Check if the SIM card is active4. Set network mode to Auto5. Clear the SIM Toolkit6 cache. Update your APN7 settings. Update your software8. Flight mode solution9. Reset network settings
How to fix iPhone without SIM card?
On iOS devices, you can update your APN settings by going to Settings -> General -> About. In the About section, check if any update is available for your carrier settings. You can contact your network provider to confirm that there is no such update.