Sim card not detected: iPhone/Android not Recognizing the Sim Card

When we see this message, our soul probably leaves our body. “SIM Card not detected”! I mean there is a SIM card in there. Why won’t the device detect it? Just why?

This could be frustrating but don’t worry, life ain’t easy either and we’ll get past it. This seems like a very panicky situation. Duh, who wouldn’t? You might be stuck in traffic and probably need to tell your wife you are gonna be late for dinner. Or maybe it’s an emergency and you need to call an ambulance. Or probably, you have a meeting in an hour and can’t contact your boss. The possibilities are endless.

People may not notice this much, but we are glued to our phones! Okay, I take that back. We all do notice it. But what people fail to see is that a phone is a phone or has its values because of the SIM. For crying out loud, we buy our phones from the carriers. So it would be “witless” to not acknowledge the primary function of the phone, i.e, a SIM card. The phone is able to operate smoothly because of the SIM card. You may own a  million-dollar phone or maybe even a $100 phone. But both these phones will require a SIM card. Both these phones will require a network for the SIM to work.

Sim card not detected
Sim card not detected

Nevertheless, we never disappoint you so we have a solution for this as well. But first, let us know what a SIM card is.

Do not miss: Simple mobile apn settings: Verizon, T-Mobile, Straight talk

What is a SIM Card?

What does SIM mean? Well, you will be surprised to know that the SIM in a SIM card stands for Subscriber Identity Module. How does this look? Are you sure, you live in the 21st Century? It is a small 15-25mm tiny, portable memory chip, which gets very difficult to hold. This chip stores information about you and also the contacts you save. Now, each and every country has its own sets of system carriers (such as Verizon or AT&T). This is because these tiny little chips have a seventeen-digit code encoded in them which designates the country it belongs to. Now you must be wondering, “Why would I care about this code?” Well because that is how they charge us for the phone bills. Didn’t see that coming now, did ya?

Why do we need a SIM Card?

I mean if you didn’t get it from the above paragraph, then you never will! I’m just kidding. SIM cards are very cool and have fascinating functions calling a person or texting a person who is miles away. More like calling or texting the SIM the other person holds. Besides this, we can’t always have WiFi everywhere we go? Even though, almost every place does! Regardless, a SIM card also has the ability to provide a data connection.

See also  SIM toolkit app

Which is also known as “Mobile Data”. This provides you with internet on your phone as long as your phone has service. Now, this depends on your carrier, as you may receive; 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G. The greater the generation, the faster the internet speed. Also, this SIM card can be easily transferred from one device to another, without any complications. The petite size assists in the transfer process. After the transfer process is complete, all your contacts and personal settings will be shifted with it. See, easy as a pie.

Fix SIM Card Not Detected/Working

No matter how much technology grows, no matter how developed our phones get. Making calls and receiving calls will still be the most fundamental function of any mobile device. Especially, when your phone gets a message “SIM card not detected”.  As scary as it may look and sound, this means that your device can’t discover a SIM card inserted. Thus refraining you from making calls, sending texts, etc.

Don’t worry! I have a solution. Because I always do! Try these methods mentioned below to fix the issue:

How did you insert the SIM card?

Funny you bring this topic! Don’t know about you, but I have faced problems because of this like a million times. Doesn’t make me or you dumb it’s alright. Sometimes even the smartest person in the room can make silly mistakes. As a matter of fact, Albert Einstein couldn’t even tie his own shoelace.

As I said, it could be that you have inserted the SIM in the wrong direction and thus the phone is not reading the SIM from the SIM tray. Hence, no SIM card is detected. Voila! Case Closed. So, I prefer, you to check if the SIM is inserted in the correct direction and is in the right place, perfectly fitted. If you are facing trouble try to place the SIM card on your phone. Look at the SIM tray or the guide that came along with the device. In the SIM tray, in very small picturization, will be a design of the SIM. This will indicate and help you in which direction to place the SIM.

SIM Tray?

Once you have completed placing the SIM card in the right direction, insert the SIM tray. Could be that the last time you inserted this, you may not have done it properly. Thoroughly check the tray. Take the paper-pin that comes along with the phone, and try removing the SIM tray and reinsert it properly. If the SIM tray is showing signs of struggle or difficulties, then it is clear that it is stuck. So, make sure to handle it delicately and gently apply pressure until the SIM tray pops open. Once out, remove the SIM card, blow air inside the SIM tray section. Place the SIM on the SIM tray correctly.

Finally, make sure that the tray is in the correct orientation of the slot. Don’t try to be too hasty and force your way through it. Maybe this is how it got stuck in the first place. So, you should try to insert this tray in the slot, as slowly as possible. Because if the board breaks or gets stuck again, then it causes an even bigger problem than the initial one. No matter how slowly you do it if the SIM tray is still showing signs of a problem. Then it is wise, to get the phone serviced.

See also  SIM toolkit app

Have you checked the SIM?

Now, this could be a fancy option but a thorough inspection at the same time. Make sure to borrow a phone(temporarily), which working in good condition. Especially the SIM! Pull out the SIM from your phone and insert it in the good-working phone. Now you must be wondering, what a stupid idea. Well, bear with me. If the other phone successfully recognizes the SIM card, then the problem is with your phone. However, if the SIM card is still not detected, then the problem is with your phone. Make sure to get both of them checked.

What is a SIM Card Settings?

Yes, this is an option that is available on your respective devices. Check for SIM card settings on your device. Click on settings and open Mobile Network or SIM card Manager. Once open, make sure to select tap on the SIM option. And tap on “Enable”. If you are facing issues with the data connection. It is better to also enable data roaming, to avoid the issue of data functionality when in a roaming area.

REBOOT! Restart!

If all the above options have failed then we are left with nothing but to use our final card. Which is the ultimate cliche move. Power it OFF and then ON. Restart the device. Reboot your phone. Sound like your dad? Well, this advice could actually help you. Maybe he wasn’t just saying things after all and really did have meaning to it!

Maybe there was some sort of a glitch with your phone and it was unable to detect the SIM card. Although, restarting the phone may help in rectifying the issue. Usually, some phones are required to be restarted when inserted. Even if the SIM tray is fit correctly. The SIM card won’t be detected when you insert it. So, it is necessary to reboot your device regardless of the SIM detection error, and then check. This way, it will help us to stay careful to avoid future disasters.

Summary

“SIM card not detected” is a horrific error. But if handled the right way, then may not seem like a tough task. Even though it may look like a complicated issue with a very complex solution. But that’s the beauty of complicated things. The more complex it gets, the easier it gets to understand it! This does not apply to women. That is a mystery that will always remain unsolved.

This error need not be fixated just to an Android or just to an iPhone. This could occur in both! It is crucial that we understand why it had occurred, under what circumstances, and these methods to overcome those issues. Remember to be prepared, as you may not know what the future holds.

See also  SIM toolkit app

FAQ

iPhone not recognizing SIM card?

iPhone not detecting SIM card, it goes without any saying. This is a very common problem faced by most Apple users. Instead of showing a pop-up or some sort of an alert, instead, the iPhone shows the text “No Sim” in the top left corner of the screen.

Well, like I have mentioned earlier. The SIM card not functioning properly is not regard with the brand of the phone or the software. So following the above methods should help you sort out the issue.

SIM card not provisioned

SIM not Provisioned is another type of error that is occurred in phones containing SIM cards. This signifies that the connections made to the carrier network cannot be reached or established. As sometimes, more like many times, there are issues with the carrier network as well. Maybe their tower is shot down or it truly is the “Rise of the Planet of the Apes”. Regardless, this is something that is being caused from the carrier side. So it’s best you contact them and give them an earful.

SIM card is not from Verizon

What a Spam! The alert which keeps popping up is “SIM card is not from Verizon wireless” and sadly there is an incredible amount of consistency in this notification. This message is constantly displayed on your phone screens and almost every notification is just this. So this is nothing less than spam.

There are two methods for the occurrence of this error:

  1. The phone is actually locked by Verizon Wireless. Sadly, the SIM card inserted does not have the correct APN set to the device. Thus, the device can’t connect to the network properly.
  2. The respective phone is locked onto the Verizon Wireless carrier, even though the SIM card entered is of a different carrier.