Did you come across an error message saying “Invalid SIM card” or “SIM card not detected” on your Android phone? The SIM card is still available on your phone but still it says “no SIM card”?
What to do now?
Its really a surprising moment as you don’t know actually why its showing an error message. I can understand how you feel as its really frustrating.
Plenty of users have encountered such incident on their Android devices and they too want to know the reason behind it and its solutions.
If you have faced the same situation then don’t worry, I have gathered few best solutions to fix “Invalid SIM card” error on Android. Hopefully, following them will help you to get rid of the problem.
Practical scenario
I have a galaxy s7 that updated this morning. After the update i’m getting the “invalid SIM card” message. Restarting the phone didn’t help. Taking the SIM card out and reinserting only worked for a minute or so then the message popped up again. Is there any way to fix this that doesn’t involve a factory reset? Please help!
From- https://forums.androidcentral.com/ask-question/786657-how-can-i-fix-my-invalid-sim-card-problem.html
What Is “Invalid SIM Card” Error?
Well, the invalid SIM card error means that either there is no SIM card on phone or it may be due to faulty connection or it is loose. It does not matter why you are getting such error message because there is some connection between your SIM card and its tray.
Therefore, you should find out what has happened that is leading you to see such error message on your Android screen.
Reasons Behind “Invalid SIM Card” Error On Phone
Have you ever thought why such error comes on your Android screen?
Well, I would like to say that your phone has two locks that might lead to such error message. Very few users know that their phone is locked or not. Two different locks include:
Network lock: It means that you cannot use any other SIM card than the one you have got with the phone itself. This lock is not done by any phone’s brand or Google but its from network carriers. If you want then you can unlock it after going through several terms.
Region lock: This lock is done from your smartphone manufacturers. It means that your SIM card will not work on phone if it is from other specific region or country.
Also Read: Best Methods to Fix Not Registered On Network Error
What Are The Ways To Solve “Invalid SIM Card” Error On Android?
Now here I am going to show you different ways to resolve no SIM card error message on Android phone. If you are coming through such kind of error message then don’t worry, just go through the below solutions.
Solution 1: Restart Your Android Phone
One of the best and simplest ways to solve no SIM card error message is by restarting your Android device. Restarting solves many unwanted glitches on phone as it completely refreshes the device and solves minor errors easily.
Doing this helps your device to connect to network again and now check if your device is properly detecting the SIM card. If error is fixed then its fine otherwise move ahead and follow the other solutions.
Solution 2: Check SIM Card Tray
Many times, the SIM tray is damaged or broken and this is one of the main culprit for the error message. If it’s broken then you can adjust it by using a piece of foam. You can apply it by removing the back cover and the placing over SIM card and the replace the back cover as well.
Solution 3: Insert Valid SIM Card
Invalid SIM card error means that your SIM card is having some problem and it is stopping to detect. So what you should do is simply turn off your Android phone and see if SIM card is having any problem. Better is put a valid SIM card and check if everything is OK.
This will help you to identify whether the problem is with SIM card or with its tray.
Solution 4: Toggle Airplane Mode
After you come to know that SIM card is not the issue then you should try to toggle you device in Airplane Mode. This is because several users have found it helpful.
So simply follow the below steps to do it:
- First, pull down the notification panel from your Android phone
- Then look at the icons for Airplane Mode
- Now click on it to turn on
- You will see a warning message, simply click on it
- At last, wait for 30 seconds and again click on Airplane mode to turn it off
After doing this change, your phone will search for network again and if it is successful then your problem will be resolved.
Solution 5: Reinsert SIM Card
As I have already discussed earlier that it can happen due to loose or faulty connection so I have the better way deal with. Simply shut down your Android phone, remove battery from it and reinsert your SIM card.
This is also one of the ways that can help you to remove no SIM card error message from your phone.
Solution 6: Select Correct Network Operator
The network operator that is selected if not matches from your Android phone’s settings then coming through this error is a common problem. Therefore, to ensure you have the correct network operator, simply go to Settings > Mobile Networks > Network Operators > Search Networks.
After doing this, your device will search for network and when it displays the results, click on your carrier.
Solution 7: Buy A New SIM Card
Many times, even after reconnecting your Android phone SIM card, you face the same error message. If this is so then make sure your SIM card is damaged. So you should buy a new SIM card, insert it on your phone and now check if your phone is able to detect it or not.
If new SIM card is detected then old one is completely dead and so you should insert a new one. But if new SIM is also not detected then your phone is having problem. In this situation, you need some professional help.
Solution 8: Set Network Mode to Auto
When your Android phone have selected wrong network mode then you can come across such error message. This is where your phone fails to select right network. However, you should set your network mode to Auto to deal with the error message.
Follow the below steps:
- First, go to Settings menu on your phone
- The search for more networks under Connections and click on it
- Now click on Mobile Networks
- And then on Network Mode
- A popup will occur with different options. Ensure you choose first option “LTE/WCDMA/GSM (auto connect)”
Doing this change will make your device connect automatically to the available network. And if any wrong selection is done then you will get No SIM Card error on your phone.
Solution 9: Clear Cache To Fix Invalid SIM Card Error
Many times, clearing cache on Android phone fix the error message you are coming through. For that, simply go to Settings > Storage > Internal Storage > Cached Data. After clicking on cached data, you will get a popup saying, doing this will clear cache for all apps on your phone. Then click on “Delete” button to move ahead.
Solution 10: Use Phone In Safe Mode
The error “No SIM Card” message on your Android phone can also occur due to third party apps. so just to ensure its not the culprit, simply run your Android phone in Safe Mode. If the error is resolved then problem is with third party apps you have downloaded.
Simply uninstall the recent apps you have installed to stop suffering from such error message.
Solution 11: Do Factory Reset Of Your Android Phone
After following all the above solution, if nothing works for you then one solution is left and that is doing factory reset of your device. Resetting to factory settings mean that all your data stored on phone will be deleted along with third-party apps.
So before you proceed further, kindly backup all your essential data and then follow the below steps:
- First, go to Settings on your phone
- Search for Backup and Restore and click on it
- Don’t forget to click on Backup as this will create a backup of all your app settings before resetting. Check that Automatic Restore is clicked so that all settings are automatically restored after doing factory reset
- Now click on Reset Phone
After device is reset, it will automatically reboot and now you can check whether the error is resolved or not.
Bonus Tip: How To Recover Deleted Data From Android Phone After Factory Reset
Sometimes, users don’t backup their important data before doing factory reset and it leads to data loss. So many of them had a question, “is there a way to recover deleted files after factory reset Android”?
Yes, the data deleted after doing factory reset on Android phone can be recovered. This is because many times, some data still present in the device itself that can be restored with the help of Android Data Recovery software. This is a professional recovery program that easily recovers erased Android data after doing factory reset.
This is easy to use program that retrieves every lost data like contacts, pictures, call logs, videos, notes, documents, WhatsApp chats and many more. It scans the entire device deeply to find out the missing files from Android phone without any backup required.
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Note: It is recommended to download and use the software on your PC or laptop. It is because recovery of phone data on the phone itself is risky as you may end up losing all your data because of data overriding.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Why does my phone say invalid SIM?
There can be several reasons for Invalid SIM or No SIM card installed on your phone. Either your SIM card is not activated or the plan on it is not activated. Therefore, you should ensure your phone has an active plan with a wireless carrier. Also check whether your device is updated to the latest version or not. Once you should also remove SIM card from its tray and again put back in SIM card tray.
Why am I receiving an Invalid SIM message when I insert my Roam SIM?
Many users come across such kind of error message. Actually, when you insert Roam SIM card into the device then generally users come through an invalid SIM card message. This completely means that your device is locked from the carrier. Therefore, to get rid of this error and to get unlock PIN, you have to contact your carrier. Or you can also use a third party device for unlocking the service.
How to fix no sim card error on Android?
There are different ways to fix No SIM card error on Android. Here are few manual ways to fix the error:
- Select correct network operator
- Once remove SIM card and battery
- Select network mode to auto
- Manually enter APN settings
- Use your phone in Safe Mode
- Clear the cache
How do I activate an invalid SIM?
If your SIM card is inactive then here is how to reactivate old SIM card.
- First, remove the SIM card from your Android phone
- Then note down numbers that are on SIM card
- Now, contact the wireless provider to activate your SIM card
- Tell the IMEI number and SIM card number to the customer service agent
- After that, once again put your SIM card into the phone and check whether its activated or not
Do SIM cards expire if not used?
After you activate Sim card as a prepaid subscriber identity module, the card for phone, call, text, and internet credit that you purchase expires after a certain time and this is specified by the mobile carrier. Remember that SIM card never expires itself because SIM only serves to allow the phone to recognize cellular network.
Conclusion
Well, Invalid SIM card error is not a new error that users have come across. There are few causes for it but no need to worry as here in this blog I have discussed several ways to solve No SIM card error.
Hopefully, you will get rid of the error as one or the other will surely help fix “SIM card not detected” error on Android phone.
James Leak is a technology expert and lives in New York. Previously, he was working on Symbian OS and was trying to solve many issues related to it. From childhood, he was very much interested in technology field and loves to write blogs related to Android and other OS. So he maintained that and currently, James is working for androiddata-recovery.com where he contribute several articles about errors/issues or data loss situation related to Android. He keeps daily updates on news or rumors or what is happening in this new technology world. Apart from blogging, he loves to travel, play games and reading books.