If you are looking for a solution to fix the “No SIM card detected” error, you have come to the right place.
After following up on various forums and implementing practical methods, we have designed our article to provide you with multiple easy solutions and help you get your SIM card network back.
How To Fix ‘no Sim Card Detected’ Error?
- Restart Your Android Phone or iPhone
- Remove And Properly Insert The SIM Card
- Check If SIM Card Is Active
- Set Network Mode To Auto
- Clear SIM Toolkit Cache
- Update APN Settings
- Update Your Software
- Airplane Mode Solution
- 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 ‘no sim card detected’ error, you can force restart your device and have the error fixed in seconds.
- To restart your android phone, long press the power button until the option for restart appears. Tap on it to restart your device.
- To restart your iPhone, simultaneously press the power and volume button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.
2 – Remove And Properly Insert The SIM Card
The smartphones come with a dedicated SIM card tray which shares the space with a microSD card to allow memory expansion for the phones.
Sometimes, smartphones come with a second SIM card or a microSD card.
You must have inserted your SIM card in the correct slot on the tray, and it is properly aligned.
You can remove the SIM card tray, check the SIM card’s alignment, and then re-insert it to fix the issue.
In addition, before inserting the SIM try back, bow out the dirt and wipe your SIM gently to clean it.
You can also try switching SIM cards to check if the issue is with the SIM card or your smartphone.
3 – Check If SIM Card Is Active
Smartphones provide users with an option to enable or disable their SIM cards. You can enable your SIM card by going into Settings -> Mobile network/Connection -> SIM Card Manager -> Tap each SIM or USIM toggle to enable and fix the “No SIM card detected” error.
The SIM might not be active if you have received a new SIM card or are using a pretty old one.
You can contact the SIM card provider to ensure your SIM is active.
4 – Set Network Mode To Auto
Smartphones come with an option to switch between the 5G/4G/3G/2G networks to ensure the best connectivity.
However, some users set their network to connect to 4G or 5G network only, which might not be available in their area.
- Navigate to the Settings app.
- Tap on Mobile Networks and tap on your SIM card.
- Under the preferred Network Type, choose 4G/3G/2G (auto).
Your device will now connect to the correct network based on the carrier.
5 – Clear SIM Tool Kit Cache
Your smartphone has a SIM Card Manager feature that oversees various SIM operations, services such as dual SIM, and features such as SIM toolkit.
You can clear the cache for your SIM card to fix the “No SIM card detected” error.
- Please launch the Settings app and navigate to the Apps list.
- Tap on the three dots (menu icon) in the top-right corner and click on Show System.
- Look for SIM Card manager in the app list and go to Storage -> Clear Cache.
- Look for SIM Tool Kit in the app list and go to Storage -> Clear Cache.
6 – Update APN Settings
Updating the APN settings is an advanced solution and should be used if the other methods fail to provide you with a solution.
It might be possible that your SIM card has lost contact with the network and is facing troubling reconnecting to it.
Android
You can update APN settings on your Android (9.0 and above) by navigating to Settings -> Mobile Networks -> SIM settings -> Access Point names -> tap “+” icon.
Now, you can contact your network provider or check online for the necessary APN settings specific to your network provider.
It is recommended that before following this method, you should take a screenshot of your current APN settings to quickly refer to them in case you can’t find any again.
iPhone
On your iOS devices, you can update the APN settings by navigating to Settings -> General -> About.
In the About section, check if any Carrier Settings update is available.
You can contact your network provider to confirm if there is no such update.
7 – Update Your Software
Often users have reported by updating their Android or iOS devices to their latest version; the ‘No SIM card detected’ error was fixed.
You can also try updating your phone’s software and check if the fix works.
On your Android devices, navigate to Settings -> Software Update. Tap on the Check for updates to allow your Android to look for any available updates.
In case any updates are available, download and install them.
On your iOS devices, navigate to Setting -> General -> About and look for any available updates. In case any updates are available, download and install them.
Make sure you are connected to a stable internet connection and your phone has a battery.
For safety, it is best to connect it to the power source and keep it near the WiFi router.
8 – Airplane Mode Solution
On your Android or iPhone, check if the Airplane mode is turned on.
If the airplane mode is enabled, your phone will be disconnected from all networks, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular.
To check if the Airplane mode is enabled, scroll down the notifications drawer and check for an icon with Airplane.
Ensure that the icon is disabled and not highlighted.
Alternatively you can navigate to Settings -> Connection & Sharing -> Aeroplane mode. The toggle must be disabled. If not, please disable it.
9 – Reset Network Settings
Your smartphone allows you to reset all your network to original settings and remove any customizations you provide.
It is especially useful if none of the above methods have proven useful.
- Please navigate to Settings menu -> Additional Settings -> Back up and reset.
- Tap on Erase all data (factory reset) and tap on Reset Network Settings.
- Confirm and reset the settings.
Alternatively, you can search for “reset network settings” in your Settings app and follow the above steps.