How to solve the problem that the phone cannot detect the SIM card

It is really annoying that the phone keeps displaying the error message “No SIM card” when the SIM card is inserted. As a result, you may not receive messages from others. What exactly is a SIM card and why does it go wrong? The full name of the SIM card is the user identity module. It is a chip that contains a large-scale integrated circuit. It is mainly used to verify the user’s identity and save information, so that you can transfer data seamlessly. If your phone cannot detect the SIM card, some reasons and solutions are listed below, hoping to help you repair your phone.

Method 1: The SIM card is not inserted properly.

Remove the SIM card and reinsert it. Sometimes, if the SIM card is inserted too loosely or does not slide into the deepest part of the slot, this error code will be triggered. You only need to pop out the SIM card tray on the side of the phone and remove the SIM card. Wait 30 seconds, and then reinsert the SIM card. Push Cato back, and restart the phone.
The SIM card slot of an Android phone may be located on the back of the phone near the battery. You may need to open a small metal back cover to take it out.
You may need to insert the end of a paperclip or a small metal card pin into the hole next to the slot to eject the card tray.

Method 2: The SIM card is dirty.

Wipe the dirty SIM card with a clean cloth. If the SIM card accumulates a lot of dirt, it will be difficult for the phone to read the information and trigger an error message. Take out the SIM card and wipe it clean gently, which may solve this problem.
Avoid touching the surface of the SIM card to avoid leaving grease or accidentally scratching.
Never clean the SIM card with water, soap or rubbing alcohol to avoid damaging the sensitive and fragile surface.

Method 3: The SIM card slot is dirty or blocked.

Take out the SIM card and pull out the card tray. You can use the small tool that comes with your phone to carefully pull out the card tray. If you don’t have tools, you can straighten a paperclip and use it to gently pull out the card tray. Then insert the suction tube of the compressed air tank into the empty slot and spray several times to blow away the debris inside.
Reinsert the tray and SIM card to see if the problem is resolved.

Method 4: The SIM card is worn or damaged.

Replace the SIM card with scratches or frayed edges. The SIM card will wear out after a long time, especially if you often take it out and put it back in. Buy a new SIM card from the operator, mobile phone store or online, take out the old SIM card, put in the new SIM card, and see if the phone can recognize it.
A new SIM card is usually not very expensive, but it depends on its storage capacity and whether the carrier needs you to sign a package. Buying a new mobile phone number usually results in a new SIM card.
If not necessary, try not to touch the SIM card, otherwise it will wear out quickly.

Method 5: The phone needs to perform a soft restart.

Shut down and restart to repair the minor malfunction of the SIM card. This method may seem simple, but sometimes your phone needs to perform a soft restart to clear temporary data and stop the application from running. After restarting the phone, the SIM card may be recognized.
If this error message appears frequently on the phone, you need to restart the phone frequently, maybe there is a hardware problem, or the SIM card is worn out and needs to be replaced.

Method 6: The mobile phone is not connected to the carrier network.

Open the settings menu, go to “Connect”, and click “Mobile Network”. Search for available networks here. The phone may send a SIM card error message because it is not connected to the network. The network you are connected to must be the same as the SIM card.
Not sure which network your SIM card should be connected to? Check your SIM card, the network logo is directly printed on it.
If your phone is set to automatically connect to the network, it may be connected to the wrong network. Disable this feature so that you can manually select the carrier’s network.

Method 7: The network settings need to be reset.

Clear the network settings to help the phone recognize the SIM card. Sometimes, the SIM card cannot be recognized may be a problem with the network connection. To reset the network, open “Settings” and select “Network Settings”. Then press “Reset Network Settings” to reset the phone.
Remember, resetting the network settings will also reset your wireless network settings. Remember your wireless network password, you need to re-enter the password after the phone restarts.

Method 8: The operating system needs to be updated.

Mobile phones that are still running the old system may not recognize the SIM card. Regardless of whether it is an Android or Apple phone, you can usually search for “system update” under the settings menu to manually update the phone system. The screen will show if there is an update available. If so, select “Download and install” and restart the phone after the operating system is updated.
You can also select “Auto Update” in the settings menu to let the phone automatically detect and update the operating system.

Method 9: An application is malfunctioning.

If an application is causing the problem, restart the phone in safe mode. Some Android and Apple phones have a safe mode function to help you diagnose application problems. If your phone has this option, press and hold the power button to see it. A power menu that says “Safe Mode” will pop up on the screen. Choosing this option may be enough to solve the problem. If the phone still cannot recognize the SIM card, uninstall the recently downloaded applications one by one until the source of the problem is found.
If the phone is running well in safe mode and there is no error message, maybe an application has triggered the error code. Try to uninstall your newly installed and never used applications.
After removing the application that triggered the error message, you can reinstall other uninstalled applications.

Method 10: Clear the data cache of the phone.

This will remove the error message notification from the phone. The phone may be running smoothly, but the SIM card error message has not disappeared. To solve this problem, just open the settings menu, go to “Memory”, select “Cached Data”, and then click “Delete”.

Method 11: If troubleshooting does not help, consider restoring factory settings.

Restoring factory settings will delete all data in the phone. This is an extreme troubleshooting method and should only be tried when other methods do not work. After restoring the factory settings and restarting the phone, it should return to the state it was in when it was first bought, with no apps, contact information or media files.
Before restoring the factory settings, back up the files you want to save to a flash drive or cloud storage space to avoid losing valuable data.

Method 12: There is a problem with the mobile phone hardware.

If you have ruled out the SIM card failure, the problem may lie in the phone. I tried various methods, but I still get an error message, or the phone does not run smoothly? Maybe it’s time to take it to a cell phone repair shop or service provider. They can diagnose and solve cell phone problems.
If the phone is very old, the hardware may be worn out, causing the SIM card to be unrecognized. Replacing a new phone may be the best solution.