“I grabbed my Samsung phone to call my parents; a few seconds into the call, the connection was lost abruptly, followed by a message— “Not registered on this network”. I gulped as I had been hearing quite a lot about SIM jacking or SIM swap scams recently. I ejected the SIM card and inserted it into another device to rule out any physical issues with it. Turns out, my device was having a hard time detecting the SIM card.
Here’s what I did to resolve the NO SIM CARD DETECTED error in my Android device.
Error messages such as “No SIM card” or “SIM card error,” “Not Registered on this Network,” or “SIM card not detected,” all mean the same thing. When you receive one or more of these errors, you are unable to make calls, send or receive messages, or use other carrier services on your Android device. Sometimes, the error appears even when the physical SIM card is inserted on your device, and you are registered on the network.
Your Android phone may not detect a SIM card due to a hardware or a software error, but before you reach a conclusion, remember there might be other logical issues, such as a faulty SIM card, improperly inserted SIM card, network issues, etc. that can be fixed with basic troubleshooting. In this article, we’re going to explore troubleshooting methods to fix the “no SIM card detected” error on your phone.
Methods to Fix “No SIM Card Detected” on Android Devices
If your Android device is not detecting the physical SIM card, or you’re receiving errors like Not registered on network, SIM card error, etc., while placing a call, try the below-provided troubleshooting methods below.
1. Restart your Android Phone:
Sometimes, a quick restart can fix minor SIM card issues.
- Long-press the physical power button on the right side of your Android phone until you see the Reboot, or Restart option on your device.
- Tap on the Reboot/ Restart button to restart your device.
- Once the device restarts, check if it detects the SIM card.
A simple Restart can often work wonders and resolve any network issues.
2. Check SIM in another device:
Did you check if the problem is with the network aggregator or the SIM card itself? Sometimes, there could be network issues or no network in your location resulting in this error
To check if the problem is with the SIM card itself, try putting it in a different Android phone to see if it works there. This will help you determine whether the issue is with the SIM card or your specific phone.
If the SIM card works fine in another device, you can try the next troubleshooting methods to trick a solution.
3. Enable and Disable Airplane Mode:
After restarting your device, if your SIM card is not detected, try turning on and off your phone’s Airplane Mode. Putting your Android device on Airplane Mode disconnects your phone from the cellular network. Turning it off again can reset the connection to your phone modem that is needed to recognize the SIM card.
- Draw the Status bar for an expanded view by pulling it down from the top of your phone’s screen.
- Now, look for the Airplane Mode icon from the list of icons and turn it on.
- Now wait for some time and then tap it again to disable the Airplane mode.
Call a contact to check if your SIM works now. If you still face this error, try the next methods.
4. Reinsert the SIM Card:
Sometimes, the SIM card might not be inserted properly in your device causing gaps in the connection. Try taking it out and putting it back in after gently wiping with a soft cloth. Also, properly insert the SIM tray back in to your device after checking sides.
5. Check for Network Outage:
Check if an outage or maintenance is happening in your area, which might be why your phone can’t detect the SIM card. Check with your provider for any known issues, or visit a nearby network operator.
6. Check SIM Settings:
You can also check your phone’s settings to make sure the SIM card is enabled, and your network settings are correct. This might help your phone recognize the SIM card.
- On your device, go to Settings > Connections/Network & Internet.
- Tap on SIM card manager or Mobile network.
- First, ensure your SIM card is enabled; if not, then enable it.
- Then, check your preferred network type (e.g., 3G, 4G, or 5G). If you are on a 3G or 4G network, setting to 5G might cause errors.
- Also, ensure the Network selection mode is set to Automatic or the appropriate network for your area.
- Moreover, in the Network operator’s or Network selection setting, select the correct settings to connect your device to the best available network.
Check if these above settings help you fix the “no SIM card detected” error. Otherwise, try the troubleshooting methods provided below.
7. Clear Device Cache:
Clearing the cache on your Android phone can sometimes fix software-related problems, including the “no SIM card detected” issue. This removes temporary files that might be causing errors in your device’s normal operations.
To clear your device’s cache, you may need a third-party cleaner app, such as Norton Clean, AVG Cleaner, or CCleaner. Otherwise, check if your phone has a built-in cache cleaner feature.
If all the above methods fail, there’s a high chance it’s a hardware issue on your device. To be sure, you can try a factory reset.
8. Factory Reset Your Device:
If none of the other solutions work, you can try doing a factory reset on your phone. A factory reset erases everything on your device, including data, apps, files, accounts, settings, etc. and then restores the device to its original factory state. So eventually, you will lose all your data in that device.
But before you factory reset your Android phone, please remember to create a back-up of all your data, including photos, videos, documents, contacts, messages, app data, and social media chats and attachments that are important.
If you want to learn how to back up your Android phone’s data, refer to this article – How to create a backup of your Android device? You can utilize Google Photos, Google Drive, manufacturer-backed cloud service, such as Samsung Cloud, etc. or create a manual back up on an external storage.
- Go to Settings > General management > System.
- Then look for the Reset Device or Factory Reset option.
- The device may flash a warning message, read it carefully, and then tap Reset.
- If required, enter your PIN, or password.
- Next, tap Confirm to start the factory reset process.
- Wait for your phone to completely reset. This may take some time, depending on the data stored on your device.
After the reset is complete, your phone will restart; you will now need to set it up again from the start.
If your SIM Card was damaged or defective, and you had saved contacts on it, they will be gone forever. If you had created backup of your contacts on your Android device, then you can simply restore them from the backup. If you haven’t, try using Stellar Data Recovery for Android to recover them from your Android device.
The tool offers comprehensive data recovery from an Android device, including recovering deleted contacts. All you have to do is follow the step by step guide and install the tool, select – call logs and contacts in the recovery menu, and then hit scan. The software will recover all the call logs and contacts from your Android device that were deleted or lost while clearing cache or other factors.
Conclusion:
So now you know how to approach the “No SIM Card detected” issue on your Android phone. While the above solutions can fix any underlying software issues on your device, you might need to visit a technician for a hardware problem. So, next time you face this issue, don’t panic and try the above methods for a quick and easy fix.
Can I reset a SIM card?
No, it is not allowed to reset a SIM card, but you can reset your network settings from Android device settings.
Was this article helpful?
