Why is my Samsung phone not reading my SIM card?

If your Android phone is showing a “No SIM Card Detected” error, then you can’t connect to your cellular network. When that happens, you can’t use your phone to make or receive calls, send texts, or connect to the internet.

There are a number of reasons for the Android No SIM error. It could be that you’ve not inserted the SIM card correctly into your phone.

This problem can also be caused by putting your phone on Airplane mode or a problem with your phone’s Android OS.

There is not a one-size-fits-all solution to this issue. But don’t worry. We’re going to take you through different steps that will help you troubleshoot this issue. Let’s get started.

Tips to Fix No SIM Card Detected on Android

Here are the tips you’ll learn about in this guide. Try the steps below one by one until you find the one that can get rid of the Android No SIM error

  1. Restart your Android device
  2. Remove and properly insert the SIM card
  3. Check if SIM card is active
  4. Turn off Airplane mode
  5. Manually select your network operator
  6. Switch network mode to auto
  7. Turn your SIM card ON
  8. Reset the network settings

1. Restart Your Android Device

One of the first things that you should try when your Android device is showing a “No SIM card detected” error is to restart your device. This will give your device a fresh start by flushing the RAM and clearing up temporary files and processes.

Why is my Samsung phone not reading my SIM card?
Why is my Samsung phone not reading my SIM card?
Restart Android device. Screenshot: Sagar Naresh/Gotechtor

Once you’ve turned off your phone, wait for about 20 seconds before turning the phone on again.

2. Remove and Properly Insert the SIM Card

Smartphones nowadays come with a tiny SIM tray. Android phones that come with expandable storage options have a dedicated slot for the microSD card besides the SIM card slot. You want to make sure you’ve inserted the SIM card properly in the SIM tray.

Also, you can check if the inserted SIM card is aligned or not. Once you’ve inserted the SIM card properly, now check if this has fixed the issue.

3. Check if SIM Card Is Active

If you recently got yourself a new SIM card or trying to use a pretty old SIM card, then chances are it’s not active. And if the SIM card is not active, your Android device will show a “No SIM card detected” error.

So, before putting in your SIM card, make sure that it’s activated and ready to use. To know this, you can contact your SIM card provider and cross-check with them.

4. Turn Off Airplane Mode

Next, you’re going to check if the Airplane mode on your Android device is activated. When Airplane mode is enabled, it turns off all your phone’s network connections such as cellular network, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.

Why is my Samsung phone not reading my SIM card?
Why is my Samsung phone not reading my SIM card?
Turn off Airplane mode. Screenshot: Sagar Naresh/Gotechtor

Simply swipe down the notification shade to check and turn off airplane mode. From the Quick Settings icons, select the one with an Airplane logo.

Alternatively, you can also turn Airplane mode On/Off via the Settings menu as well. To do that, go to Settings > Network & internet > toggle off the Airplane mode button.

After turning off Airplane mode, see if this fixes the “No SIM card detected” error on your Android phone or not.

5. Manually Select Your Network Operator

Sometimes, a recent update or restoration of data can change a few settings on your Android phone. This could also include your device’s network settings.

If you think this could be the reason behind the no SIM card detected error, then you can follow the steps below to manually select your network operator:

  1. Open the Settings menu on your phone.
  2. Tap on Wi-Fi & Network.
  3. Now select the SIM that is causing the issue. Under that specific SIM menu, tap on the Network operators option.
  4. Toggle off the Choose automatically option. This will make your device automatically search for the network operator.
  5. Simply select the network operator of your SIM card.

Why is my Samsung phone not reading my SIM card?
Why is my Samsung phone not reading my SIM card?
Select network operator manually. Screenshot: Sagar Naresh/Gotechtor

6. Switch Network Mode to Auto

When you’re in an area with poor network coverage, the SIM card will struggle to provide optimal network reception to your phone.

In such cases, you may need to manually switch the network mode to auto. This will allow the SIM card to search for either 2G/3G/4G or even 5G, based on the network coverage.

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Tap on Wi-Fi & Network.
  3. Under Wi-Fi & Network, you need to choose SIM & Network.
  4. Now select Preferred network type and select the 2G/3G/4G (Automatic) option.

Why is my Samsung phone not reading my SIM card?
Why is my Samsung phone not reading my SIM card?
Switch network mode to auto. Screenshot: Sagar Naresh/Gotechtor

7. Turn Your SIM Card On

A simple solution that slips under our noses is to turn your SIM card on. Yes! There is an in-built option to turn on the inserted SIM card on every modern-day smartphone. The steps below will show you how.

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Select Wi-Fi & Network.
  3. Then, select SIM & Network.
  4. Tap on the SIM, which shows the “No SIM card detected” error.
  5. Under the SIM SETTING option, toggle the SIM switch On and see if this fixes the issue or not.

Why is my Samsung phone not reading my SIM card?
Why is my Samsung phone not reading my SIM card?
Turn SIM card On. Screenshot: Sagar Naresh/Gotechtor

For dual-SIM phones, you can select which SIM you want to enable. You can do that by following the above-mentioned steps.

8. Reset the Network Settings

Your Android phone has a network reset option that can come in handy in situations like this. There might be some issue with the network settings that is triggering the “No SIM card detected” error on your Android device.

You can easily reset the network settings by following the below steps:

  1. Go to Settings > System.
  2. Now tap on Reset options.
  3. Here, select the Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth option.
  4. Select the SIM card that is experiencing issues and finally hit the Reset Settings button.

Why is my Samsung phone not reading my SIM card?
Why is my Samsung phone not reading my SIM card?
Reset network settings. Screenshot: Sagar Naresh/Gotechtor

Final Thoughts on the “No SIM Card detected” message

We hope that one of the above methods worked for you in solving the “No SIM card detected” error.

If nothing works, then as a last resort, you can opt for the option to factory reset your Android phone or take it to the authorized customer care center to get it checked.

Let us know in the comments below if you have any questions, doubts, or any other solution that fixed the problem for you.

How do I get my Samsung to read my SIM card?

There are various reasons why your Android or iOS device won't read the SIM card. Some possible causes could be that you didn't insert the SIM card correctly or your device is experiencing a software issue..
Restart your device..
Reinsert your SIM card..
Reset your device to factory settings..

Why is my phone suddenly not reading my SIM card?

If simply reseating the SIM card didn't do the trick, your phone might benefit from ensuring the card is clean and the contacts are clear. Remove the SIM card from your phone, carefully extract it from the tray and then use a microfiber cloth to wipe away any dust, dirt, or debris.