Fix No SIM Card Detected Error On Android

Elsie Otachi

5 years ago

If you’re getting the No SIM card detected error on your Android device, it could be that you haven’t inserted the card correctly, or the device has software issues. Whatever the case may be, you need a quick solution because you’ve got to get back to communicating with your contacts, among other things.

What to Do When You Get No SIM Card Detected Error on Android

Preliminary checks

Try restarting the Android device as this sometimes fixes it. You can also check if your SIM card is switched on, especially for more recent Android versions, by going to Settings>Network & Internet>SIM cards and tap the slider to turn it On.

Change Network Mode to Auto

To do this:

Open Settings
Tap Mobile Networks>Network Mode
Select the first option: LTE/WCDMA/GSM (auto connect)

Select the right Network Operator

The No SIM card detected error can appear when the network operator you’re using isn’t the same one selected on your Android device settings. To check that you have the correct one, do this:

Open Settings
Tap Mobile Networks
Now tap Network Operators>Search Networks

When the search is complete and you get a list of carriers, tap on your carrier

Manually Enter Network APN Settings

It could be that your SIM card lost contact completely with the network it should connect to, and if this is the case, you have to manually key in the operator’s APN settings. On Android Pie (9.0 and up) do this:

Open Settings
Tap Network & Internet
Now tap Mobile Network>Advanced
Tap Access point names
Click the + icon at the upper right side

Now contact your network operator for the APN settings or check online if they’re published on the network provider’s site. Save the settings so you can use them in future if this happens again.

Remove battery and SIM card

This is another basic fix, but turn off the device before you do any of them. Once you remove them, wait for a minute or so before re-inserting them again. The SIM card could have moved out of place if the phone dropped, or if it doesn’t fit, you can add some tape for a tighter fit.

Safe Mode or Airplane Mode

Safe mode can fix software issues that cause the No SIM card detected error on your Android device, especially if you installed apps that cause harm on your device. You can also try Airplane mode and then turn it off after thirty seconds.

Clear Cache

You can clear cache to fix the No SIM card detected error by doing this:

Open Settings>Storage>Internal Storage
Tap Cached data. A popup will appear telling you that the cache will be cleared for all apps. Tap Delete.