Why iPhone does not see or read the SIM card – what to do
Modified by September 17, 2020
Owners of 'apple' products often face situations when the iPhone does not recognize the SIM card. And although the products Apple are traditionally considered reliable, breakdowns occur in any equipment. The iPhone also breaks down with active use, and there are a large number of reasons that provoked the appearance of problems with the SIM card. The list is impressive, starting with crashes and bumps, and ending with incorrect firmware updates. The owners of smartphones panic, because it is expensive to carry them for repair, and besides, the owner will solve three quarters of the problems without the help of a master. The main thing is to figure out what is the cause of the breakdown, and instructions for elimination can be found in this article.
SIM malfunction
If the iPhone has stopped seeing the SIM card, the problem may be in this device. Take out the card and inspect carefully, the stripes and the metal base should not be damaged. Deep scratches, creases, signs of corrosion will indicate that the SIM card will have to be urgently replaced. Most often, this happens if the phone has been in water – the device is not afraid of moisture, and the SIM contacts are oxidized. It is worth wiping with a cotton pad dipped in an alcoholic liquid – this helps with oxidation. But if the SIM card is still not found by the smartphone, then you will have to pay a visit to the office of the mobile operator with a passport to restore the card.
Obsolete SIM card
Another reason why the iPhone does not see the SIM card is the expiration of the service life. Cards also do not last forever, over time they deteriorate – communication works worse, during calls you hear interference and scraps, and then the card simply stops working. In such cases, help will no longer work, you will have to change your SIM card – usually they don't even take money for such a service, it is only important to provide the owner's passport. The procedure takes 15 minutes and does not require any additional steps. If necessary, the new card will be cut to fit the size of the SIM slot, the service will cost 150 rubles. Although new cards are often sold with plastic adapters that allow for size adjustment.
Problems with firmware
Sometimes the answer to the question “why the iPhone does not read the SIM card” is an incorrect device firmware update. To remedy the situation, the smartphone should be rolled back to factory settings. For this:
open iTunes on your computer;
connect your smartphone with a cable to your computer;
when prompted to enter a password – enter;
select the defined device in the program;
press the 'Restore' button, and then confirm the choice;
wait for the restoration to complete.
The smartphone will turn on, but all the information will have to be entered again – the iPhone will return to the state of the new device.
SIM locked
Also iPhone does not see the SIM card if it is locked, that is, it is designed to work with the network of a certain operator. In this case, other networks will not be recognized / therefore it is worth buying only models marked 'SIM-Free'. There are two ways to solve the problem with a locked SIM card:
use the R-Sim microcircuit (the method will lead to the loss of warranty, there are also problems with communication and proprietary applications Apple);
contact the operator for whose work the smartphone was created.
In the second case, you will have to be patient, but the unlocking will be 'clean' and forever. It is also worth noting that you will have to pay several thousand rubles for the procedure. Only scammers perform such works quickly and cheaply.
Mechanical damage to the smartphone
Do not be surprised if, after the fall, the iPhone stopped seeing the SIM card – only the master knows what to do in this case. The problem is that smartphones are delicate technology and require careful handling. It is easy to damage the interior as a result of falls or bumps, and it is not always possible to find out what the problem is on your own. The smartphone should be given for diagnostics to identify the problem, even if the owner is going to repair the iPhone on his own. It is best to order spare parts in official stores Apple – although Chinese counterparts are cheaper, they do not work well and break regularly.
Actions if the SIM card cannot be read
Enable flight mode
interesting 6.1-inch iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro will go on sale first FAS will start another check Apple
If the iPhone does not see the SIM card, then other owners will tell you what to do, who have checked the tips on their own experience. An interesting fact – due to errors in the operating platform iPhone, it stops recognizing the SIM card. We found a way out, you need to turn on and off the 'Flight' mode:
open the 'Control Center';
activate the mode by clicking on the airplane icon.
After that, the smartphone will recognize the card and will work normally if the problem was minor problems iOS. Do not forget to just turn off the mode, because the mobile network will not work during the 'Flight'.
Reboot smartphone
The first method that users resort to is to reboot the device. It has long been known that this procedure can solve three quarters of the problems iPhone. The fact is that under active loads, the operating system starts to 'glitch', and the smartphone – to give errors. This is normal, rebooting the device and cleaning up unnecessary debris will quickly improve the situation. Users regularly complain about pop-up errors, but the masters say that they have to put up with it and do not forget to restart the smartphone. Buying an Android will not solve the problem – such errors occur even more often.
Reinstall SIM
After buying a new smartphone or hitting the ground, users are 'familiarized' with a SIM error. In this case, reinstalling the SIM card will help:
turn off your iPhone;
find a small round hole on the side of the smartphone;
take a specialized or suitable paper clip;
insert into hole and press;
carefully remove the tray;
pull out and reinsert the SIM card;
put the tray back;
turn on your smartphone.
Wait for the phone to fully boot up. If an icon of a defined network appears at the top, then the problem can be considered solved without going to a specialist.
Change SIM
The answer for those who are looking for why the iPhone does not read the SIM card and what to do in this case is to try to change the card in the device. Contact a friend who also has an iPhone with a working SIM card and check if it will work in your device. Put your SIM card in another phone – if the card does not work, it will be replaced. If it works, then the problem is with the tray or the device itself. It is also worth contacting the mobile operator, sometimes the network disappears due to technical work on the line.
Firmware upgrade
Updating the device via iTunes will also help solve the problem:
install the program on your computer;
connect your smartphone using a cable;
select a specific device in iTunes;
go to the 'Overview' tab;
click the 'Update' button;
click on the 'Download' link;
confirm your choice by clicking 'Update'.
After updating the firmware, the smartphone will start normally. If there are problems with the SIM card, the iPhone will kindly inform the user about it. A similar solution helps if there were errors with the previous installation of the update or the version iOS was not stable.
Update operator settings
Most of the operator settings are loaded and installed automatically, but the update can also be installed manually. To do this, open the smartphone settings, go to the 'General' tab, where you will select the 'About this device' item. If an update is available for installation, a message will appear on the screen. Confirm your choice and wait for the installation to complete. The process takes a couple of minutes, you may need to restart your smartphone. It is imperative to update the settings, even if the SIM is working properly – the mobile network will work better and 'cleaner'.
Reset network settings
Another way to solve network problems is to manually reset the network settings. Open the 'General' item in the device settings. Scroll down to the 'Reset' tab, and in the menu that opens, click on 'Reset network settings'. It should be borne in mind that during the process the saved passwords for Wi-Fi, APN and VPN, as well as the settings of the mobile operator, are deleted. Reboot the device – the network should work. If the above methods did not correct the situation, then do not risk it, but visit the service center. The masters have more skills and experience, and they will cope with the problem faster than the average user.