If you’ve got an Android phone, your SIM card might be located near the battery on the back. You may have to open a tiny metal door that covers the SIM in order to take it out. You may need to push the end of a paperclip or a tiny metal SIM key tool onto a button that’s on the side of the SIM card tray.
Avoid touching the surface of the SIM so you don’t leave oil or accidentally scratch it. Never clean the SIM with water, soap, or rubbing alcohol since these can damage the delicate surface.
You can reinsert the slot and SIM card to see if this fixed the problem.
In general, a new SIM card costs up to $20, but it depends on storage capacity and whether or not a carrier requires a plan. Keep in mind that you will get a new phone number when you buy a new SIM card. Try not to handle the SIM card unless it’s absolutely necessary. This way, you won’t wear it out as quickly.
If you have to do this frequently because you continue to see the error message, there may hardware problems with your phone, or the SIM card might be worn out and need to be replaced.
Not sure which network your SIM card works with? Look at the SIM card—it has the network logo printed directly on it. Your phone might connect to the wrong network if you have it set to automatically connect to a network. Disable this feature so you can manually select your carrier’s network.
Keep in mind that resetting the network settings will also reset your Wi-Fi settings. Have your password handy so you can enter it when your phone starts up again.
You can also select “Automatic updates” in your settings menu so your phone updates whenever the operating system is upgraded.
If your phone runs perfectly well in safe mode with no error message, an app might be triggering the error code. Try uninstalling the newest apps you’ve put on your phone along with the ones you never use. Once you’ve removed the app that caused the error message, you can reinstall the other apps that you uninstalled.
Back up any files you want to keep to a flash drive or the cloud before you do a factory reset. This way you won’t lose valuable data.
If your phone is old, the hardware might be wearing out which can cause the SIM error messages. Replacing the phone and transferring the SIM card might be the best solution for you.
