iPhone 3G “No SIM card installed.” Problem Solved
After waiting for 4 hours at my local Apple store. I finally got my iPhone. Like everyone else, I was so excited and hurried home. When I got home, I started to play around with it. When I handled the iPhone, I noticed that the bottom felt hot. Without taking much notice of it, I continue to set it up and try all sort of cool things that can be done using this phone.
Then, suddenly the message “No SIM card installed.” popped up and the phone function stopped working!! A simple Google search found this thread which is useful. People suggested taking the phone back to AT&T store and got the SIM card replaced. However, it’s late and the store is closed. I decided to try out some of the other suggestions to reset the settings.
First I tried reset the Network settings. This is what I did.
- From the main screen, tap Settings.
- Tap General.
- Scroll down and tap Reset.
- Tap Reset Network Settings.
After resetting Network Settings, my phone is still not working. I then tried to reset all settings.
- From the main screen, tap Settings.
- Tap General.
- Scroll down and tap Reset.
- Tap Reset All Settings.
To my disappointment, it still didn’t work. Before I called it a day, I reset the network settings again and it started to work again!
I don’t know if the problem will come back or not. Hopefully, this would fix the problem permanently.
[Update: 7/13/2008]
The dreaded “No SIM card installed” message came back tonight! I took out the SIM card and reseated it several times. I also reset all settings several times again. It’s now working again. I think I still have to get the SIM card replaced at the AT&T store eventually.
[Update: 7/15/2008]
How can you live a day without the SIM card problem?! I experienced the problem again yesterday morning. I noticed a pattern. The problem occurred always after I took it out of my pocket and I usually place the iPhone in my pocket upside down. I think maybe that’s why the SIM card tends to come loose when the iPhone is upside down.
I have thus changed the way I put the iPhone in my pocket and I have yet to come across the same problem since yesterday morning. I’ll keep my fingers crossed.
on July 13th, 2008 at 10:14 am
I had this happen too. I thought it might have stopped seeing the SIM card because the iPhone took a nosedive (first of many I’m sure) off my nightstand onto the floor. I tried resetting and that didn’t change anything. What did fix it was examining the SIM card and noticing a big dirty fingerprint covered half the contacts on the card. I wiped that off with a damp cloth and it was fixed. Crazy!
on July 29th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Had my phone for less than 24 hours and ran into the same issue. I did place my phone upside down in my car and noticed within a minute or so got the “No sim card” message. Based on the above post, I wipe the card and replaced it (for the third time) and seems to be working at the moment. I did contact Apple Tech support, they suggested I go to an AT&T store for a new sim card to make sure its not a phone issue. The sim cards are AT&T product. I guess there’s an issue with phone being placed upside down. Thanks for the tip Saraj, for now it seems to be working.
on July 30th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
I took my sim out and used contact cleaner on a Q tip and cleaned the gold contact side then re installed the card and no problems since. I also noticed the sim carrier now pushed in farther than it was from the factory. It now is no longer flush with the phone but in just a bit more now. Working fine so far.
on August 2nd, 2008 at 5:05 am
Also had the phone less than 24 hours and this happened to me. Resetting network settings did nothing. Wiping the contacts off worked though. Hope it doesn’t happen again! I wonder if you could fit a few slips of paper or something on the back of the card to push it harder against the contacts?
on August 2nd, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Thanks, guys. Before I saw this I went to an AT&T store. The SIM card worked fine in another phone and worked when it was put back in my iPhone. When I got home, the problem came up again. I saw this thread and noticed the contacts were dirty. I cleaned it, and it seems to be fine now. It seems like it’s a quality control issue with the cards.
on August 2nd, 2008 at 8:58 pm
I eventually got my SIM card replaced and the problem never came back again.
on August 9th, 2008 at 7:20 pm
I am having this no sim card problem about 10 times a day. My solution is to switch the phone to airplane mode and then switch off airplane mode. It works but it’s very annoying. I’ll try to clean the sim card and see how it goes from there.
on August 13th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Jerry’s airplane mode suggestion worked for me. I’ll see how long it holds up. What a fun flaw to have in an iPhone. I guess this is where they cut corners to meet demand.
on August 21st, 2008 at 9:24 pm
My simple fix: pop out the SIM card and clean it with a Q-tip and alcohol.
on August 29th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
I’ve had my iphone for 1 day and I got the same “No SIM card installed” message. I tried resetting the Network settings and IT WORKED! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
I’m hoping this is a final fix ’cause the AT&T store is like 30 minutes away!
Thanks again-
Heather
on September 2nd, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Thanks this was helpful. Waiting on the never answered at&t helpline is an exercise in futility. Reseting the settings worked for me. I have had this phone for one month and have experienced poor reception and more dropped calls than my cell phone from 2000. Its cool when it works but a pain the rest of the time.
on September 14th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
I had the same problem when I woke up this morning after having my iphone flat on it’s back. I tried all of the reset options on the phone and that didn’t work. What did work is when i decided to attempt to clean the sim card from the back. I noticed that the gold plating on the back was two-toned rather than the solid color it normally is. So i cleaned that area, as recommended in a previous post, and then I closed the sim card port a little tougher than I normally do and it immediately started working after that. I’m writing this like two minutes after so I’m not sure how good of a fix it is.
on September 19th, 2008 at 12:59 am
same thing here!
im so glad i clicked this link…
i took out and replaced the sim,i restarted, i changed settings…i even restored…
when i restored i got this cartoon image of steve jobs saying something in russian (an april fools from the pawnage folks?)
but then i thought what the hell and i cleaned off the back of the sim….AND IT WORKED!
i can make calls again
seems pretty stupid that the solution is as simple as that
on September 24th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Wow thank you so much for providing this, when i saw the “take to At&t” posts I got scared. The Reset Network Settings worked the first try and it took less than 60 seconds thanks again!!!!
on September 26th, 2008 at 1:00 am
I was having the same problem it kept saying sim card not installed and i got scared that i had broken it somehow. so i tried the reset network and settings and it didnt work so i decided to take out my sim card (didn’t know i could do that, nor knew how to do that at all, so i searched how to take it out and all you do it put the end of a paper clip in the little whole on the top of the phone, push down and the sim will pop up) so i took the sim card out and it looked like some dust had got crammed in the cracks so once i put it back in my phone was working perfectly.
just wanted to add my scenario so that this can continue to help others.
on October 3rd, 2008 at 11:54 am
I tried both the resetting and the card cleaning exercises but the No Sim card message reappears on the screen once in a while.
on October 11th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
THis happened to me and none of the resets worked. I ended up plugging it in to my iTunes and resetting it there.
on October 19th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Same thing happened to me, after having my iphone for a week. On the suggestion of previous posts, I simply ejected the sim card, cleaned it with the enclosed cloth (after a quick fog from my breath), and presto - it worked! Thanks all for a great thread.
on October 27th, 2008 at 7:18 am
Hi There..
Thanks for ur posts..
cleaning the sim card does wonders..
All i did took the black cloth - that came along with iphone and few drops of Bacardi..!! for alcohol and wiped both the sim card (back \front) & sim tray ..!!
Bacardi does worked for iphone
on October 30th, 2008 at 7:12 am
Ideas sound good, however not worked for me
I bought online and have never been able to switch mine on! Say’s no sim, so called support who said this is a generic problem at the moment and nothing for it but to send the phone back!! Not impressed.
on November 5th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
hi guys, this is my 1st post ever in my life, i think i found the (NO SIM) problem a solution, try this:
1) put the sim card normally in the iphone.
2) when u insert it PRESS AND HOLD HARD ON IT
3) watch the signal bars…. IT WORKS!!!
that means there is somethin wrong with the sim tray, its displaced or sth. what do u guys think???
on November 11th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
It is either you phone being dirty inside, or your old crummy sim card. To check if it is the sim card, try it in on of your friends at&t phones, or buy a go phone at radio shack, and see if it works when you put your sim card in that. If it also says “no sim,” then you have to either clean or replace your sim. Otherwise, use canned air to blow out your phone.
on November 17th, 2008 at 9:02 am
Do NOT. I repeat do NOT use canned air.
It killed the touchscreen on my old 2G.
on November 20th, 2008 at 4:34 am
Confirmed. Cleaning the SIM card certainly helps. Also: Try vacuuming the slot that the SIM card goes into. Surprising amounts of dust pile up in there which also seems to make it hard for the iPhone to read the SIM card.
Works like a charm again