Galaxy s3 says no sim card: Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo «No Sim Card Error» [Fix]

Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo «No Sim Card Error» [Fix]

Here is How To Fix Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo SIM card not detected error? How To Fix Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo SIM card not recognized? Fix Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo SIM card not inserted error prompts.

Have you just bought or using Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo for a long time, it might be discouraging if some error prompts appear on your screen? Many times messages such as “SIM card not recognized” might be disturbing you. Occasionally the Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo does not recognize the SIM card and displays this message. Fortunately, there are many tips to fix this issue. We will therefore provide tips and tricks in this tutorial, the stuff provided will give information to confirm so that the SIM card is recognized on your Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo.

About Samsung

Founded back in 1969 as Samsung Electric Industries, Suwon, South Korea-headquartered Samsung Electronics today makes everything from televisions to semiconductors. It released its first Android smartphone in 2009 and can be credited with the launch of the first Android tablet back in 2010.

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What Is an “Invalid SIM Card” Error?

Invalid SIM card error means that either there is no SIM card on phone or it may be due to a faulty connection or it is loose. Some connection between your SIM card and its tray must have some fault.

Therefore, you should find out the source which is leading you to see such an error message on your Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo’s screen.

Reasons Behind “Invalid SIM Card” Error On Phone

Have you ever thought about why such an error comes on the screen of your device?

There are two locks that can lead to such error messages on your device. The two locks are given below.

Network lock: It means that you cannot use any other SIM card other than the one you have got with the phone itself. The lock is not done by your smartphone manufacturer but’s from your network operator. The lock can be removed after going against their terms, there are a huge amount of guides available on the web to unlock your phone.

Region lock: This lock is done by your smartphone manufacturers. It means that your SIM card will not work on your Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo if it is from another specific region or country. There are many reasons why region locking is done, you can read about that on Wikipedia.

Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo: Unrecognized SIM card error fix?

In the event when a SIM card is not detected by your smartphone. There is a list of tips that can be helpful to determine the source of the problem to further guide us to fix the issue.

Reboot or Soft Reset your Device

Here is the guide to soft reset Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo

There are some times when device simply failed to detect the SIM card due to software glitches and minor errors. These kind of occurrences can be easily fixed with a simple soft reset or reboot to your device. If this is the first time you got this message then you should first give a try to rebooting your phone.

To perform a soft reset or reboot your device follow the instructions provided below.

Press and hold Power and Volume Down buttons simultaneously for about 8 to 16 seconds.
Release both the buttons when phone starts restarting if the key combination is not working try simply pressing and holding the Power button.

Note: It is a simple restart non techinal process, and will not hard your device’s data.

Cleaning the SIM Card

Cleaning is the initial step and before taking any further steps we’ll try to fix this issue by simply cleaning the SIM card. Mostly the SIM card is not able to be detected as the dirt partially prevents the contact between the SIM card and the phone. To clean it, pass a small dab of cloth over it and check if it is not damaged.

Check the location of the SIM card it may need to be removed and reinstalled

There may be an issue sourced from the location of the SIM card. It often happens that small metal plugs that normally have to come in contact with the SIM card are a little relaxed. When this is the case, this prevents your Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo from reading the SIM card. To fix this issue, you just need to thicken the SIM a little by gluing 1 or two pieces of tape at the bac

Switch to a different network mode

Changing the network mode on your Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo can also help if something is wrong with the current network mode in use. Don’t forget to test your phone after switching to a network mode to see if the error “SIM can’t be detected” is gone or not with the current network mode selected. Follow these steps to change network mode on your Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo

Go to Settings.
Click Connections.
Select Mobile networks.
Click Network mode.
Click to select another network mode like from Auto, LTE, 3G, or 2G network.
Choosing Auto mode lets your device find the best network mode available to use but there are instances when this mode is not applicable depending on the location and network service availability.

After you switching to the different network mode remember to give a soft reset (reboot) to your phone. If the method has not fixed the sim card not recognized error on your phone then give a try to other options.

Test your SIM card on a different Smartphone

If the SIM card is facing issues it must be tested on other devices. If the issue has come from the card itself it should not be working on other phones. When it is not recognized in other phones then you can get a modified one from your network provider.

Try another SIM card on your Phone

If the methods provided above are not able to fix or find the issue in your SIM card or phone then you should try using some other SIM card on your device. In the event, another SIM card is functioning on your Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo then the issue is being in your current SIM card. Otherwise, the mobile phone may be compatible with your SIM card.

Check that your Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo is not Simlocker

When you have tried many SIM cards on the Sony Xperia C3 and none are recognized then your phone should be Simlocker. This implies that your phone will recognize simply the SIM card of a certain operator. In this case, you have to unlock it. Search “How To Unlock Simlocker in Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo” on Google you’ll get a bunch of sites providing information.

Check that the problem will not be sourced from the ROM installed on the Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo

This part is mainly for the people who have rooted your Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo to install a Custom ROM. The event which has been currently performed by you be aware that unrecognized SIM card issue is quite common after setting up fresh ROMs. We advise that you reinstall an original or Stock ROM and re-test it. First, try a hard reset on your Samsung device, if not fixed then reinstall the stock ROM. Read the guide to below to factory reset your phone.

Hard Reset your Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo

Hard Reset is the process of removing all files and data from your phone to fix some errors which can’t be fixed. After performing this process all data will be wiped from your device such as personal information along with all the errors and corrupt files. So make your you have taken a complete backup of your device. To complete this master reset process take note of your Samsung credentials as it activates the Anti-theft feature on your device.

First, Create a Backup of your device

To back up your data, go to Apps-> Settings-> Cloud and accounts-> Backup and restore. Then select the option to Back up my data or Automatic restore.

To Factory Reset your Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo

Go to Settings-> General management-> Reset-> Factory data reset-> Reset-> then tap Delete All to confirm. If prompted, enter your credentials or verify your Samsung account and password to proceed the reset process

If the SIM card error still persists then you should consider the last option of replacing your SIM card.

Finally, If No Methods are working?

If followed all the steps then we advise you to bring your Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo and the SIM card back to one of your operator’s shops.

Can I Use a Samsung S3 Without a SIM Card? | Small Business

By Jeff Grundy

Released in May 2012, the Galaxy S3 is one of Samsung’s best-selling smartphones. Based on the Google Android operating system, the S3 provides business users with many advanced features such as a high-quality camera, ample storage and Wi-Fi capability. To use the Samsung Galaxy S3 with a mobile carrier, you’ll need to use a SIM card in many cases. However, even without a SIM card, you can still stay productive on the road and use most of the features of the Galaxy S3 smartphone.

Opening the Phone

With many Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphones, opening the phone even without a SIM card installed is relatively simple. In many cases, you only need to tap “Yes” or “Continue” to open the Android operating system on the phone after viewing the “No SIM installed” error message. If you purchased your S3 phone through a wireless carrier, the service probably locked it so that you cannot use it with other providers. Nevertheless, most carriers only lock the voice, text and data plan features of the phone and not the integrated functions such as the camera or music player.

Things You Can’t Do

You will not be able to perform obvious tasks such as making phone calls — at least not through your wireless carrier anyway — if you do not have a SIM card in the phone. Using the S3 without a SIM card also means that you won’t be able to send or receive SMS text messages and that you cannot access the Internet over a 3G or 4G network. All of these features require a calling plan, data plan or available call time from a wireless provider. Without the SIM card present in the phone, the carrier has no way of delivering these services to you.

Things You Can Do

You can still use other functions of the phone you may find convenient. Even without a SIM card, you can still use the phone to take pictures or listen to tunes through the music player. Consequently, if you have an S3 phone you originally received through a carrier, and your contract has since expired, you can use it as a digital camera and MP3 player — even if you don’t attempt to unlock it and use it with another service. You can also access any contacts, email or text messages you may have saved on the phone before removing the SIM card.

Wi-Fi Internet

Just because you cannot use a Galaxy S3 smartphone without a SIM card to access the Internet through a wireless carrier, that does not mean you cannot browse the Web at all with the device. The Wi-Fi adapter inside the Galaxy S3 allows you to access the Internet from any wireless hotspot or router just as you would with a laptop computer. Not only can you browse the Internet through a Wi-Fi connection, you can also use services such as Skype and Google Voice to place and receive phone calls. There are several apps available on the Google Play store, such as Talkatone and Groove IP, that allow you to port your Skype or Google voice numbers and use them over a Wi-Fi connection. If you live in an area with broad Wi-Fi coverage, you may not need a SIM card at all to make or receive phone calls.

Locked Galaxy S3 Phones

A few wireless carriers do block all of the functions of the Samsung Galaxy S3 phone if no SIM card is present. Consequently, if you can’t open your Galaxy S3 after seeing a SIM block message, you’ll need to unlock the phone. Depending on your carrier, you may be able to just call them and ask for an unlock code. If the company does not want to give you the code, though, you’ll need to root your phone and unlock it. Apps such as Voodoo Galaxy SIII SIM Unlock, Odin 3 and CF-Root-SGS3 provide you with the ability to not only use basic features on the phone without a SIM card, but also to use the Galaxy S3 with other wireless carriers if you wish to do so.

References

GottaBeMobile: Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. Samsung Galaxy S3 — Final Round
CNET: How to Unlock Your Samsung Galaxy S3
CNET: Can You Ditch Your Smartphone Data Plan for Wi-Fi?
ReadWrite: How to Drop Your Data Plan and Keep Using Your Smartphone
PhoneArena.com: How to Unlock Your Galaxy Note II and Some Galaxy S III Versions for Free (Jelly Bean Req’d)
The International Calling Guide: Free Wi-Fi Calling with Android? Easy!
Talk Android: Make Free Wi-Fi Calls from Android Phone or Tablet with Groove IP
MakeUseOf: Make Free Phone Calls over Wi-Fi/Data Using Talkatone [Android & iOS]
CNET: Turns Out Verizon’s Galaxy S3 Isn’t Global Ready After All

Writer Bio

Jeff Grundy has been writing computer-related articles and tutorials since 1995. Since that time, Grundy has written many guides to using various applications that are published on numerous how-to and tutorial sites. Born and raised in South Georgia, Grundy holds a Master of Science degree in mathematics from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Why the phone does not see the SIM card and what to do about it

«No SIM», «Insert SIM», and «SIM Not Detected» messages occur when the phone cannot detect the presence of a SIM card. As a rule, this is due to a broken contact in the card reader, software failures or smartphone blocking. Less often — with damage to the SIM card itself. If you see such a notification on the screen, proceed as follows.

1. Check the most obvious

First of all, just try to restart your phone. If this does not help, turn it off and remove the SIM card, and then put it back in place.

Although unlikely, check if airplane mode is on. Wireless and cellular networks do not work in it, so it is unlikely that you will be able to make a call. However, modern smartphones will probably tell you this themselves and offer to turn off airplane mode. Otherwise, do it yourself.

On Android

Check the airplane icon in the status bar. If there is one, pull out the notification shade and click on the same icon to turn off the airplane mode.

On iOS

Look at the icons in the status bar. If there is an airplane, open Control Center and tap the airplane mode button to turn it off.

2. Determine what’s not working

In most cases, the previous tips will probably not work. There are many possible causes of problems, so the next step is to localize the problem and find out if it lies in the phone or in the SIM card itself.

This is fairly easy to do with another known working smartphone or SIM. You just need to insert a problem card into someone else’s device or, conversely, place a verified SIM card in your gadget.

If the SIM is visible in another phone, then the problem is with yours. If another SIM card is detected and works in your smartphone, there is a problem with the card itself.

3. Try troubleshooting

Possible phone problems

1. System failure

Sometimes the smartphone does not see the SIM card due to software failures, flashing or updating. In such cases, you should reset the network settings or perform a hard reset. In the latter case, photos, videos and other data may be deleted, so it is better to save them first.

On Android

Open Settings and go to System. Find the item «Reset settings» and open it.

Tap «Reset Wi-Fi, mobile data and Bluetooth». Confirm the action by clicking the «Reset Settings» button.

On iOS

Launch «Settings» and go to the «General» section. Scroll to the bottom of the list and click Reset.

Select Reset Network Settings and enter your passcode. Click «Reset Settings» to confirm the deletion.

2. The SIM card slot is disabled in the settings

On Android phones with several SIM cards, one of the slots can be disabled and, accordingly, the SIM is not detected in it. To fix this, just go to the settings, find the «SIM manager» or «SIM cards» section and activate all the slots.

Launch «Settings», go to the «Network and Internet» section. Open the «SIM cards» item and turn on the toggle switches opposite each slot.

3. Operator lock

Smartphones purchased from abroad may be tied to a local operator and therefore only work with their SIM cards. Craftsmen unlock such gadgets using boards that fit under the SIM. Devices are unstable and often stop working after a firmware update.

The low price, cellular network logos on the case, and, most importantly, a gasket under the SIM card, without which you cannot make calls, indicate that the phone is tied to an operator.

If you have just such a device and it stopped seeing the network after installing the update, then you will have to look for a new version of the board to unlock. Another option is to contact the operator and make an official unbind of the device (but such a service costs from $ 100 and more).

Possible SIM card problems

1. The card has expired

If the SIM is not used for a long time, the operator can turn it off and transfer the number to another subscriber. The same applies to non-activated new SIM cards — they have an expiration date, after which the SIM is blocked. In solving this problem, only a communication salon can help.

2. The SIM card is damaged

It is quite difficult to accidentally break the SIM, so damage can only be caused by rough mechanical action if it is not installed or removed correctly. Most often, SIM cards become unusable when you cut them yourself from Mini‑SIM to Micro‑SIM or from Micro‑SIM to Nano‑SIM. In such cases, you can only replace the card with a new one at the operator’s office.

3. Wear of contacts

If the SIM is often moved from one phone to another, grooves may appear on the contact pads. Because of them, the contacts of the card reader are loosely attached to the SIM card. This leads to a poor connection and, as a result, unstable operation.

Illustration: Artyom Kozoriz / Lifehacker

In this case, it is advisable to replace the SIM at the operator’s office. As a temporary solution, you can fold a piece of paper several times and attach it above the SIM card. In phones with a removable back panel, this almost always works flawlessly, but in models with a sliding SIM tray, it may not work.

Possible common problems

1. SIM card misalignment

In all phones, the SIM card is located in a special slot or tray where the contacts of the card reader come into contact with its contacts. If you move the card even a little, the connection will be broken and nothing will work. This can happen after hitting the phone when it falls or when the SIM card is inserted carelessly.

To solve the problem, you need to remove the SIM and insert it correctly into place, focusing on the marking or the cut corner of the card.

2.

Contact oxidation

Sometimes it happens that even if the contact is correctly installed, there is still no contact. The reason is dust and dirt, oxides from moisture ingress or wear of the contact pads themselves from frequent card changes. You can fix this as follows.

Illustration: Artyom Kozoriz / Lifehacker

Remove the back panel of your smartphone or remove the SIM card tray. Clean the gold contacts on the SIM and card reader with an eraser. If the oxidation is very strong, use a fine-grained sandpaper. After that, wipe all the contacts with an alcohol-soaked cloth to completely clean them.

How to fix «Not Registered Online» error on Samsung Galaxy S3, S4 and S5

It would seem that Samsung has been releasing the flagships of the Galaxy S series for several years, but still, most users encounter some problems from time to time, including the “Not registered on the network” error that appears when you want to send a message or make a call. This error occurs when your network operator is able to obtain the IMEI number of your device.

This is not a big issue and has been seen on most Galaxy devices, which may be due to the latest Android updates being late with fixes. Have already been seen with Vodafone, AT&T, Docomo, Airtel, Orange, as well as with some Russian operators.

Turn Airplane Mode on and off

The quickest way, which also helps in 80% of cases, is to simply turn Airplane Mode on and off on your smartphone. When it is turned off, the gadget will again search for the operator’s network. This helps quite often, but not always.

Need to remove and reinsert the SIM card:

This is just a trick I did myself and, oddly enough, it worked. So all you have to do is remove the back cover on your Galaxy S3, S4, or S5, remove the SIM card from the slot, wait a bit, and then put it back in. Now you can turn on your smartphone again and you will see that the error has disappeared.

However, it may happen that the error still persists, so you will have to take the next step to get rid of it permanently.

Update device firmware or software:

Take your gadget and make sure it has the latest firmware. We have already said how to do this more than once, so you need to check the charge level on your phone now — you need at least 60-70% , and then update the operating system.

Unlock your device and go to the application page. Click on Application Settings and connect to a Wi-Fi network with Internet access. Then go back to the Settings page and scroll down to find About Phone and tap on it. Now you need to select the software update item to check for a new firmware or just a small update available via OTA.

Installing the update will ask you for permission, so confirm your choice and the device will start downloading the necessary files. As I noted above, you need to check in advance that the battery is at least 60% charged, and it is also better to download the firmware via Wi-Fi, and not using the mobile Internet.