Help! Samsung Galaxy s5 error "SIM Card Removed: Insert SIM and Restart Device"

[AC Question]

Ugh! I'm so frustrated with my phone! I have a Samsung Galaxy S5 & at least a couple of times a day it comes up with an error saying: "SIM Card Removed: Insert SIM and restart device"... then it gives me the option to shut down without backing out or anything. My only choice is to LITERALLY shut it down and restart it... This has been happening RIGHT in the middle of me doing something on it! I just don't get it! Half of the time I'll restart it... It'll give me the same error, then I'll repeat and it's fine. So annoying! I usually just go through the 2 restarts and be fine- but I REALLY don't want to have to keep taking my Otter Box off, battery out, & removing the SIM (which is exactly where it's supposed to be) & then going through the whole reverse process multiple times a day. Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions of what's going on? Anyone else have this problem? Other than that I love my phone...

 

[STARGATE]

That phone might have something wrong with the hardware. Are you still in time to exchange it?

You could also try a factory reset, if it's something wrong with the software, this might help.

Good luck!

Sent From The 5th Galaxy Inside The Time Vortex.

 

[Charisa McMahon]

I have had this same issue with my S4. I have also read that this seems to be a common problem with no real fix. I have had the SIM replaced and did a factory reboot but neither fixed issue. I am wondering if it may be a software issue since you are having same error on the S5.

 

[Samn Kidd]

I have am having the same issue. What makes it worse is when it happens while i'm asleep bc then my alarm doesn't go off... so many issues with this phone.. also get a "VZW AV Service has stopped" error daily..

 

[AlYuen]

GOT IT FIXED - I searched online and read through many of the replies and found the following to work. I cut out a small piece of PostIt the size of the SIM card and stuck it on the back of the SIM card. I actually cut 2 similar pieces to add to the thickness a bit. And IT WORKED! Before the fix, my Samsung Note could not recognize the SIM card, but now it is fine.

 

[Rukbat]

GOT IT FIXED - I searched online and read through many of the replies and found the following to work. I cut out a small piece of PostIt the size of the SIM card and stuck it on the back of the SIM card. I actually cut 2 similar pieces to add to the thickness a bit.

Good diagnosis - it means that your SIM card socket is defective (the metal holder isn't exerting enough pressure on the card). It would be covered under the warranty.

 

[Jo Faircloth]

I have the same problem with my note 2. Sim was working great then it stopped reading it and said no sim. I have replaced the card slot, put the paper on it, unlocked it again, cleared the cache and rebooted it. Please help?

 

[Rukbat]

You can keep replacing parts (the motherboard would be the next logical choice) or you can save money and bring it in to be repaired.

 

[Coach88]

Only fix for my S4 was to replace my NFC Sim card with a non NFC Sim card.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Rukbat]

Only fix for my S4 was to replace my NFC Sim card with a non NFC Sim card.

An S5 is under warranty - it should work as advertised, or it should be replaced. Asking for a warranty replacement isn't asking for a favor, it's asking to receive something you paid for.

 

[Coach88]

An S5 is under warranty - it should work as advertised, or it should be replaced. Asking for a warranty replacement isn't asking for a favor, it's asking to receive something you paid for.

Totally agree... however, my concern is that it's a known issue with other phones, many of which have been fixed or replaced under warranty. If it's a firmware issue that's at the heart of the problem, the issue is likely to show up again unless they address the firmware itself. Good luck!

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[ATLViper]

Here is how I resolved this issue on my att note 2. Go to the phone dial pad and type:
*#197328640# and enter service mode.
(1) UMTS
(1) DEBUG SCREEN
(8) PHONE CONTROL
(5) SIMULATION
(1) MODEM ASSERT (RESET)
After I clicked modem assert reset I got the no signal symbol and the no sim error disappeared and ATT came back up and my phone works now. Hope this helped.

 

[Rubeni Alimasi]

GOT IT FIXED - I searched online and read through many of the replies and found the following to work. I cut out a small piece of PostIt the size of the SIM card and stuck it on the back of the SIM card. I actually cut 2 similar pieces to add to the thickness a bit. And IT WORKED! Before the fix, my Samsung Note could not recognize the SIM card, but now it is fine.

will try, thanks

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Paul Tappay]

started happening to me too about 3 weeks ago. once or twice a day. so annoying. i take great care with my phoine, otter box, never drop it. i hope there is a solution or free repair.

 

[andyrockstar]

I've had this same problem on my S4, although it didn't start happening until I'd had the phone for about a year. So far I've tried nearly every practical fix action (short of replacing the phone):

1) Factory reset the phone.
2) Replaced SIM card (and used compressed air to clean out any possible traces of debris, despite always keeping the phone in an Otterbox case).
3) Replace SIM card/SD card tray. Found the part for $7 on Amazon (w/ Prime), and operation was straightforward with just removing the 9 small screws holding the back of the phone together, disconnecting the small ribbon cable connecting the tray to the motherboard and peeling the tray off of the motherboard. No soldering needed, so it's something most people could try. Online sources suggest a heat gun to remove the tray but mine peeled off without much effort. Regardless, it's a cheaper and less inconvenient fix than spending $100 to get a replacement with the insurance thingy my carrier has, and I think I could still send my phone back without the repair being noticed.

Each of these fixes would prove to be just temporary. I've noticed the problem was more likely to occur when I'd been commuting somewhere (i.e. the phone was in my pocket). I wonder if there's some sort of localized overheating type of problem, as I haven't had any issues since I quit using the Otterbox case and have kept my phone out of my pocket as much.

 

[Rukbat]

If the cover expands or loses springiness, it puts less pressure on the card, making a more poor contact on the other side of the card, so it definitely could be heat-related. (Most metals do lose elasticity when heated, so there's not much they can do, unless they make the back of the card tray so springy that it's difficult to put the card in when it's new. (Which is why I like my V551 - the card is pressed down by the battery, which is pressed down by the back cover. No spring involved. Not much of a phone, but it still works after 10 years.)

 

[suthern_man]

Just went through same on my S4. SIM card reader was failing. Replaced under warranty but new phone has still other issues. About ready to switch to either another brand or another OS like Windows, as much as I love Android.

Good luck

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[andyrockstar]

I'm still getting the "No Sim Card" message. It's sporadic and doesn't seem to be attributable to any one thing. I'm now trying the "tape on the back of the sim card" fix to thicken the card to, in theory, force the card to connect to the pins inside the tray, and the problem hasn't recurred in the ~8 hours since I tried it (using two pieces of scotch tape).

Although this doesn't appear to be a software-driven problem, I've also upgraded the OS to 4.4.2 Kit Kat since I found the way to do it through my carrier (since I happen to work at said carrier and can access their tech support documentation).

 

[wizkid214]

Hello all, I think this might be helpful.

Here's a little background, Att Note2
I started Having problems with with the Sim card and got error message saying that there was no Sim card in the phone. I thought the Sim card reader was no longer working. I was wrong I replaced the Sim card reader twice and still had the same problem.
After trying all the possible ways to fix I thought about one thing, with this error I could not access the network selection menu because that was/is ultimately controlled by the SIM card, so how could I bypass that problem, be cause that is the heart of the problem. What I had to do is boot the phone in safe mode, on the note2 this is accomplished by holding the volume down button while powering on the device. Continue to hold volume down until you are at the home page. You should see safe mode at the lower left of the screen.
You are half way there by now.
Next you next go to settings, connections, more networks, mobile networks, network operators, from here I'm not sure what you will see but my phone says default setup so tap that, now you can select your carrier, select the appropriate carrier. The phone will try to register on the network if your phone is already activated this will get you going if your phone is not currently activated this will clear the no SIM card error message but it will take maybe 3-5 mins. After I completed this process my note 2 said sim not provisioned emergency calls only. This is what you want to see at the bottom of you screen if you have not activated your sim yet. This was performed on an unlocked unrooted Att note2

Let me kno if this helps.

 

[betobeto77]

Thank You. I have a Unlocked Galaxy S4. I followed your instructions to the middle giving the option to cancel. I went back to see what happened took 35 hours and the error message so far has not come. Thank you.