Keypad not showing for SIM PIN entry

In my case, this happened after a low battery shutdown and the phone reaching enough charge to start up again (2 different times).

Both times, calling up the input sim screen several times eventually produced the input squares which had been invisible. The second time, I pulled up the input screen by turning airplane mode on and off until the new screen showed the boxes, and not just “input your sim”.

i also note that this only worked after the charging had reached about 10% so maybe there is a charging threshold involved in the problem.

this happened to me today and after 2 reboots and tapping around, (thank you for the tips! ) i’d like to share what worked for me.

*tap on THE FIELD / BOX where you have to input your numbers.

The bug is probably that the (invisible) cursor is not in the field, therefore not active, therefore no keyboard. Hope this helps someone. Thanks for the support and community everyone!

You may try some of these steps, please check after each step...

1. Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve temporary software glitches. Turn off your iPhone, wait for a few seconds, and then turn it back on.
   1. Restart the device. That's it.
   2. Still not solved --> Force restart iPhone - Apple Support
2. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone. Tap Reset, then tap Reset Keyboard Dictionary. All custom words and shortcuts are deleted, and the keyboard ...Save keystrokes with text replacements on iPhone
3. Reset Network Settings: Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings: Only network settings are removed.
   1. When you reset network settings, previously used networks and VPN settings that weren’t installed by a configuration profile or mobile device management (MDM) are removed. Wi-Fi is turned off and then back on, disconnecting you from any network you’re on. The Wi-Fi and Ask to Join Networks settings remain turned on.
   2. To remove VPN settings installed by a configuration profile, go to Settings > General > Profiles & Device Management, select the configuration profile, then tap Remove Profile. This also removes other settings and accounts provided by the profile. See Install or remove configuration profiles on iPhone in this guide.
   3. To remove network settings installed by MDM, go to Settings > General > Profiles & Device Management, select the management, then tap Remove Management. This also removes other settings and certificates provided by MDM. See “Mobile device management (MDM)” in the iOS Deployment Reference.
   4. Reset your Network Settings. Tap Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. This also resets Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, and VPN and APN settings that you've used before.
   5. 
4. If the issue persists, you can try resetting all settings on your iPhone. This will not erase your data but will reset all personalized settings to their default values. Go to Settings > General > Transfer & Reset > Reset > Reset All Settings and confirm the action. Note that you will need to reconfigure your settings afterward. All settings—including network settings, the keyboard dictionary, the Home screen layout, location settings, privacy settings, and Apple Pay cards—are removed or reset to their defaults. No data or media are deleted.
   1. Reset All Settings: Return iPhone settings to their defaults - Apple Support:- Return iPhone settings to their defaults
   2. You can return settings to their defaults without erasing your content.
   3. If you want to save your settings, back up your iPhone before returning them to their defaults. For example, if you’re trying to solve a problem but returning settings to their defaults doesn’t help, you might want to restore your previous settings from a backup.
   4. 
5. Make sure you have the latest updates installed.
   1. Update Over-the-Air (OTA) —> Update your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support (IN)
   2. Update using iTunes/Finder —> Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support (IN)

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, it is recommended to reach out to Apple Support or visit an authorized service center for further assistance. They can provide specific guidance based on your device model and iOS version.

If you still have this issue I was able to resolve by first restarting my phone and then going to the phone app and trying to call my self using the keypad. The call failed but I was prompted for sim pin after and this time the keypad was present. Hope this helps :)

OMG!!! Thank you!! I tried the steps above and they didn’t work and finally did what you wrote. JUST START TAPPING AROUND THE PAGE UNTIL THE KEYBOARD FINALLY APPEARS!!! This was really bad since I had no cell service! This is an Apple bug that really needs fixing ASAP since you can’t make an emergency phone call! I hope someone else sees this and saves them the hours I tried to get my cell service back!

APPLE are you listening?

Yeah - me too for both SIM PIN and, randomly, the unlock PIN. The problem with the SIM PIN is that the keyboard doesn't appear until you click in the almost black entry field that's on a black background that was clearly designed by Hotblack Desiato. The unlock PIN I haven't found a solution for other than to lock again with the side button and then try again. It will appear sooner or later.

Additionally, why is it asking for SIM PIN?. If it is because you frequently turn the phone off, the advice is to keep it on, at all times, and charge overnight, every night.

If it is a spontaneous request in the morning, it is a known bug, and advice is keep SIM unlocked for the time being, and or use eSIM.

The forced restart as above is still the best advice for your problem.

APPLE are you listening?

Not in here their not. This is a user to user forum, Apple has no presence here.

Send feedback to Apple -

Feedback - iPhone - Apple

hajeetrom wrote:

Reply to LD150: Once in a while, I have to restart my iPhone. I never just shut it down for the night or something like that. In this case I was showing someone the use of Siri to restart an iPhone.

Ok if you intended to restart it, that's fine.

Doesn't work for me. Can you remember in what area you had success?

This is the second time it has happened to me, but I can't remember how I fixed it the first time. This time it occurred following an automatic software update, following which it asked me to enter my Sim Password

I have an iPhone 17 and on the last two updates, since my last post, I have had this problem. I don’t recall being low on battery, but I will check next time.

My wife is in a nursing home and I can’t do without my phone when the Sim is not working, I just wish Apple would fix this