sim card not valid after update to ios 5

This is not technically correct... It should be but iPhones handle unlocks via profiles from Apple; and if you have had your handset replaced and the Genius Bar staff incorrectly applied the wrong profile to your new handset; the net time you restore it could push a lock to a totally random carrier to your device...

Hence there are people in the USA have been locked to O2 UK carrier...

Only when there is a fault in the Apple Database. The unlock means that the provider gives Apple the instruction to unlock the Phone, this goes through the Apple Database, and iTunes handles it (from the Apple Database.

I didn't have to do anything special -- the iPhone ended up in "needs registration" state after the iOS5 upgrade, which of course failed every time because of the "sim not recognized" error.

Once the Apple database was updated so (as I understand you described) the correct profile was applied the next time I connected the phone to my computer it continued beyond the invalid sim point, recognized the phone, and correctly restored its content from backup automatically -- no extra step needed.

Given the explanation you an a couple of others give, is there a difference between a major iOS upgrade (4 to 5) and a minor upgrade? I had performed several minor and micro upgrades along the iOS4 release train without running into this issue.

This is ridiculous. I have 2 fully paid for iPhone's - moved countries so was told tough luck, sell them on ebay. tried to unlock...no luck. Updated and now have a locked SIM card.

Apple. You have become a miserable company to deal with. I'm done.

Hello all,

I had the same problem, starting from the 12th of October when I tried to update my Iphone 4 to IOs5 (bought new, without any provider/carrier from a Apple store in Vancouver, Canada).

I've been trying to restore, use other/new simcards, went to the provider's store, to Apple, nothing helped, UNTILL.....

I've been on the phone with Apple Support in the USA, twice for almost an hour (calling from the Netherlands!!). After having talked to an advisor and after that a senior advisor, they took my problem to Technical Support and NO IDEA what they did, but it's SOLVED!!! 🙂🙂

Only thing I told them was what I read on this community: that the solution had to be somewhere at the Apple servers, something to do with getting your accountdata to match with your IMEI number and serial number....

Hope this helps some of you: don't give up!

a happy customer from the Netherlands

i also updated and got sim card invalid, i live in the uk and i have tried every carrier sim. still no luck what do i do?

😠

This same thing happened to me two weeks ago when updating to iOS 5 with my iPhone 4 as soon as I updated I was locked at the activation screen with the sim card is not supported or whatever. Anyway's took my phone to apple they replaced it. Then a week later I went to restore my info, same thing happened. So I received another replacement. This time I asked the apple representative if there could be any possibility it could be caused by a corrupted backup etc. I had explored countless forums talking about baseband, IMEI, and so on. The apple representatives still didn't really have an answer for me other then basically telling me that stinks. So went to restore the morning after happened again. This time I didn't have time to run to an apple store so I ran my phone to AT&T just to grab an old sim. They thought it could be the IMEI of the handset so they updated in their system and put the phone into DFU to recover. This probably would have worked at the time if my phone wasn't already bricked on me. Anyway's I had to take the phone to apple yet again where this representative was actually kind enough to do some digging for me and find the root of the problem. To compress the story basically when I bought my 4 on launch the representative put my IMEI in wrong and entered a "S" instead of an "F" for my original iPhone 4. So every time I was trying to update it kept telling the phone that is was unlocked and on the O2 network rendering my At&t sim/service useless.

Hope this helps.

I posted earlier in this thread and mentioned a similiar story to everyone here (tried to update to ios5, bricked my phone; got a replacement and bricked that phone as well). I now have a working Iphone 4 on IOS5 -

I ended up calling Apple Care and was assigned to a senior tech advisor. He was able to find out that the issue was with the Apple database and that Apple had the incorrect IMEI and Serial number assigned to my first Iphone 4. (Their database said my carrier was in France, I live in Chicago).

My first Iphone 4 had died after 10 months of use, and the Apple store had replaced. The Apple store tech, probably mistyped the IMEI number that you can only find in 2 point type on the SIM card holder (as my phone was dead).

I did not have the orginial IMEI or serial number on hand. Apple had to call AT&T they were able to get that information directly from AT&T. After Apple had the correct information on my first Iphone, the problem was resolved within 48 hours.

Still no luck for me guys.......!!! 😟

Hi Peter, please could you help me out just sent me a mail?

twan1965pool (at) hotmail. (dot) com

To those of you who are freaking out as much as I was,

After going through five iPhones, restoring through multiple computers and then through the actual phone, I realized it must be Apple. I called and they told me that this thread was a lie, I persisted and then the representative finally found something after being transferred several times. They were very kind and explained to me that it wasn't my fault and that somewhere along the way, one of the geniuses replacing my phone accidentally connected my phones "profile" to that of an Australian phone. This, of course, messed up my phone because now it was locked to some Australian character. Fortunately, they were able to send for a fix because I had my original box. About five days later, the rep called me and now my phone magically works again.

Therefore, for those of you who are having this problem, try to call Apple and they will most likely have a fix for you. Of course, it doesn't hurt to reference this thread, and continue to persist if they say there is "no such thing" as a "profile." Ask them to check your profile (if that is the correct term) or the carrier the phone is assigned to, if it doesn't match, there is your problem. Hopefully this helps.

- Eric

AS an early reporter of this issue, and now having been through the process quite a few times..... (6 iPhones and many hours to & fro the Apple Store I can definitively report that this particular issue is down to the following conditions:

Your iPhone had/has been replaced by Apple or your mobile provider.

The serial numbers have not been transferred accurately by whichever above.

The audit trail/timeline of serial numbers do not match the 'central Apple database'.

Without the above being correct it will not work, if by chance it does, it will reject at the next either restore or update. Then you are back to square one.

MY summary is as follows:

I got a new iPhone 4 at launch, then in November** it was replaced due to a faulty button. All replacements were carried out at Apple Stores. It was then replaced in April with another fault. It was then replaced in June with another fault. At ios update the issue raised its ugly head. Since then I have had 3 more replacements some with different micro sims. Then today the mystery was solved. Back in November the serial number was not entered correctly in the 'timeline' so I had one trail that started at iPhone 4 launch and ended in November, then another trail that started in April but since the serial numbers do not continue from launch to current it will always be a problem. Once this error has been corrected the problem will be resolved....

I can also confirm the following:

This issue will not affect you if it you have been using the same phone the whole time from new/launch.

IMEI numbers have no bearing on the issue.

IF your iPhone was supplier/genuine unlocked and the same unit as above from launch till now - you will not have this issue.

IT is solely related to serial numbers from when repairs/swaps carried out.

I have another iPad2, iPhone 4 and 3gs neither had been changed and upgraded to 5 iPhone without any issues, other people I know that have had the problem had their phones changed/swapped in the past, other that have no changed their phone through repairs etc upgraded without issues.

Apple are aware of the issue and will really help if shown/pushed in the right direction...

omg lol! somehow i bypassed ios activation screen by attempting to forcing to make emergency call. this is not abt luck lol, but everytime i hit lock screen it will be back to activation screen.

Hey Fatlobster, I did what you had told us before the emergencey call steps, etc. I managed to bypass the activation screen as well but I get no service for my sim. What's the next step? How do i make my fone work? Please reply as soon as u can. Thanks a lot.

same prob dude did u find solution or not? i am using gsm but all of it dissapears when i update to 5 and after error occurs n i restore it to factory setting then all gone to sand like water flowing in sand.....................