Want to highlight a helpful answer? Upvote!

Did someone help you, or did an answer or User Tip resolve your issue? Upvote by selecting the upvote arrow. Your feedback helps others! Learn more about when to upvote >

Newsroom Update

Apple is introducing a new Apple Watch Pride Edition Braided Solo Loop, matching watch face, and dynamic iOS and iPadOS wallpapers as a way to champion global movements to protect and advance equality for LGBTQ+ communities. Learn more >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

sim card not valid after update to ios 5

just updated to iOs 5 on an AT&T iphone 4....says sim card not valid

Dell, Windows XP

Posted on Oct 12, 2011 6:16 PM

Reply
301 replies

Oct 14, 2011 2:07 AM in response to westside03

Same thing happened to me. I have an AT&T iPhone 4 great condition, never jailbroken. I tried to upgrade from 4.3.5 last night and got the sim card error. I went into an Apple store today got a replacement after they tried a couple of sim cards and they didn't work. I restored the new phone and used it running 4.3.5 most of the day then (against my own better judgement) tried it again tonight and got the same thing with the new phone. Now I have a genius bar appt for saturday. This really *****.

Oct 14, 2011 3:50 AM in response to westside03

Same to me . Have a white 16GB 3Gs and after the update i Get that %%$$%& message saying "Sim Not Valid". What kind of $%%%% *&^%^ is this ?????

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it was working fine before the update and i need this phone fix. I took it the Apple store yesterday they couldn't restore back to the previous operating system and they gave me an appointment for tomorrow afternoon. 3 F'ing days without a phone . ^%%$ You Apple .. %^&& You very much !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ....

Oct 14, 2011 11:32 AM in response to westside03

The history of the IPhone 4 I have problem with are curious.
We get the phone from Apple Store in first place, order by mail last yaer.
This is an unlocked Iphone 4 from Apple. (We get unlocked IPhone from Apple in Norway)
We had a lot of trouble with this phone and we get a brand new replacement phone from Apple.
Everything was OK until updating of the phone to IOS 5.
The serial number visible in iTunes of the replacement phone was the same number we had from the first phone.
But if you take out the SIM Card holder we see the correct serialnumber of the phone. This was not the same we see before in iTunes.
And both of this serialnumber get the following message on the Service and Repair link https://selfsolve.apple.com/GetWarranty.do
"We're sorry, but this is a serial number for a product that has been replaced. Please check your information and re-enter your serial number. If your information is correct, you may need to contact us."


I have now a case on Apple Support, and they try to find out what is happed with the serialnumber.
It make sence if the serialnumber don't are in the database, you can't activate the phone, so the message of the SIM card is misleading.
We have two IPhone 4, and one IPad 2, all is updated to IOS 5, but none of this have never been replaced.

Oct 14, 2011 12:22 PM in response to westside03

I've tried ALL the tricks mentioned here; different SIM card the 999 thing (which will get you to the home scree... eventually), but the second you turn it off you're back to square one. This is REDICULOUS! I quit buying Windows equip. because of this sort of issue being a constant thing. APPLE! I'm not available for an upgrade to the iPhone 4s yet. Looks like you owe me a phone! You wrecked mine!!!!! I don't want to wait for you to fix this and send in update in days; weeks; whatever! Probably should go buy an ANDRIOD phone! I. Am. beyond angry. Thanks for wrecking my phone!

Oct 14, 2011 12:35 PM in response to westside03

I experienced this same problem with my wife's iPhone this morning. Her SIM card would work on my iPhone 4 (upgraded to iOS5). My SIM card would not work in her iPhone. Same problem after restoreing, DFU mode, etc.


Made a Genius Bar appointment. They replicated the problem.


Phone was out of contract. They replaced the phone and then upgraded the new phone to iOS 5 right there in the store to make sure there weren't any problems.


Her new iPhone 4 is now running iOS5 and did not have any problems.

Oct 14, 2011 6:00 PM in response to dleight

Same situation here. Tried to update my iphone 4 to ios5 this morning - got the invalid sim card error. Went down to the apple store, they gave me a NEW phone. I figured it must have been something wrong with that particular phone, so I tried to update again. Now I have a brand new iphone 4 stuck on screen that says invalid sim card. Worthless.

Oct 14, 2011 10:47 PM in response to Mary Dube

This is a major issue that Apple has either not recognized or failed to address. I just bricked my fifth (#5) replacement iPhone 4.


I've bricked a total of five iPhone 4 units under the following scenarios:

1. iPhone 4 on 4.3.5 restoring to 4.3.5 (three phones)

2. iPhone 4 upgrading from 4.3.5 to 5.0 (one phone)

3. iPhone 4 on 5.0 using the erase all contents and settings tab on the iPhone (one phone)


I've been trying to isolate the variables, what I've been able to confirm is that the phone will brick restoring to 4.3.5 (no longer possible to restore to this OS) and 5.0. I originally thought a glitch resided in my computer, however my fifth unit just bricked under scenario three as listed above. Additional, the fifth unit was NEVER associated with the computer in question.


Additional food for thought. This issue may be a lagging indicator to a larger issue at hand. Just think, how many individuals actually tinker with their firmwares on a monthly, or even an yearly basis. This thread proves my point, iOS 5 was just released and we're suddenly seeing a major influx of "bricked" iPhones.


I'm not sure if this applies to the iPhone 4S, I haven't tried any erase and or restore operations on it.




Phone in question: iPhone 4 16GB White

Oct 14, 2011 11:07 PM in response to Andy+1

Additional info I forgot to mention


The iPhone, once bricked, will remain bricked regardless of further restores on various computers. My phone bricked on my personal computer, and restores on the Genius Bar computers failed to resolve the issue. The worst part is that these are all factory restores; no jailbreaking, no SHSH, no unlock.

Oct 15, 2011 3:31 AM in response to westside03

Same issue ... "the SIM card in this iphone does not appear to be supported" with O2 UK.


O2 Store threw me a new SIM, then put me on hold for an hour, trying to activate it, then gave up!


My theory ...


There must be some computation betweem the SIM number & the physical handset number (IMEI?) to determine if the carrier supports it and therefore display this message. This would have to be in an O2 system OR an Apple iTunes O2 system, I assume.


Looks to me like iOS-5 upgrade has perhaps reverted to some old carrier records or changed the rules!


O2 Store at Broad Street London on Friday (both their Guru and Sales folk) said it was definitely a bug in the Apple software and "they (Apple) would have to get me a later version of iOS-5". Suspect I was being fobbed off.


I now have to travel across London to the Apple Genius Bar, which just adds to the hours already wasted, and will return this evening and post their solution to this puzzle. Clearly I'm not alone ...


Standby (hopefully) for a broadcast from the Genius Bar this evening Sat 15-Oct UK time.

Oct 15, 2011 4:36 AM in response to andyfrombishop auckland

Are all IPhone in this discussion replacemet phones ?


We have two IPhone 4, and two IPad 1 and 2, all is updated to IOS 5, but none of this have never been replaced.


The only IPhone we have problem with, si a replacment phone we get form Apple Store.


We get this message when we try to check the serialnumber fo the replacment phone: (Serialnumber is back of Sim card holder, you need magnifying glass😁 ) (link https://selfsolve.apple.com/GetWarranty.do ) "We're sorry, but this is a serial number for a product that has been replaced. Please check your information and re-enter your serial number. If your information is correct, you may need to contact us."


It make sence if the serialnumber don't are in the database, you can't activate the phone, so the message of the SIM card is misleading.

We have two IPhone 4, and one IPad 2, all is updated to IOS 5, but none of this have never been replaced and we have the same carriers (Ventelo) on all phone and Ipads.

sim card not valid after update to ios 5

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.