Q: iPhone 5 and "NO SIM CARD INSTALLED" error

Mattne, I just updated the system tonight and the same problem happened... did you solve yours now? ...

This started happening to me back in November. I noticed that it would occur in the morning on my way to work. This was typically when things were the coldest. So I believe temperature is a contributing factor here. It happened several mornings. I would simply just restart it and all would be good. But I grew sick of restarting it so I pulled the SIM card, wiped it with a dry clothe and reinserted it. That worked for several months until it happened again this morning. Again, it was pretty cold, but not as cold as it's been other times this winter. So I pulled it, wiped it again, so we will see how that does. But has anyone figured out a permanent fix? New SIM maybe, or is it a hardware issue?

I had the exact same experience with my SIM card.  Wipeing it would work for awhile but I get fed up with not knowing when this would happen.  I was able to get a new SIM card from my carrier and I have not had it happen since.

The same happened to me! it's my birthday, and I got a new iPhone 5s.

I put my sim card in, and it says that there is no sim card.

I swear, there is one in there and I've tried everything, turning off, on, cleaning,

So, four months with no issues after getting a replacement SIM from Verizon. Two days ago I got an error message INVALID SIM CARD. Reset the phone, went back to normal. Yesterday - NO SIM - reset. Today - NO SIM twice already! I hate Android but I don't want to have to keep checking my phone to make sure people can reach me. This is very frustrating!

My case:

I bought an used iphone in very good shape.

Tested if it is unlocked -> OK.

Then after 1 week (not used) it was not working -> No SIM

Valid service contract -> sended to Apple.

Report was "no issues" detected, BUT they change the SIM card holder that you slide into the phone.

NOW 6 month later suddenly No SIM!

It is definetely a hardware problem, but noe i have no service contract

A month ago I had this no sim problem with my AT&T iPhone 5. After experiencing this a few times, it disappeared. I don't remember doing anything special so not sure what fixed it.

As i said hardware error, sim card reader needs to be changed...

I think there are some different issues:

-) SW related (to fix with recovery mode or toggle 10 or more times airplane mode on/off)

-) HW related:

SIM Tray creates shortcut (to fix with Scotch tape)

SIM card itself is faulty

SIM card reader is faulty

and of course Mainboard is faulty...

I have an Android Moto G with the same problem. I have been googling around trying to figure out what the problems is and how to fix it, search terms: Loose Sim Card, I came across this thread, in addition to many others. I am normally a Mac Boy and have an account here, so I thought I would try to post a helpful message. (In spite of Apple loyalty, I couldn't afford the Apple Tax for the iPhone.)

Apparently, almost every brand of phone has had this problem with SIM cards since around 2008. The iPhone 3G had very similar problems. Judging by the torrent of threads all over the internet, and the legions of frustrated users, it appears to be generic to most or all smart phones that use SIM cards. Maybe there's a fundamental problem with the technical specifications for SIM cards or SIM card trays. Maybe the manufacturers find it too difficult to maintain necessary manufacturing tolerances and quality control.

FWIW, in my case, it appears that the SIM card gets a tiny bit loose in its tray, though it hasn't ejected. If I gently push it back into its tray, about a millimeter, it starts working again, though I might have to restart my phone, and sometimes have to enter the SIM lock key, also known as the PUK. Fortunately, I know my SIM key. A lot of users don't.

I've already exchanged the phone for a new one. This problem seems well-known for Moto G, so I thought the manufacturer would have improved the hardware by now. No way. The new phone has the same problem as the old one. Many phone owners who exchange their phone with a new one are reporting no improvement with this problem.

Few users, of any brand, are reporting that replacing the SIM card is helpful.

Having read dozens of threads, the most reliable fix seems to involve physically jamming the SIM card in the tray, so it can't work itself loose. Apparently, routine use of the phone causes bumps and jolts that cause the SIM card to get slightly displaced in the tray.

Some people just shove two or three small pieces of thin, durable paper between the SIM card and the tray, taking care not to cover the gold contacts on the SIM card. Others report good results with removing the SIM card, placing one, two or three layers of scotch tape on the card, and replacing it.

The advantage of tape is it will probably stay in one place after you press it down. One worries that the adhesive might bleed out from underneath the tape, damage the card or the tray. However, I haven't found any reports of that. Some users worry that doing so might void the warranty. On the other hand, the warranty covers the phone, not the SIM card, and SIM cards can be removed from phones.

Hope this is helpful. Hope this message doesn't get killed because I don't own an iPhone. Just trying to help. I feel your pain.

I'm also getting this error sporadically. It can go weeks and months without happening, then it will happen multiple times a day or week and then stop again for a while. Rebooting the phone temporarily fixes the problem. But it's a pretty annoying bug and experience. I've taken out the card and cleaned it, doesn't seem to make a difference in the long term.

Then it seems to be a hardware fault.

This is a follow-up to my previous long post, about a week ago.

This thread has 360,000 views to date . That tells you something.

My carrier is T-Mobile. I'm impressed with the intelligence and knowledge of the technicians at the T-Mobile retail store where I do business. I discussed this issue with a technician there. He acknowledged that this problem has been going on for several years, with a variety of phone manufacturers. He hears about it regularly, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. Some users experience this problem repeatedly, some never do. He was not surprised that I have the same after exchanging my phone. I asked him why the manufacturers don't fix it. He just shrugged. He did offer me a new SIM card, mentioning the design has changed a bit, recently. If this solves the problem, I will post again.

After having my SIM card replaced, I have not had this problem reoccur.

It's now been about a year without the issue. I used to have issues when the phone got cold in winter such as if I left it in an unheated car.

Happy to say I had no issue this past winter with the new sim being in the phone.

Users report removing the SIM card and cleaning it, in various ways, with varying results. Some report lasting success, others report the problem recurs. My theory is that users unwittingly solve the problem this way by repositioning the SIM card in the tray when they remove, clean and replace it.

I have had an iPhone 4 16GB for 4 years and had zero issues aside from running out of memory. I finally broke down and uprgaded to the iPhone  5S 64GB (both Verizon) yesterday. When I first got it it said "no sim card" and I had to power it off several times to have the phone recognize that it did have one. I tried to open it to see if it was actually installed but it wouldnt even open with a paper clip. On day 2 I was using it all day then all of a sudden it said "no sim card" I powered it off and rebooted it. Sad to have such isues with a brand new phone. Next time it happen I am marching into a Verizon wireless store to have them exchange both the phone and sim card