Nexus 5: Unrecognized SIM card

You have just acquired an Nexus 5 and when you turn it on, it displays the following error message: SIM card not recognized. From time to time the Nexus 5 does not recognize the SIM card and displays this message. In this circumstance, it is not necessarily required to bring the Nexus 5 directly back. Certainly, there are many tips to fix this issue. We will consequently discover in this content, what are the things to do and check to ensure that the SIM card is recognized on your Nexus 5.unrecognized-sim-card-Nexus-5

What to do when the SIM card is not recognized on my Nexus 5

In the event that the SIM card is not recognized on your Nexus 5, below is a list of things which could help you identify the source of the issue, discover repairing the issue.

Clean SIM card

One of the first things to do if the SIM card is not recognized on your Nexus 5 is to wash it up. In truth, it might happen that dirt partially prevents the contact between the SIM card and the smartphone. To wash it, pass a small dab of cloth over it and check if it is not damaged.

Check the tracking of the SIM card on your Nexus 5

From time to time the issue might result from the tracking of the SIM card. In truth, it often occurs that tiny metal plugs that normally have to come in contact with the SIM card are a little relaxed. When this is the case, this prevents the Nexus 5 from reading the SIM card. To fix this issue, you just need to thicken the SIM a little by gluing one or two pieces of tape at the back.

Test the SIM card on a different phone

To find out if the issue comes from the SIM card, you can actually test it on a different phone and you will have your answer. If it is not recognized on other devices, you can actually modify the SIM card.

Try another SIM card on your Nexus 5

In the event that the two previous steps do not give anything, it’s required to test a different SIM card to find out if perhaps the issue comes from the card. Certainly, if perhaps other SIM card function on the Nexus 5, it’s because the issue comes from the card. Otherwise, it’s at the level of the phone that we will have to look.

Check that your Nexus 5 is not Simlocker

If you have tried many SIM cards on the Nexus 5 and none are recognized, the phone may perhaps be Simlocker. This implies that the Nexus 5 will recognize simply the SIM card of a certain operator. In this circumstance, you have to unlock it. You will find without a hassle a lot of provide on the web which could do that.

Check that the problem will not result from the ROM installed on the Nexus 5

This part mainly concerns the people who root the Nexus 5 to install a ROM that is not initial. In the event that this is actually what you have carried out, be aware that the unrecognized SIM card issue is quite common after installing fresh ROMs. We recommend that you reinstall an initial ROM and re-test it.

In the event that nothing works

In the event that all the above solutions do not work, we advise you to bring your Nexus 5 and the SIM card back to one of your operator’s shops.