Suddenly you got the feeling that your sim card has seemed to stop working on your mobile, you can’t really figure out if indeed the problem is from your sim card, or definitely caused by your mobile phone.
I’m here to help clear up the air on what it means to have a bad sim card, and also how to check if sim card is working.
You and I know the sim card is very essential in a mobile phone though one can use a mobile phone without a SIM card. However, to make and receive calls plus text messages, one will require to have a sim card and even to verify an account like the whatsapp account, etc.
So let’s see how to check if sim card is working on a mobile phone and this includes both the Android phone and iPhone.
Now let’s proceed.
How to check if sim card is working
If a sim card is working and not deactivated or invalid, these are the signs that indicate that a Sim card is still active and valid.
1. You will see a network coverage on your mobile phone
Seeing a network coverage on your mobile phone is the first and foremost that indicates that indeed the sim card is working and not invalid, there will be a network coverage on the phone through the sim card.
Immediately you inserted your sim card into your mobile phone, power on the phone and wait for it to boot. After booting, you will see a network coverage on top of your screen and this signal shows that indeed the sim card is still active and working.
If you didn’t see the network coverage after multiple trials, it might signify that the sim card is no longer working or deactivated by the network provider. I’ve already stated the signs that shows that a sim card is no longer working on this post.
Seeing a network signal or coverage on a mobile phone is one major indication that a sim card is still active and working. One major factor you should look for on how to check if sim card is working.
2. You can make calls, receive calls, send and receive messages
The second factor that determines if a sim card is working is the possibility of using the sim card to make and receive calls, send and receive text messages using the sim card.
Once a sim card is still active and working, a user will use the sim for calls and for messages, if reverse was the case, then that simply means that the sim is already deactivated and no longer working.
But to be very sure, remove the sim from your mobile phone and insert it into another phone. Call or send message to the sim number and see if it will go through or be delivered, if it does happen then it means the problem is from the phone and not the sim card.
How to check if sim card is working is by checking if you can make and receive calls, send and receive text messages on the sim card.
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By seeing a network coverage or signal on your mobile phone, being able to make and receive calls, send and receive texts messages using the sim card is how to tell if sim card is working and still valid or active.
How to know if SIM card is not working
If you have a faulty, damaged or bad sim card, these are the signs and symptoms which indicates that the sim card is bad or damaged, and should be replaced immediately.
1. No network coverage on mobile phone
This is the first sign you will see if your sim card is not working and probably damaged, you won’t see any network coverage on your mobile phone as you insert the sim card into the phone.
All you will see on your mobile phone is no service which indicates that there’s no network coverage on the mobile phone through the sim card.
At first you may think that the problem is from your mobile phone, but you’re wrong as it is majorly caused by the sim card which is damaged or not supported in a mobile phone.
In the case of sim card not supported or compatible with the mobile phone is in the case that the sim card is carrier locked or the mobile phone is carrier locked. So if the sim card or the mobile phone is carrier locked, there won’t be any network coverage on the phone because the sim card or the phone is locked.
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However, if they are not carrier locked then it simply means that the sim card faulty and should be replaced.
Before replacing the sim card
Before replacing the sim card, you have to be very sure that the problem you’re seeing is caused by the sim card and not your mobile phone cause a damaged sim slot causes error of not detecting a sim card.
So what you have to do is to put the sim into another phone and see if it will show a network coverage on the phone. If it does show network coverage on the phone, then the problem is likely to be from your sim slot and not the sim card.
If it didn’t show any coverage on the other phone, then the problem is from the sim card and should be replaced.
2. Cannot make calls or receive calls
This is the second sign you will see on how to check if sim card is working on a mobile phone. Can you receive or make calls using the sim card on your mobile phone, if the answer is no then likely the problem is from the sim card.
In this scenario, you will see a network coverage but i see it as a camouflage cause network signal won’t pass through on the phone, an this prevent the use from making calls or receiving calls using the sim card.
This type of case usually happen if the network provider deactivated the sim card and stopped it from working. Maybe you left the sim card inactive for a very long time, then suddenly you saw the need to use the sim card again, if the network provider deactivated the sim card, then you won’t be able to make calls or receive calls from using the sim card.
As it stands, the sim card is completely invalid and useless and all you need to do is to contact your network provider and seek for a sim replacement.
Before replacing the sim
Again you will have to insert the sim card in another phone and see if you can receive calls or make calls from the mobile phone using the sim card, if it does go through then the problem is from your phone. You have to check your phone network settings and see if everything is properly configured or setup.
If reverse was the case, then you have to replace the sim card.
■ Related Bad sim card symptoms you should know
Not being able to make and receive calls are signs on how to check if sim card is working or not working.
3. Cannot send and receive text messages
Can you send or receive text messages on the sim card?
Once the sim card is damaged or bad, you can’t receive or send a text message using the sim card on your mobile phone. However, just to be sure that the problem is indeed caused by the sim card you need to first take out the SIM card from your mobile phone, and insert it into another phone.
Send a text message to the sim card number and see if it will receive the message. If it does receive the message, then it simply means that the problem is from your mobile phone and not the sim card.
In this case you will have to open your phone network settings and see if everything is in order and properly configured. Check your message app and see if there’s a problem with the app, if you’re using android phone I do recommend to download and install a new message app just to verify if the problem is from the pre-installed message app on your mobile phone.
4. Phone showing Emergency
Another major factor on to determine or how to check if sim card is working is if it displays emergency on your network coverage. In this situation you didn’t activate such on your phone, but it displays emergency instead of the network coverage on your phone.
It is also a sign that the sim card is damaged or deactivated by the network provider. Whenever you see emergency immediately you inserted a sim in your phone, it simply means the sim card is not working and should be replaced.
Before you go ahead with the replacement
Remove the sim from your mobile phone and insert it into another phone, power on the phone and check to see if you will see emergency on the mobile phone.
If it displays emergency on the mobile phone then it simply means that the sim card is no longer working, and must have been deactivated by the network provider. All you have to do is contact your network provider and lay down your complaint.
How to check if sim card is working is by checking if it shows emergency instead of the network coverage on mobile phone.
These are the signs you will see if a sim card is no longer work or active. In most cases, the sim card has been deactivated by the network provider and turns out to be invalid.
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This is how to check if sim card is working by checking if there’s a network coverage on the phone, you can make and receive calls using the sim card, also send and receive text messages.
Hello.
I started having issues with my phone about a week ago. When someone calls me or when I call someone, our conversation begin breaking up or becomes very skippy and we can no longer hear each other. I removed the Sim Card and inserted it into another phone and the same thing happened. So I think that tells me that the issue is not the phone. I’m thinking it’s a bad Sim Card. I called the carrier and after exhausting all of their troubleshooting measures, concluded that there were no technical issues, including coverage my area—from their perspective, everything was fine. Oh, I did clean the Sim Card with a microfiber cloth but obviously that didn’t resolve the issue. I think the issue is the Sim Card. I would sincerely appreciate your response and assistance, I you don’t mind, please?
Thanks,
John
I will recommend you to do a sim swap and get the latest version of your carrier network sim card.
Since the problem is not from your phone, and not caused by a poor network reception but rather the sim card, do a sim replacement.
It only involves getting a new sim card and moving information from your old sim card to the new sim card. Remember, you will still maintain your sim number and other information.