How to fix Xiaomi Mi6 that cannot detect SIM card, keeps getting SIM card error? [Troubleshooting Guide]

When it comes to budget-friendly smartphones, Xiaomi like the new Mi 6 variant have surfaced among other top brands to date. Compared to other flagship devices, these China-made handsets are significantly cheaper but packed with equal or even better performance and features. But for some reasons, many people would still hesitate to procure these brands given the limited support offered by carriers or device manufacturer. As a result, many Xiaomi users who bumped into certain issues are left hanging as most of them doesn’t know what to do in order to fix the problem on their end. In fact, you can see various queries remain unanswered and Xiaomi problems remain unresolved populating pertinent forums.

In an effort to provide further assistance to Xiaomi owners who happened to land into this site in search for help, I have outlined some helpful solutions to a specific and most commonly raised issue transpiring on Xiaomi Mi 6. It is on SIM card errors like the dreaded No SIM card detected error on the Mi 6 handset. Read on to find out what triggers SIM card errors like this to occur on your Xiaomi Mi 6 and what should be done in order to fix them?

But before we go to our troubleshooting, if you happen to be looking for a solution to a different problem, then I suggest you visit our Xiaomi Mi 6 troubleshooting page for we may have already addressed concerns that are similar with yours. Feel free to use our solutions and workarounds. If they don’t work and you need further assistance, you can always contact us by completing our Android issues questionnaire and hitting submit.

What causes No SIM card detected error, other SIM card issues on your Xiaomi Mi 6?

Many of those who have encountered the same problem thought of it as a hardware issue but it turns out that the software is to blame in most cases. Something seems to be causing conflict as the device attempts to read and switch between SIM cards in use.

There are also other people who found out that the problem is caused by a faulty SIM card. They were able to figure it out when they tried changing the SIM or using a different SIM card and then the SIM card error did not show up anymore since then. Consider it an option to try on your end too.

Aside from a bad SIM card, SIM card errors may also imply a damaged component on the phone. This is most likely the underlying cause if you happened to drop or get your phone wet before. Symptoms of hardware damage may show up sooner or later from the actual incident. In this case, your best option for fixing is a technician. That said, take your phone to a nearby service center and have it diagnosed further by a technician for hardware assessment and/or repair if needed. However, if your device is still under warranty, you can save effort and some bucks by simply available for service or replacement warranty instead.

Recommended workarounds and possible solutions

Outlined below is a list of all possible solutions and recommended workarounds to deal with SIM card errors and problems on the Xiaomi Mi 6 device. These methods are deemed generic solutions, which means may or may not be able to resolve the underlying cause. Nevertheless it wouldn’t hurt to try. That being said, feel free to refer to the following troubleshooters and take your chances. Some people have found remedies by performing any of these methods and hopefully you’ll get positive outcomes too.

Remove and re-insert SIM card on our Xiaomi Mi 6

If you have another spare SIM card, try to insert and use that SIM card on your Xiaomi phone then see if the SIM card error persists. If it doesn’t, then the problem is with the SIM card you are using. You may consider having the SIM card replaced by then.

  1. Get your tools ready.
  2. Power off your phone completely.
  3. Locate the small hole on the left side of the phone.
  4. Use the SIM ejector and insert it into that hole.
  5. Gently press the ejector inside until the SIM tray ejects.
  6. Pull out the tray then remove the SIM card from the tray. Examine the SIM card for any signs of corrosion. If everything looks fine to you, then place the SIM card back into the tray.
  7. Then gently press the SIM tray back in the same orientation before you take it out.

If you have a spare micro SIM or nano SIM card, you can try using it then see if the error persists when using a different SIM card.

Reboot/force reboot Xiaomi Mi 6

If the SIM card error continues to show up after removing and reinserting the SIM card on your Xiaomi Mi 6, then try to reboot (soft reset) or force reboot your Mi 6. Doing so will eliminate any minor glitches that might have triggered the SIM card error to keep showing up when using the device. And here’s how it’s done:

  1. Press and hold the Power button for a few seconds.
  2. When you see the menu on the screen, select Power off option and then tap OK. Your phone then powers off.
  3. After 30 seconds, press the Power button again to turn it back on.
  4. To force  your Xiaomi Mi 6 to reboot or restart, press and hold the Power button for about 10 seconds or until the device power cycles.

A forcer reboot is often necessary when your device lags or becomes unresponsive.

No data will be affected in either restarts, so it’s definitely a safe method to begin with.

Boot Xiaomi Mi 6 into Recovery Mode and update firmware

Firmware updates often bring in new features and services along with some fix patches used to address existing issues on the phone that are likely triggered by complex bugs. Thus if  you haven’t already, consider it your next option. For safekeeping, be sure to back up all your data beforehand. Whenever you’re all set to proceed, follow these steps to boot your Xiaomi Mi 6 into recovery mode and install firmware update available.

  1. Power off your phone completely.
  2. When the phone is powered off, press and hold the Volume Up, Home and Power buttons together for about 10 seconds.
  3. Release both buttons when the Mi logo appears. You are now in Recovery mode.
  4. From here you can use the Volume buttons to navigate to different options then press the Power button to confirm selection.
    • To wipe cache partition, use the Volume Down button to select the option to wipe cache partition and then press the Power key to confirm.
    • To update firmware, use the Volume button to select the option to Install software/firmware update, then press Power to confirm.
  5. Select Restart now to reboot your phone.

See if that fixes the problem.

Reset your Xiaomi Mi 6 to factory defaults in recovery mode

Again, this can be deemed as your last hope. If you are certain that your phone has no physical or liquid damage yet still prompting SIM card errors, then most likely it’s a serious or more complex software problem on the phone. It could be due to some malware or system bugs that hinder the phone from working as intended, particularly in reading SIM card data. Here’s how a factory reset is done in recovery mode on your Xiaomi Mi 6 device:

  1. Turn off your Xiaomi Mi 6 by pressing the Power button until it powers down.
  2. Then press and hold the Volume Up and Power button together for a few seconds.
  3. When you see the Mi logo, release both keys at once.
  4. Then press the Volume Down button to highlight Wipe Reset option and press the Power button to confirm action.
  5. Use the Volume Down button to scroll to and highlight Wipe All Data option and then press the Power button to confirm.
  6. Press Power to select Yes and confirm factory reset.

Factory reset Xiaomi Mi 6 using the Settings menu:

Or you can also perform a factory reset on your Xiaomi Mi 6 with these alternative procedure:

  1. Turn on your phone.
  2. Navigate to the Main Menu then tap Settings.
  3. Open the Backup and Reset folder then select Factory Data Reset.
  4. Tap Reset Phone.
  5. Read and review the warning message then select Erase Everything to confirm reset.

Your device will then start resetting and restoring software. See if it’s now able to recognize your SIM cards.

Contact Xiaomi Support or your carrier to ask for other options and further assistance to further troubleshoot the SIM card error on your Xiaomi Mi 6. If you don’t want or couldn’t call tech support, then you can just take your device to an authorized service center and have your phone diagnosed and/or repaired by a technician

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