How to fix Galaxy Note5 invalid SIM card error

Here’s another troubleshooting article for the day. This post will cover some issues reported for the #GalaxyNote5. We’ve allocated enough space for a special case in this post about invalid SIM card error. If your Note5 has been showing this error recently, this short troubleshooting guide might help.

If you are looking for solutions to your own #Android issue, you can contact us by using the link provided at the bottom of this page. When describing your issue, please be as detailed as possible so we can easily pinpoint a relevant solution. If you can, kindly include the exact error messages you are getting to give us an idea where to start. If you have already tried some troubleshooting steps before emailing us, make sure to mention them so we can skip them in our answers.

Problem #1: How to fix Galaxy Note5 invalid SIM card error

I am receiving a message for an invalid SIM card. This disrupt me trying to send text messages. Therefore, I cannot send or receive any text messages. I tried to restart my phone as the phone State and it does not work. You cannot remove the battery to do a soft reset because the back of the phone does not open up. I am trying not to do a hard reset. Please help!

Also, I do not know what type of Android software is on this phone, I would need someone to show me how to find that information out. Therefore, I have selected other below.

Solution: If you’re getting an invalid SIM card error, that can mean any of the following:

your account with your carrier has been deactivated or problematic
SIM card is defective
there’s device network bug
there’s a messaging app bug
device is not reading or detecting the SIM card

To troubleshoot this problem, follow our suggestions below.

Force reboot

Minor bugs can sometimes be fixed by simply restarting the device. In your case, try simulating a battery pull so that the phone’s memory (RAM) is cleared and the entire system refreshed. Here’s how to do that:

Press and hold the Power + Volume Down buttons for approximately 10 seconds or until the device power cycles. Allow several seconds for the Maintenance Boot Mode screen to appear.
From the Maintenance Boot Mode screen, select Normal Boot. You can use the volume buttons to cycle through the available options and the lower left button (below the volume buttons) to select. Wait for up to 90 seconds for the reset to complete.

Reseat the SIM card

Disconnecting the SIM card normally refreshes cellular configuration of a device. In some cases, this is enough to fix messaging or voice calling issues. If you haven’t yet, make sure to disconnect the SIM card while the device is ON. Then, wait for at least 5 seconds before inserting it back. While at it, be sure to also check if the SIM tray is loose as this might be the reason why your phone may not be detecting the SIM card.

Check for carrier updates

Samsung devices are set to download and install updates by default. If you change this behavior, be sure to manually check for updates — both for apps and operating system. Some network issues can only be resolved by patching the software. This is done by carriers rather than by Google or Samsung. Be sure not to skip any system update if they become available.

Reset network settings

Another great way to fix issues similar to yours is by refreshing the network configuration of a device. If you haven’t done it yet, follow these steps:

From the Home screen, swipe up on an empty spot to open the Apps tray.
Tap General Management > Reset settings.
Tap Reset network settings.
If you have set up a PIN, enter it.
Tap Reset settings. Once complete a confirmation window will appear.

Factory reset

This is a necessary troubleshooting step in this situation, especially if nothing has worked so far. Factory reset will erase all personal data so be sure to back your files up before you do it. Here’s how to do it:

Create a backup of your data.
Turn off the device.
Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby key, then press and hold the Power key.
When the green Android logo displays, release all keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
Press the Volume down key several times to highlight ‘wipe data / factory reset’.
Press Power button to select.
Press the Volume down key until ‘Yes — delete all user data’ is highlighted.
Press Power button to select and start the master reset.
When the master reset is complete, ‘Reboot system now’ is highlighted.
Press the Power key to restart the device.

Get help from your network operator

Ideally, you should skip all device troubleshooting and work first with your carrier. Invalid SIM card error usually indicates an account problem so troubleshooting the phone instead of the account won’t do any good. By reporting the error to your carrier, they should be able to check if there’s any provisioning issue in your account, or advise you if there’s an on-going problem with their network services. Generally, they should help you identify where the problem lies. The suggestions above should all be covered as well if they can confirm that there’s no issue with your account at all. If both device and account are good, the problem may be the SIM card so, depending on the troubleshooting steps taken, a SIM card replacement may also be suggested.

How to check for your software version

For your other question, it’s really easy to check what software version your Note5 has. Just go under Settings > About phone > Software information.

Problem #2: What to do if Galaxy Note5 has slow charging or battery drain issues after an update

Hello. So I am learning that after the note 5 has updated to the most recent updates this may be the cause of slow charging and or battery drain. Right now I am having this issue and would like to know when will this issue be resolved. I have tried resetting and deleting cache; however, since this is more of the company’s update issue I hope that this is something that will be resolved soon. Please let me know. I will greatly appreciate it Thanks and enjoy the rest of your day.

Solution: It’s possible that Samsung may pulled an Apple on its older devices but so far there’s verifiable information about that. Android community is just as vigilant to this type of unfair practices so we should get more uproar from users if ever it occurs. In the meantime, you can assume that the battery drain issue you’re experiencing is due to generic reasons. Slow charging can happen if there’s a problem with the charging cable, adapter, or charging port. At other times, bad battery can also be blamed. Since you have both issues occuring at the same time, there’s high possibility that one of the following is true:

battery issue (degradation, loss of capacity, physical damage)
too many apps running at the same time
screen brightness
malware/ virus

Try wiping the phone thru factory reset and observe how fast the battery drains when there’s no third party apps installed. If there’s no significant difference with battery performance after a factory reset, or if the phone remains also when charging, you can bet hardware is to blame. In this case, you should consider replacing the battery via Samsung repair.

Problem #3: Galaxy Note5 won’t turn on

I have a Samsung Galaxy Note5 phone that is a year and a half old. I was messaging with my phone and receiving messages so my phone was acting totally normal. I had my phone on the charger and noticed that the blue light was flashing like there as a notification so i picked it up and pressed the home key. that is when i noticed the camera flash flashing, and the phone would not turn on. I tried starting it following the prompts i saw online: pressing the power button and volume down button together for 10 seconds. nothing works.

Solution: There may be an issue with the charging accessories you’re using. Make sure both the cable and adapter are working. If you have another set of official Samsung Note5 USB cable and adapter, use them to charge the device for at least 30 minutes. If that won’t top the battery up or power on the phone, there must be a hardware trouble. Visit your local Samsung service center so they can check the device and advise you whether it needs repair.

Problem #4: Galaxy Note5 email account won’t sync

My emails stopped working on my phone yesterday. I have checked all setting and I have reset the sync settings etc but they will still not work. I have tried to set the account up again and it says account cannot be verified!! The message I get is Couldn’t verify account the username or password is incorrect or POP3/IMAP access is not turned on for this account. Check your email account settings on the web, then try again. I have done all of this and it still doesn’t want to work. Please help!!

Solution: Have you tried logging in to your email account using your web browser? This may be caused by entering incorrect username or password. If there’s no problem with account credentials and your email account works normally (you can access it in another device or in your Note5 browser), then the most likely reason is security-related. Here’s what you can do:

In your Note5, open the email app and delete your email account in question.
Open a web browser and access your email account.
Go under your account security settings and disable two-factor authentication and/or any other similar security settings.
Open your email app again and add your email accounts.
Once the accounts have been successfully added to the app, turn on the security settings again in your web browser.