How to fix Galaxy S8 Plus won’t detect SIM card (or won’t register to network) issue
One of the common problems many people encounter when relocating is their device not detecting the SIM card or not registering on a network. Below is a classic example of this problem. If you have a problem with your Galaxy S8 Plus not detecting a SIM card or not registering to network, learn what to do below.
Problem: Galaxy S8 Plus won’t detect SIM card or won’t register to network
I have a samsung S8+ Verizon which I was using while I was in the US. However, when I return to NIGERIA and I tried to power the phone I get a message “This SIM card is not from Verizon Wireless” and the phone will not register my local network. I have tried all the steps you laid down and all didn’t work. Kindly advise me on what to do.
Solution: There are a number of reasons why your Galaxy S8 Plus won’t work in the current country you’re in. The most likely ones though should be due to either of these two:
- Device is not network unlocked
- Device is not compatible with network
Device is not network unlocked
As far as we know, Verizon devices are network unlocked. This means that the device can be used in another network as long as it is compatible with that network’s frequencies and does not have other conditions that can prevent it from working outside of Verizon network.
As much as possible, companies would like to only make their devices work on their network. But since a lot of people are now allowed to jump to other networks as long as they have no billing or account issues to settle, phones nowadays are usually already unlocked when leaving the factory. So, as long as you settled your bills with Verizon before you decided to leave, there’s no reason for them to lock down the device to their network. If you have a balance in your account with them, it’s possible that your phone may still be locked with Verizon. You want to settle the billing issue with them first and then request that they network unlock the phone (if it is not yet).
CDMA vs GSM
Another common reason why your S8 Plus won’t work in Nigeria is compatibility. Phones are not universal so there’s always a chance that it may not work properly or at all when used outside its original region. The most commonly used cellular technologies today are GSM and CDMA. Verizon is a CDMA network so its devices are also CDMA by design. Unlike GSM phones, CDMA devices are usually difficult to configure so it works in a GSM network, or in another CDMA network. We don’t know what type of technology your carrier in Nigeria uses so you can talk to your carrier’s technical support team there to see if there’s incompatibility issue of this kind happening. If your CDMA S8 Plus is not compatible with your network because of this reason, there’s nothing much that you can do about it. You can’t convert a CDMA device into GSM so you’re out of luck.
In majority of cases though, CDMA phones can work with GSM networks but you want to check with your carrier how to make things work.
Hardware incompatibility
Carriers operate in particular radio frequencies. If your S8 Plus radio does not support the operating frequency of your Nigerian carrier, you’re out of luck as frequencies on phones can’t be changed. Again, you want to talk to the technical support representative there so they can help you check if this is the reason why your S8 Plus won’t register to their network.
To know the radio frequencies of your device, do a Google search by using the correct model number. If we are not mistaken, Verizon Galaxy S8 Plus devices have a model number of G955V. To be sure though, check the back of the phone or its system details under Settings menu. Radio frequencies or bands look like this:
- CDMA2000 EV-DO
- UMTS 850/900/1900/2100
- LTE Cat16 700/800/850/900/1700/1800/1900/2600 (Bands 2,3,4,5,7,8,13,18,19,20,26,28)
- TD-LTE 1900/2300/2500/2600 (Bands 38,39,40,41)
Be sure to get the correct bands based on your research and compare that to the supported radio bands of your Nigerian network.
Use another SIM card
This may be obvious but SIM cards can deactivate if not used for some time. Try to use another SIM and see if your S8 detects it or not. Otherwise, just get a new SIM card where you’re at to fix the probelm.