How to fix No SIM card error on your Nokia 8, SIM card not detected (easy steps)

SIM card errors in smartphones can occur among other symptoms of a software glitch like when installing new update with bugs. In other cases, hardware components are to blame including a damaged SIM card tray/slot, or the SIM card itself is damaged. The same errors can occur when the SIM card isn’t properly seated or loose. One of the most widespread SIM card error transpiring in Android devices including the Nokia 8 is on the No SIM card error. This error denotes that the phone is not able to detect or recognize the SIM card for some reasons. And when this happens, you won’t be able to use your phone’s key services like calling and texting.

Having said that, you need to do something to fix the error for your device to read the SIM card and get things running smoothly again. To give you some inputs on how to deal with such error, I’ve mapped out some helpful workarounds and generic solutions you can try on. Read on to find what to do whenever you will get to encounter the same error on your Nokia phone.

Before we proceed, if you’re looking for a solution to a problem with your phone, try to browse through our troubleshooting pages to see if we support your device. If your phone is in the list of our supported devices, then go to the troubleshooting page and look for similar problems. Feel free to use our solutions and workarounds. Don’t worry it’s free. But if you still need our help, then fill up our Android issues questionnaire and hit submit to contact us.

First solution: Reboot your Nokia 8 (soft reset).

If this is the first time you see the No SIM card error on your phone, then it’s probably just a random glitch. In that case, you can try a soft reset or simply reboot your phone as first solution. Doing so can help clear any minor glitches that might have caused conflict to your phone’s network system and eventually triggered this error. For starters, here’s how to perform a soft reset on your Nokia 8:

Press and hold the Power button for a few seconds.
Select Power off from the menu options then tap OK.
After a few seconds, press and hold down the Power button again to turn the phone back on.

This won’t affect data stored on your phone’s internal memory, thus won’t result to data loss.

Second solution: Remove and reinstall the SIM card.

You may be getting this error because the SIM card has been dislodged and therefore needs to be reseated. This means you need to remove and reseat the SIM card on your Nokia 8. Here’s how to properly do so:

Turn off your phone.
Open the SIM tray and memory card tray by inserting the tray opener into the hole next to the tray.
Gently pull the tray out when it pops out from the slot.
Remove the SIM card.
Check and ensure that the SIM card has no signs of damage. Also make sure you’re using the right SIM card type, which is a nano-SIM. Use of incompatible SIM cards may damage corrupt data stored on the card.
If everything looks good, place the SIM card back into the tray with the gold contacts facing down.
Make sure the SIM card is properly seated then slide the SIM card tray back into place.

When everything is secured, turn your phone on again and see if that fixes the No SIM card error.

Third solution: Reset network settings on your Nokia 8.

Network settings or options that are not properly configured may likewise result to the occurrence of this error. It usually happens when a new update tends to alter or override your network settings and ended up causing conflict. To rule this out, you can reset network settings and configure individual options accordingly. Here’s how:

Navigate to the Apps screen.
Tap Settings.
Tap System.
Scroll to and tap Reset.
Select Network settings reset from the given options.
This will delete and reset your Wi-Fi, Mobile data and Bluetooth connections.
Tap Reset settings again to confirm.

Restart your phone then see if your Nokia 8 already detects your SIM card. Be sure to set up and reconnect to your wireless network afterwards.

Fourth solution: Update software to the latest version.

Installing the latest software update on your device can also be the key to fixing the No SIM card error especially if it’s triggered by some bugs or malware. Aside from bringing in new features, software updates also contain bug fixes for security enhancement on your device. To get started, check for available updates to download and install on your Nokia 8 with these steps:

Tap Settings.
Tap About phone.
Tap System updates.
Tap Check for update.

You will see a notification if an update is available. To download and install new update, simply follow the onscreen instructions. Just be sure to have your phone charged and connected to the Internet. Sufficient memory space on your device is also needed.

Fifth solution: Reset your Nokia 8 to factory defaults (master reset).

A master reset or factory reset can be considered as last resort if all else failed to fix the No SIM card error and that your Nokia 8 still cannot detect the SIM card. There might be a more intricate system problem like errant apps or corrupted data that inflicted this error, which can only be remedied by a full system reset. Just note though that this reset will wipe everything out from your device including your personal information and other critical data stored on the internal memory of your phone. Should you wish to continue, back up all your important files then follow these steps to reset and restore your Nokia 8 to factory defaults:

Tap Settings.
Tap Backup & Reset.
Select Factory data reset.
Tap Reset Device.
Tap Erase Everything.

Wait until the reset is finished and your phone to restart. Then follow the onscreen instructions to set up your phone as new.

Alternatively, you can perform a master reset through Android recovery mode with these steps:

Turn off your phone by pressing and hold the Power button until it powers down.
Once it’s powered off, connect it to your computer using the supplied USB cable or data cable. Your phone will then show you a Powered by Android image and then the battery animation.
Once you see that animation, press and hold the Volume Up button and Power button simultaneously.
You will then see the Please release key to power off message. Just ignore the message and keep holding the buttons until the countdown is finished. By this time, your phone has already entered recovery mode.
Press the Volume Down button to highlight wipe data/factory reset from the given options.
Then press the Power button to confirm selection.
Press the Volume button again to highlight Yes — delete all user data option and then press the Power button to confirm.

Wait until the reset is finished and then restart your device. After the restart, you can set up your device as new.

Seek more help

Contact your carrier for other options and further assistance if the No SIM card error persists and your Nokia 8 still cannot detect the SIM card. You can also ask for a new SIM card replacement if necessary. The SIM card itself might have been damaged and therefore needs to be replaced with a new one.

If the No SIM card error started to occur after installing a new software update, then you may report the issue to Nokia Support so they can make further assessments and if necessary, tag it among other post update issues to be addressed in the next update.

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