SIM card errors in mobile devices may be attributed to software glitches or hardware damage. In most case, such error occurs among other random system issues affecting various smartphones, from basic to the highest tiered variants.
To give you some inputs on how to deal with this issue, I have listed a few quick solutions and workarounds you can refer to whenever needed. Read on to find out how to get rid of the SIM card not inserted error on your Huawei P10 / P10 Plus smartphone.
For those who are looking for a solution to a different problem, drop by our troubleshooting page for we have already addressed some of the most common issues with this phone. Browse through the page to find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you still need our help, contact us anytime through our Android issues questionnaire.
How to troubleshooting Huawei P10/P10 Plus with SIM card issue
Before you begin troubleshooting, check and ensure that your phone software is updated. You can check for, download, and install new update available for your device first. Otherwise, try any of the following solutions.
First solution: Restart or soft reset.
A soft reset or device restart may be all you need to get rid of the error especially if this is the first time it occurs on your phone. It’s likely triggered by minor software glitches afflicting the phone’s network system. Hence, if you haven’t yet restarted your device, do so with these steps:
- Press the Power button for a few seconds or until the menu options appear.
- Select Power off option and then tap OK. Doing so will shut down your phone.
- After 30 seconds, press the Power button again until your device restarts.
Performing a soft reset doesn’t require backup creation because it does not affect any saved data and personal information. All it does is clearing out minor software errors and dumping cached files including corrupted data from your device.
Second solution: Remove and reinstall SIM card.
The SIM card not inserted error may also denote that the device isn’t actually detecting the SIM card because it’s dislodged from the tray. The same thing may happen if the SIM card is damaged. To check and ensure that the SIM card is secured in place and not damaged, here’s what you should do then:
- Power off your device.
- Locate the SIM slot on the left side and the insert the SIM ejection tool or a bent paper clip into the small hole.
- Gently push it until the SIM tray ejects.
- Remove the SIM tray carefully.
- Then take the SIM card off from the card slot. Examine the card for any signs of damage like scratches. If the SIM card is dirty, clean it gently with a dry cloth. If you suspect that the SIM card is damaged, contact your service provider/carrier and then ask for a replacement SIM card instead.
- If everything looks good with the SIM card, place it back into the SIM card slot with the gold contacts facing downwards.
- Secure the SIM card in the slot and then push the SIM tray back into the phone.
- Push the slide back on your phone and then lightly push on it until it snaps into place.
Once the SIM tray is secured and locked, restart your phone and then see if the error is already gone. If it persists, then try the next applicable solution.
Third solution: Boot in safe mode.
In safe mode, all third-party/downloaded apps are bypassed or temporarily disabled. This leaves only the preinstalled apps active and usable. It’s therefore easier for you to determine if the problem is caused by a third-party app or not. To enable Safe Mode on your Huawei P10 / P10 Plus, follow these steps:
- Turn off your phone by pressing the Power button until it shuts down.
- Then press the Power button again to turn it back on.
- As soon as you see the Huawei animation screen, press and hold the Volume Down button until your phone boots up.
You should then see a Safe Mode label on the bottom leftmost corner of the screen. If the SIM card not inserted error does not appear while in safe mode, then any of your downloaded apps is most likely the trigger. Try to think of which app you’ve downloaded and installed recently before the error started. You will need to delete that app to fix the error once and for all. If the error still occurs while in safe mode, then you’re likely dealing with a more complex system issue, if not hardware damage. Consider the next applicable solutions.
Fourth solution: Wipe cache partition.
Cache files are not only saved in apps but also in system folders of your device. And like apps cache and data, system cache may also become corrupted at some point and thereby caused system errors to occur. To clear this out, wiping cache partition is recommended. This will delete every single cache from the system cache partition. Here’s how to wipe cache partition on your Huawei P10 / P10 Plus:
- Power off your device.
- Hold the Power button and the Volume Up button simultaneously for a few seconds.
- When you see the Huawei logo, release both buttons. Doing so will route you to the EMUI or Android Recovery menu with a list of options to choose from.
- Press the Volume Down button to scroll and highlight wipe cache partition option.
- Then press the Power button to confirm the selection.
- Wait until your phone is finished clearing the cache partition and then highlights the Reboot system now option.
- Then press the Power button to confirm and reboot the phone.
Allow your device to boot up completely and then check and see if that fixes the SIM card error. If not, then you may have to consider performing a master reset or factory data reset.
Fifth solution: Factory data reset or master reset.
A full system reset may be considered among the last options to try on if none of the prior solutions is able to get rid of the SIM card error on the phone. There might be some tough bugs or malware that caused such an error to re-occur. Please note though that this reset will wipe everything from your device including all your saved files, settings, downloaded apps, and other personal contents. Should you wish to proceed, then you should back up all your critical data for safekeeping. Once you’re all set, follow these steps to reset your Huawei P10 / P10 Plus to its factory defaults or original state:
- Tap Settings from the Main menu.
- Scroll to and tap Advanced settings.
- Scroll to then tap to select Backup & Reset option.
- Tap Factory data reset to continue.
- Then tap Reset phone twice to confirm.
Wait until the reset is finished and for your device to reboot by itself. After the restart, you can continue with the initial setup process, to configure and set up your device as new. Software-related issues and errors should be all gone after the reset unless they’re attributed to a damaged hardware.
Other options
You may have to consider asking for a new SIM card replacement if none of the previous workarounds is able to fix the error and your Huawei P10 / P10 Plus still does not detect your SIM card. There’s a higher chance that your SIM card has been damaged and therefore needs to be replaced. Your carrier may also have to reactivate your SIM card.
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