How to fix your Motorola Moto G5 Plus smartphone that cannot read SIM card, SIM card not inserted error [Troubleshooting Guide]

When your phone shows a SIM card not inserted error and failed to read the SIM card, it doesn’t always denote that the problem is on a bad SIM card. In fact, several SIM-related errors in mobile devices are attributed to software glitches. So whenever you’ll encounter similar errors on your phone, you don’t really have to rush to a service center.

Instead, you can try some workarounds to clear and troubleshoot software problems on your device that might have triggered the error to occur. Highlighted in this context are applicable workarounds and generic solutions to a relevant error on the Motorola Moto G5 Plus smartphone. Read on to find out what options to try on when your Moto G5 Plus phone doesn’t detect or read your SIM card and prompts SIM card not inserted error instead.

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/soft reset your Moto G5 Plus.

Error prompts including those that are pertaining to the SIM card may occur among other symptoms of random software glitches on your phone. It can be triggered by relevant apps that have gone rogue as well as errant cache and corrupted data. A faulty update is also among the possible triggers. If this is just the first time you see the SIM card not inserted error on your Moto G5 Plus, then it’s likely just a random error that can easily be cleared by a reboot or soft reset on the phone. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Press the Power button for a few seconds then release when the menu appears.
  2. Select Power off then tap OK. Your phone will then shut down.
  3. After 30 seconds, press the Power button to turn the phone on again.

Alternatively, you can do the alternative method to a soft reset, the force restart with these steps:

  1. Press and hold the Power button for about 10 to 20 seconds.
  2. Release the button when the phone restarts and goes through the boot-up sequence.

A soft reset won’t result to data loss as it doesn’t affect saved data on the internal memory of your phone.

Second solution: Remove and reinstall your SIM card.

Your Moto G5 Plus may not be able to read the SIM card and shows a SIM card not inserted error because the SIM card may be loose or dislodged from the tray. This can happen especially if you’ve accidentally bump or drop your phone. To make sure this isn’t the root cause, remove and reseat the SIM card on your Moto G5 Plus with these steps:

  1. Turn your phone off.
  2. Position your phone facing up.
  3. Insert the eject tool that comes with your phone into the small hole on the card tray. Doing so will pop out the tray.
  4. Carefully remove the SIM card from the slot.
  5. Check and ensure that the SIM card has no visible signs of damage.
  6. Then insert the SIM card with the gold contacts facing down.
  7. Insert the tray with the tray words facing up.
  8. Be sure to secure and lock the tray in place.

Once the tray is secured, turn on your phone then see if the SIM card error is gone.

Third solution: Reset network settings on your Moto G5 Plus.

Performing a network settings reset can also help if invalid network settings on the phone have something to do with the error. This is usually occurring after installing a new firmware that is programmed to automatically override or change the network settings on the receiving device. To clear the error, resetting the network settings to their default or original values would be an option. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Swipe left from the Home screen.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Scroll to and tap More.
  4. Select Mobile networks.
  5. Tap Access point names.
  6. Then tap the Menu icon (three vertical dots) on the top-right corner of the APNs screen.
  7. Select Reset to default option.

Doing so will reset the default Internet and MMS settings. Network problems should already be gone at this point.

Fourth solution: Update phone software to the latest version available.

Software updates are automatically pushed to your phone over-the-air as soon as they become available.  These updates offer new features and likewise fix patches to get rid of any bug-inflicted errors and issues on the device. To manually check for new software update on your Moto G5 Plus, follow these steps:

  1. Go to the Home screen, then drag the arrow symbol up.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Scroll to and then tap System.
  4. Select System updates.

You will see a notification that states whether your phone is up to date or not.  If an update is available, refer to the given instructions on how to download and install the update on your device. Your phone will reboot to complete the update installation.

Fifth solution: Wipe cache partition on your Moto G5 Plus.

Errant cached files from the system folders can also trigger errors to occur including those that are associated with the SIM card and network functions. Wiping cache partition will therefore help clear out these errors. While this doesn’t affect any saved data on the phone, creating a backup is still recommended for safekeeping. Here’s how to wipe cache partition on your Motorola smartphone:

  1. Turn your phone off.
  2. Then, press and hold both the Volume Down and Power buttons for a few seconds and then release both buttons when the Boot options screen appears.
  3. Press the Volume Down button to scroll to and highlight Recovery.
  4. Press the Volume Up button to select. The Motorola logo will display followed by the Android recovery screen.
  5. On the Android recovery screen, press and hold the Volume Up button for about 10 to 15 seconds.
  6. Then quickly press and release the Power button. The Android recovery screen will then show up.
  7. Press the Volume Down button to scroll to and highlight Wipe Cache Partition from the given options.
  8. Press the Power button to confirm selection. Your device will then instigate wiping cache partition and prompts you to Restart your phone when done.
  9. To confirm restart, press the Power button.

Allow your device to reboot completely then see if the SIM card error is gone. If your Moto G5 Plus still doesn’t read your SIM card, contact your carrier or network service provider for further assistance and official recommendations.

Or you can also take your device to the nearest Motorola service center and have it examined by an authorized technician. There may be some damage on the SIM components that needs physical repair. You can also ask a technician to scrutinize the SIM card to make sure it isn’t the underlying cause of the problem. If the SIM card is damaged, then you can ask for a new SIM card replacement. It’s recommended that you request a new SIM card from your carrier or network service provider so they can have it activated properly.

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