Many users, standing in communication shops, could hear different stories about the demagnetization of SIM cards. In my experience there were two similar cases.
The first time we were talking about a five-year-old MegaFon SIM card, which suddenly stopped displaying the network. The consultant uttered a memorized phrase: “your card has become demagnetized.” A few seconds later he made a new one; they didn’t take money for such a service.
This “trick” is not exclusive to Megafon; recently the MTS operator issued a new SIM card, but it didn’t even turn on. The problem was identical, and the piece of plastic was replaced with a new one, the consultant wished him all the best.
Here we can look at the situation with the incompetence of regional employees, but recently the official Megafon account published an interesting tweet.
But now there will be a breakdown and a sensation: SIM cards are never demagnetized. Never at all!
Respect to those who always knew about it. A small survey among friends showed that the majority had not thought about this “phenomenon” at all. There are often cases when you need to pay to replace a SIM card. The amount is small, approximately 100 - 200 rubles, but often the card can be restored with your own hands.
❌ The SIM card has become demagnetized - it’s time to change it
There is absolutely nothing to demagnetize in SIM cards of any format. The structure of SIM cards does not include a single magnetized element. The SIM card consists of its own processor, RAM and permanent memory with a special file system for contact book entries and technical information, as well as an input/output controller.
Therefore, there is no need to worry about the fact that after 5-10 years of use your SIM card suddenly “demagnetized” and began to work worse. It is a myth.
The problem is in the phone
Almost all modern devices work with two SIM cards at once. In cheap models from some dubious manufacturers, the reason for the failure is a malfunction of one of the slots. Before you begin any manipulations with the card, you should double-check it and insert it into another slot or phone.
The negative impact of external factors on the device also affects the operation of the SIM card, but not immediately. If the phone gets wet, over time its contacts will oxidize and the card will stop working.
With frequent and sudden changes in temperature, condensation forms inside the gadget, which also provokes oxidation of the contacts. When using the phone in such conditions, the answer to the question of why the SIM card does not work appears.
You can solve the problem by wiping the contacts of the card and slot with alcohol. It is better to entrust deeper cleaning to professionals and take the gadget to a service center.
Incorrect settings
The operation of a SIM card depends not only on the hardware of the phone, but also on the software. After unsuccessful flashing of a smartphone, the problem with reading the card may occur frequently. When installing custom software on a device yourself, you should immediately prepare for possible troubles.
The situation can be corrected by:
- re-flashing (perhaps an error occurred during the previous one);
- rollback to the factory version of the operating system.
If you can’t fix the situation yourself, you need to contact a service center.
The phone is tied to a specific operator
This is a rare practice among Russian operators. Such phones usually cost several times cheaper, are sold only in branded cellular communication stores and are labeled with a separate brand.
Devices brought from abroad often require “unlocking”. If a previously working SIM card does not work on a new device, you should ask where it was brought from. The link to a specific operator is indicated by the “number not registered” error.
This practice is most often used by iPhone manufacturers, so even a new original gadget from America may not work fully in another country. Depending on the complexity of the lock, such devices cannot always be “unlocked”.
SIM card slot damaged
If, after trying all the options described above, the user still does not get the SIM card to work, then without any options, you need to contact a service center. The most common serious cause of the problem is a faulty slot. This occurs when:
- phone falling;
- frequent replacement of SIM cards;
- moisture ingress and so on.
A specialist can determine the specific cause of the malfunction after inspecting the device.
SIM card holder is faulty
The holder is the place where the SIM card is placed. Even with good and clean contacts, the card will not work if it is not secured correctly. The holder can be damaged if you remove the SIM card carelessly or use foreign sharp objects.
What to do if the slot itself is broken? Only a technician at a service center can replace or repair a faulty holder.
The user can only stick several strips of tape on the SIM card and cut them around the perimeter. This will provide a reliable connection to the contacts, since the SIM card will be pressed more tightly to them.
✅ SIM card contamination
Over time, the SIM card may become dirty or corrode. This is the second most popular reason why a SIM card can actually fail and stop “catching” the network.
Extreme contamination can occur quite quickly. It all depends on how often you changed phones and rearranged the SIM card by touching its contacts with your hands.
Dirty card contacts are not always a reason to ask for a replacement. In most cases, cleaning contacts with a regular eraser is sufficient.
Why does my phone lose network?
This is mainly due to wear and tear. Can you think what could go wrong there? In reality, a SIM card, like other electronics, can be damaged.
Mechanical damage
There is a wide range of reasons: from the usual displacement of the SIM card in the socket, to bent contact “whiskers” and cracks. Her contacts could simply have become worn out due to frequent changes. Almost all damage to the microcircuit is fatal, so the card will not be able to be used for its intended purpose.
Corrosion or contamination
In motherboards, metal tracks are susceptible to oxidation. In the situation with a SIM card, the reason may not even be accumulated condensation or water ingress. Remember how you change a SIM card; rarely does anyone not touch its contacts. Oily fingerprints can cause corrosion.
Static voltage
Most electrical components fail due to static electricity. You may be lucky and tension has built up in your pocket due to friction. There are only a few such cases, but this outcome should not be dismissed.
Limited memory resource
Even modern sophisticated SSD drives are designed for a certain number of rewrite cycles. The resource of SIM cards is not unlimited, so you need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to change the SIM card in a few years, when it has completely exhausted itself.
No money in account
One of the most obvious reasons why the Megafon SIM card does not work is that there are not enough funds on your balance!
- Dial *100# and press the call button;
- If you don’t have enough money, add it to your account through the terminal or transfer it from a card.
Now you know what to do if the Megafon SIM card does not work - choose the appropriate method to solve the problem and restore high-quality communication on your smartphone! Any difficulty can and should be resolved - we hope our advice will help with this.
Determine what exactly isn't working
In most cases, the previous advice will most likely not help. There are many possible causes of problems, so next it’s worth localizing the problem and finding out whether it lies in the phone or in the SIM card itself.
This is quite easy to do using another known working smartphone or SIM. You just need to insert the problematic card into someone else’s device or, conversely, place a verified SIM card into your gadget.
If the SIM is visible in another phone, then the problem is with yours. If another SIM card is detected and works in your smartphone, there is a problem with the card itself.
Software problems
It also happens that the problem is not in the SIM card, but in the phone itself. If you have checked all the previous problems and think that none of them applies to your case, then we will analyze common errors with the software.
Possible errors after flashing the phone
Every phone is an upgradeable device. And sometimes it happens that after the next update, errors and unexpected failures occur, resulting in problems with the SIM card. There are a number of reasons for this:
What is this all for?
I'm not at all worried about the situation with SIM cards, I just don't want to listen to strange excuses every time. Why do consultants talk about mythical demagnetization, and not about the limited resources of the chip? Easier to explain?
True, there are also those who accuse operators of deliberately disabling old cards, saying that advertising cannot be hidden on such cards, but the operating system of modern SIM cards allows this.
What if this is true?
