If you are the owner of a Samsung Galaxy S4, you may encounter a problem that appears over time, the “SIM Card Removed” error.
Without taking any action, completely randomly and suddenly, our Galaxy S4 displays a message stating “SIM Card Removed, Unable to find the SIM card. Your device will restart to search for the SIM card.”
The message requires us to press the Restart button, without being able to take any other action. After the restart, our Galaxy S4 will function normally again, until another “SIM Card Removed” error appears.
At first, this message appears sporadically, but over time, the frequency of occurrence increases. Eventually, the message will appear several times a day, making our brand new Galaxy S4 practically unusable.
There are several reasons why this message may appear, such as a defective SIM card, or a software or hardware problem. But in most cases, the culprit is the piece that houses the SIM card.
If this is your case, fortunately, it is possible to repair this error by replacing this piece, which costs about 2€ (shipping included) from international sellers on AliExpress or eBay. Simply search for “galaxy s4 sim replacement” on either of these two pages.
The repair itself is not complicated, but it requires opening the Galaxy S4 and handling certain very delicate parts, so we must be extremely careful and measure the force we apply, or we could damage our device.
Repairing a mobile phone is a delicate operation that requires some experience and skill. We are not responsible for any damage you may cause to your device during the repair process.
Repairing the “SIM Card Removed” Error
Once we have received our replacement part, we can begin repairing the Galaxy S4.
We start by removing the back cover and the battery.
Next, we remove the screws indicated in the following image.
Now comes the delicate part of separating the middle housing from the front. Using a tool, we gently pry along the joint, around the perimeter. Be extremely careful at this step, as it is easy to break some of the thin plastic parts.
Once we have removed the middle housing, we will see the internal components of the Galaxy S4. To remove the SIM housing, we start by disconnecting the cable that connects it to the motherboard.
The piece is attached to the rest of the phone only by adhesive. We gently remove the piece, being very careful not to damage the piece it is attached to.
Now, on the replacement piece we have purchased, we remove the protective plastic from the adhesive.
We place the piece, making sure it is in the same position as the previous one. Once installed, we reconnect the cable that connects the piece to the rest of the phone.
Finally, we close the housing again, being careful not to damage any components and paying special attention to ensure that the side buttons fit correctly.
We start our Galaxy S4, and if we have been lucky and the repair has been successful, we can forget about the “SIM Card Removed” message.
Even though it is very likely, it is not entirely certain that the fault of your mobile is due to this component. If the message continues to appear, you can try restoring the phone to factory conditions or try with another SIM card.