Android “not registered on network error” is a quite annoying problem when we try to insert the SIM card on Android device. It is the most common problem we usually see on Android-based smartphones. This error message pop-up when the user trying to make a call on the problematic smartphone. It happens when the device not properly identifies the SIM card and service provider not notified by the device IMEI number.
Many people believe that the error is due to the Android firmware issue, but however, Google made a clear statement that the issue is not coming from the Android firmware and most frequently happening on Samsung Android smartphones.
Most commonly the error causes due to the outdated firmware. It is one of the most common issues we usually see in Android smartphones and happens the issue with Airtel, Vodafone, BSNL, T-Mobile, and AT&T. In this tutorial, we will troubleshoot the issue and fix the error.
1. Reboot your phone
For any kind of basic error, a simple restart can solve the issue in some cases. A smartphone runs on many applications with limited RAM and other important resources. As the number of tasks increase, the phone becomes slow and sometimes freezes. Network issue is also quite common when the phone freezes. A reboot or restart can fix the issue by restarting all the process and stops the stubborn apps.
2. Try Safe mode
Usually, when you power on an Android device, it starts by loading all the apps including third-party apps, and widgets which makes the loading slow and some times it may crash. Safe mode is one of the ways to start the device without the interference of third-party apps. During the safe mode, the device starts only with system default apps, OS and nothing else.
To try safe mode, you need to reboot your Android. During the restart, hold the power button down until the safe mode option appears. After the successful attempt, the Android system starts with “safe mode” option. During the safe mode test the network settings and manually select the service provider. The selection of the network manually is given below in detail.
3. Try Airplane mode
Airplane mode is a basic setting available in all smartphones whether it is Android or iOS. This setting will allow us to stop all the radio signals including Wifi and Bluetooth on a smartphone. If you are facing “not registered on network” error, start your troubleshooting with Airplane mode.
You will find the option on Android by swiping on the top of the home screen. Now tap on the Airplane mode icon once and wait for 20-30 seconds. After the 30 seconds of wait time, now tap on the same icon to enable the network connections. It is the most basic option to troubleshoot the SIM card registration error on Android.
4. Manual entry of Network APN settings
Usually, after every successful SIM recognition, the Android device automatically imports the APN settings. But in “not registered on a network” error, you can find the APN settings are missing. In some cases, manually entering the APN settings may solve the issue.
To enter APN details, you must contact the service provider customer service and note down the APN settings. Once you got the details, open the APN option by opening the following path.
Settings->Network & Internet->Mobile network->Advanced->Access point names.
Here click on the + icon to add the APN settings provided by the service operator. After entering the settings, save the options and reboot your device.
5. Clean the slot
Dust is one of the common factors which can trouble to contact the device with SIM. Clean the SIM tray properly and also clean the SIM card with a soft cloth. If the SIM slot is insertion type, then blow the air inside the slot to remove the dust particles which are causing the issue.
6. Try the inserting card again
If the issue is still persistent, now try the SIM card insertion once again. The slight gap between the SIM tray can lead to the wrong SIM arrangement. If the SIM card has not touched the base it will show the SIM card not registered on network error.
Before going to remove and insert the SIM card, make sure to turn off the smartphone first. Once you properly insert the card without any disturbance, now turn-on the phone to check the error fixed or not.
7. Manually Select the provider
In some cases, Android smartphones are unable to select the service provider automatically. In this case, the SIM was readable and unable to pick the right frequency of the service provider. If you are facing this issue, you can manually select the service provider.
To manually select the service provider Go to “Settings-> Wireless-> Networks. Here tap on mobile networks and then go to Network operators. Once you have done this step, the mobile will start searching for available network services.
Once it lists all the available services, now select the service provider of your SIM card and restart the device. After the device, turn-on checks the status of the network availability. If the problem still remains, try the above steps once again. In my personal experience, I fixed the issue on my Samsung device by manually selecting the service provider 3 times continuously.
8. Software update
It is one of the finest solutions to fix most of the errors on any software-based devices. Smartphone manufacturers regularly update their firmware and push to the devices to fix these kinds of errors, bugs and security patches. If you update your Android device with the latest available update, there are some chances of fixing of the Network issue of your device.
9. Contact the service provider
Sometimes any network issue causes this error. If you followed all the above steps and the problem still persists, contact your network provider for the solution. If the problem is from the company side, you can relax and use the SIM according to the given time. Or if the problem is caused due to the old SIM, then you may need a SIM replacement option.
SIM cards get scratches if you regularly swap your SIM on multiple mobiles. On the SIM card, if you see any scratches on the chip area, it definitely needs a replacement.
10. Factory reset the device
This is the last option to solve the error on Android. Factory reset option will completely erase all the data and settings of the device. This option will completely reset the settings to its default state. If any software error is causing the issue, it will solve after resetting the device.
Final words
These are the most possible and working solutions to rectify “not registered on a network” error on Android device. if the problem still persists, contact the device service center.