Your iPhone say “Your SIM sent a text message.” and you don’t know why. When this happens, there’s usually an issue between your iPhone and your wireless carrier. In this article, I’ll explain what to do when you receive this notification on your iPhone so you can fix the problem for good!
Why Did My SIM Card Send A Text Message?
Your SIM card sent a text message because it needs to be updated. Like E.T. the extraterrestrial, your SIM card is trying to phone home, except “home” is your wireless carrier’s update server.
Turn Your iPhone Off And Back On
Unlike other updates and reset, your iPhone doesn’t restart after the carrier settings are updated. Sometimes, your SIM card might get stuck endlessly texting your wireless carrier, even after you’ve updated carrier settings on your iPhone. Turning your iPhone off and back on can give it a fresh start and may break the endless loop of texting by your SIM card.
To turn your iPhone off, press and hold the Sleep / Wake button (the power button) until the slide to power off slider appears on your iPhone’s display. Swipe the red power icon from left to right to turn off your iPhone. Wait about 30 seconds, then press and hold the power again to turn your iPhone back on.
If your iPhone doesn’t have a Home button, press and hold the side button and either volume button until slide to power off appears on the screen. Swipe the power icon from left to right to shut down your iPhone. Wait 30–60 seconds, then press and hold the side button again to turn your iPhone back on.
Check For A Carrier Settings Update
Carrier settings updates are released by your wireless carrier to improve your iPhone’s ability to connect with your carrier’s cellular network. Apple also releases carrier settings updates, but they do so differently, so the SIM card doesn’t have to send a text message to update itself.
To see if a carrier settings update is available, open the Settings app and tap General -> About. If an update is available, a pop-up will appear after about 15–30 seconds that says Carrier Settings Update. If you see this pop-up, tap Update. If the update alert doesn’t appear after about 30 seconds, then there probably isn’t one available.
Eject And Reinsert Your iPhone’s SIM Card
Ejecting, then reinserting your iPhone’s SIM card will give it a fresh start and allow it to reconnect to your wireless carrier’s network. iPhone SIM trays are located on the left side of your iPhone below the power button.
To eject your SIM card, insert SIM card ejector tool or small paper clip into the small hole at the bottom of the SIM tray. Pull the tray out, then put it back in.
Reset Network Settings
When you reset network settings on your iPhone, all of the saved Wi-Fi, VPN, APN, and cellular settings on your iPhone will be reset to factory settings. This has the potential to fix a cellular glitch which could be causing your SIM to send texts on an endless loop to your wireless carrier.
To reset network settings, open the Settings app and tap General -> Transfer or Reset iPhone -> Reset -> Reset Network Settings. Enter your passcode when prompted, then tap Reset Network Settings when the confirmation alert appears at the bottom of your iPhone’s display.
Contact Your Wireless Carrier
If you’re still receiving the “Your SIM sent a text message” notification on your iPhone, there may be an error that only your wireless carrier can address. Below are the support numbers of a few of the major wireless carriers. If you would like to see one added to our list, feel free to leave us a comment down below!
- AT&T: 1-(800)-331-0500
- T-Mobile: 1-(877)-746-0909
- Verizon: 1-(800)-922-0204
No More Texts Sent By SIM
We hope this article helped you get rid of the “Your SIM sent a text message” alert for good! If you have any other questions about this issue, feel free to leave us a comment down below!
Thanks for reading,
David P. and David L.
View Comments (17)
I’m not sure which one worked but i did all of them and I got one more text from my SIM then nothing more so thank you !!
We just updated our phones a few days ago to and are getting this message with Sasktel. So annoying!
I'd try reaching out to Sasktel to see if they can give you an explanation.
Is anyone getting this issue with Ting as it upgrades cards to 5G and comes off Sprint? The number being dialed is an old Boost Mobile number (720-651-5044) which used to run off of the Sprint backbone. All three cards I have received from Ting have the same problem. There is no message about an update required from the phone.
Hi Rollie! We actually collaborated with Ting on a few videos about their switch from Sprint. Here's a link to an interview we conducted with one of their representatives that goes into detail about the switch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLZ6vj1GD_4H4wVknWFi0yygdklLQ41NoJ&v=YCfFjcsmfYw
We also have a video on how to set up your phone with a Ting plan, here's a link to that as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLZ6vj1GD_4H4wVknWFi0yygdklLQ41NoJ&v=akmmgPEUzBE
Please add boost mobile I tried everything still pop up after 3 week of switching
Boost Mobile's support number is 1-833-502-6678. You can also directly chat with a customer support representative on Boost's website.
Please add Boost Mobile.
I’ve tried everything that was mentioned to get rid of the “ your SIM card has sent you a text message “ and it’s still popping up every couple of minutes ?
I’ve tried everything that was mentioned to get rid of the “ your SIM card has sent you a text message “ and it’s still popping up every couple of minutes.
What is carrier support number for India?
i have tried everything you mentioned above but nothing is working. what should I do now
Hey I think you should add the GCI phone number just in case any other Alaskans come to you site, which btw I found pretty helpful.
Done!
Please Fix this problem. Pop up this notification During doing some activity at my phone
None of those suggestions has worked for me. This happened on my 6s and now on my 8 Plus, and the only thing in common that both phones have is this one sim card. I'm guessing this is a sim issue, so I'm going to request a new card.
Same here none of them working