Sticky Tutorial

What to do if your new SIM isn’t working.


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If you receive a new SIM card from us and it doesn’t seem to be working, we recommend you check a couple of important things first:

1. Check your coverage


Use our handy online coverage checker to find out the signal strength in your area. You can search by postcode - so you can check all the places you usually use your phone, like your home and work addresses. And you can view both 3G and 4G coverage.

Need more info on this? Read our ‘How to check coverage’ article.

2. Are you using a compatible handset?


If your handset isn’t approved/compatible with iD Mobile, your ability to use our services may be affected. Click here to view our list of approved and compatible handsets.

All the handsets we provide with an iD Mobile plan are compatible with our network, as you’d expect. So if you’ve got one of those you should be fine.

If you purchased a SIM only iD plan and are using an iD compatible handset you bought elsewhere with it, you should also be fine!

Tried the above and it’s still not working?


If you've tried the above and your SIM still doesn’t appear to be working, follow these troubleshooting steps.
  • Put your phone into flight mode, leave it for 30 seconds, and then disable flight mode.
  • Check that the SIM card is inserted correctly.
  • Restart your device.
  • Turn off your device, remove your SIM, and clean it using a micro-fibre cloth. Then re-insert it and try again.
  • Try the SIM card in another 'iD compatible handset', and test the connection in a few locations to see if the SIM connects. If you don’t experience any issues with the other handset, your original phone may be at fault.
If none of the above works you can post a question below, and we'll help you out.

436 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +7

Hi @Reaz m,

Welcome to the Community!

How can we help?

 

Kash

No help center 

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +4

Hi @AlistairLang 

 

We’ll shortly send you a Private Message to your Community account, so we can discuss your issue further. 

 

To access your messages, click your profile picture in the top right hand corner and then click ‘Private Messages’. 

 

Alternatively, if you are currently logged in, you can use the following link: https://community.idmobile.co.uk/inbox/overview  

 

We’ll see you there. 

 

Tom

My number should have ported from 3 to yourselves today, I provided my PAC code and all the information you required but the switch does not seem to have worked.

My iPhone 13 is saying “NO SIM” I have tried other sims in my phone and they are seen and work in my phone, and I have tried the ID sim in other phones and they too show the “NO SIM” message, so I believe that there is an issue with the SIM that you have provided. 
 

Please advise how this can be resolved as until it is I am without a working mobile phone.

Many thanks Al

Userlevel 7
Badge +7

Hi @andy-ski,

Glad to hear that this is now resolved.

If you have any issues in the future, please get back to us here.

 

Kash

Hi to close the loop on this - I picked up a new SIM from Currys, the person working in Cribbs Causeway was very efficient.
Put it in my phone, back home online did a live chat, gave the new SIM card number, and moments later the ID Mobile service starts and all seems to be ok.  Original number retained.
thanks
Andy

I just collected a replacement SIM from curry’s and it also isn’t working. Instead of it saying “NO SIM” it now says “No Service” on my phone. However I have tried turning flight mode on and off, turning the phone off and tried it in different locations (even different towns) still nothing. The live chat doesn’t put me through to anyone as they are constantly busy so might just cancel my new contract.

Did you get it working in the end?

I am in exactly the same situation and live chat suggest my device is faulty!!  It works with 2 other SIM so no

 

Hi, please help before I have to cancel this new contract.

New IDmobile SIM card delivered last week, filled in the PAC form, yesterday morning old sim cancelled but IDmobile not working.

Live chat (eventually) said wait till 6pm.  ID mobile still not working more than 24 hrs later.

My iPhone 12 is unlocked and working with other Sims.  The IDmobile Sim does not work in my wife’s phone either.

thanks

Andy

Userlevel 7
Badge +7

Hi @Finlay Eagleson,

Welcome to the Community!

Have you checked the coverage and network status in your area?

If you are within the returns period you can look at returning if you are unhappy with the coverage.

You can visit the link to check your network status: https://www.idmobile.co.uk/help-and-advice/coverage

 

Kash

Userlevel 8
Badge +6

Your signal shows 1 bar with a dbM of -113! That’s not good. Move a step to the left and you probably get -115dbm, step to the right and it might improve but either way those are awful stats and you should expect issues.

There is nothing wrong with your SIM. The issue you have is that you have little to no signal. 

Its not, because it works perfectly fine as soon as I use my original phone

Userlevel 8
Badge +6

There is nothing wrong with your SIM. The issue you have is that you have little to no signal. 

Iv done everything stated at the start of this thread. Iv just moved my sim from my samsung a14 to my s24 and it does not set up the data. Below are the differences between using WiFi and having my data on

 

Hi there, my daughter is struggling to make her new sim work in her iphone 12. We’ve tried all the recommended fixes but no luck. Any suggestions? It just says ‘sim failed’

Userlevel 8
Badge +6

Then do what was suggested in the posts above and obtain a replacement SIM. You can pick one up from your local Curry’s store at no cost or speak to a live chat agent tomorrow and request one be sent out to you.

Hi, I have tried all the advice on flight mode turning off, check imei, check coverage, you name it, still getting apple not recognised.  I have been at this hours, BTW its an old apple 6s that  is on the compatible.  HELP PLEASE

Userlevel 7
Badge +7

Hi @Carriem,

Welcome to the Community!

If you can’t get to a Curry’s store, please let us know and we can get a SIM card sent out.

 

Kash

Userlevel 8
Badge +6

If it’s not working by now, then the SIM is probably faulty. Either way, there isn’t anything you can do until tomorrow. The quickest way to obtain a replacement SIM would be to pop into your local Curry’s store and ask for a free replacement.

Your iD Mobile SIM card should work regardless of your number being ported over @Carriem.  All iD Mobile SIMS are supposed to be sent out active (with a temporary number). However, if your number was due to port over today then it’s possible that the port is in the process of completing. It can take up until 10pm to complete. 

https://www.idmobile.co.uk/help-and-advice/switching-to-idmobile

Thanks @WelshPaul 

I was advised that it was complete, but I should wait.

If its complete, I'm assuming there's an issue?

I'll wait until tomorrow and then I need to sort a new sim card. 

 

Userlevel 8
Badge +6

Your iD Mobile SIM card should work regardless of your number being ported over @Carriem.  All iD Mobile SIMS are supposed to be sent out active (with a temporary number). However, if your number was due to port over today then it’s possible that the port is in the process of completing. It can take up until 10pm to complete. 

https://www.idmobile.co.uk/help-and-advice/switching-to-idmobile

Hello,

I have had a new phone via ccontract which was due to activate today, but it says no sim, no service. 

I've also transferred my number over and when I contacted customer service I was told it would work by 6pm. I contacted them via chat again at 7pm and was told to leave it a couple more hours. 

It's still saying No Sim, which I'd assume is an issue with the sim not the network as its not being detected?

Tried all of the usual steps with no luck.

 

My other phone has now cut off so I need this to work, my number also needs to be transferred to the new sim.

 

Can someone help please,  as I've moved from another provider and starting to regret my decision.

 

Thank you

Userlevel 7
Badge +7

Hi @Luke M41,

Welcome to the Community!

Have you tested the SIM in a different handset?

The SIM should be active already but it may be a faulty SIM.

If the SIM doesn’t work in the other handset you can collect a SIM from Curry’s or we can get one sent out.

 

Kash

I have purchased a new phone and sim, when I have put the sim into the new handset I get an ‘invalid sim’ notification

Userlevel 7
Badge +4

Hi @Jacob Pinball 

 

Please could you give us a little more information on your case?

 

Has your SIM card worked previously?

 

Have you tried a network settings reset?

 

Tom

My card is not working can you help, I am pulling my hair and no luck IMEI: [REDACTED]

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