How to Fix Samsung Galaxy Showing Unknown Phone Number

If you’re using a Samsung Galaxy Phone or Tab and your phone number is displaying as “Unknown,” you’re not alone. This issue can be frustrating, but fortunately, there’s a simple workaround.

By using an iPhone to write your number back onto the SIM card, you can solve this issue quickly.

In this post, I’ll guide you step-by-step on how to fix it.

How Can It Happened?

This issue often occurs when your SIM card fails to properly display the phone number associated with it.

This can happen due to various reasons like switching phones, a glitch in the SIM card settings, network issues, or simply the SIM card wasn’t shipped properly by the mobile carrier.

Luckily, it’s something you can easily resolve with the help of an iPhone.

Requirements

You need the following items to get started:

• A SIM card that’s currently in your Samsung Galaxy device.
• A paper clip or SIM ejector tool.
• An iPhone (borrowed or your own).
• Ensure that your SIM card has enough phone credit for the iMessage / FaceTime activation process.

Once you have them, let’s walk through the process of fixing the “Unknown” number issue.

Steps to Resolve Samsung “Unknown” Phone Number

• Check your phone credit, make sure you have enough for an international SMS. If not enough, you can buy some credit first.
• Eject the SIM Card from Your Samsung Galaxy Device by using a SIM ejector tool or a paperclip.
• Take the SIM card out and insert it into the iPhone.
• Allow the iPhone to go through its usual process of activating iMessage and FaceTime. This can take a few minutes.
• Once the activation is complete, the iPhone will write the correct phone number to the SIM card. Verify it by going to Settings → Phone → My Number.
• Eject the SIM Card from the iPhone by using a SIM ejector tool or a paperclip.
• Insert the SIM Card Back into Your Samsung Galaxy Device
• Unlock the device and check if your number is now displayed correctly in the Settings.

Why This Works

iPhones have a feature that writes the phone number onto the SIM card during iMessage and FaceTime activation.

This process updates the number linked to the SIM, solving the issue of Samsung Galaxy devices showing “Unknown” for the phone number.

Video Tutorial

I also made a video to show you how I did it.

If you like my video, please subscribe to my channel! If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Conclusion

While it may seem odd to use an iPhone to fix a Samsung Galaxy issue, this quick solution works like a charm.

It only takes a few minutes and can save you from the frustration of seeing “Unknown” instead of your actual phone number.

That’s all I can write today. Thanks for reading and have a nice day!

References

• Solved: SIM Card Showing ‘Unknown’ in both SIM manager and… - Samsung Community - 2790406