Editing Openai/689d5536-2710-8008-9dd0-96de4530ae04 (section)

=== Assistant: Yes — a dirty or loose SIM card could cause exactly the kind of symptoms you’re seeing, but it’s only one of several li… ===
Yes — a dirty or loose SIM card could cause exactly the kind of symptoms you’re seeing, but it’s only one of several likely culprits.
Given the pattern you described — calls failing instantly, incoming calls going straight to voicemail, SMS to Android often failing, but iMessage still working — the root cause is almost certainly that your phone isn’t reliably attaching to AT&T’s voice/SMS network, even though data (LTE/5G) might be working. That can happen for a few different reasons:
# SIM card issues (corrosion, poor contact, or physical damage)
* A tarnished or slightly corroded contact can cause intermittent registration with the carrier.
* A loose SIM tray or dirt in the slot can break the connection mid-session.
* Pulling the SIM, cleaning the gold contacts with a microfiber cloth (dry) or a little isopropyl alcohol, then reseating it is a good first step.
* If you have access to an AT&T store, they can swap you a new SIM for free — that’s the fastest way to rule it out.
# Carrier provisioning or network registration problem
* Sometimes the carrier’s backend loses a flag that says your SIM is allowed on voice/SMS, but data keeps working.
* This is more likely if you changed devices recently or the problem started after an update.
* AT&T support can “re-provision” your line — ask specifically for them to refresh your SIM’s profile on the network.
# Network mode or settings misconfiguration
* In Settings → Cellular → Cellular Data Options → Voice & Data, toggle between LTE and 5G, and make sure Voice & Data is enabled (not data-only).
* Try Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset → Reset Network Settings. This clears out stale tower, APN, and IMS settings.
* Make sure Airplane Mode is off, and that you’re not accidentally in Wi-Fi Calling–only mode.
# Hardware failure in the baseband radio
* Rare, but if cleaning/reseating the SIM and resetting network settings doesn’t help, and a new SIM shows the same problem, the phone’s cellular radio or antenna path could be failing.
* This is more likely if you’ve noticed declining signal strength in all locations, or if the issue happens on multiple carriers’ SIMs.

Recommended next steps:
# Back up your iPhone first.
# Remove the SIM, clean contacts, reseat it.
# If no change, go to AT&T and request a SIM replacement + provisioning refresh.
# If still broken, reset network settings.
# Test in a known-good coverage area.
# If the issue persists, test with a different SIM or try your SIM in another phone to isolate device vs network.

If you want, I can give you a step-by-step walkthrough for removing the SIM from an iPhone in a case so you don’t risk damaging anything. That would let you try the simplest fix first. Do you want me to make that?