How to return the phone number icon on the Samsung screen: all methods

Have you just inserted a new SIM card into Samsung Galaxy, but the phone number icon on the notification panel has disappeared? Or did the operator logo disappear next to the network indicator after updating Android? This problem occurs on most modern smartphones Samsung —from budget Galaxy A14 to flagship S23 Ultra. The reasons may be different: from a failure in the settings to firmware features One UI.

In this article we will examine 5 proven methods returning the display of the phone number on the screen - from basic settings to hidden functions of the engineering menu. We will pay special attention to the nuances for virtual operators (Tinkoff Mobile, Yota, SberMobile) and dual-SIM models. All instructions are valid for Android 12–14 and One UI 4.0–6.1.

Before you begin: if you use two SIM cards, the icon may only appear for main (SIM1 slot). Also, some operators (for example, Tele2) hide the number in the system settings by default - this is not a bug, but a feature.

1. Checking basic display settings

Start with the simplest: make sure that the number display function is not disabled in the menu One UI. In the latest firmware versions, this parameter may be hidden or moved.

Open Settings → Notifications → Status bars. Scroll down to the section Status icons and check:

• 📱 Show phone number —the slider should be active (blue). If it is not there, your model does not support this option at the firmware level.
• 🔄 Show operator name - sometimes conflicts with displaying the number. Try disabling this option and restarting the phone.
• 🔍 Hidden icons — click on the three dots in the upper right corner and select Show all icons. Perhaps the number is simply collapsed.

If there is no item in your menu Show phone number, this means that the manufacturer has removed it from the standard interface. In this case, proceed to the next method.

2. Manually adding a number through SIM card settings

If the phone does not automatically detect your SIM card number, you can enter it manually. This method works for physical and virtual SIM (eSIM).

Instructions:

1. Go to Settings → Connections → Manager SIM cards.
2. Select your SIM card (if there are several of them, tap on the one you need).
3. Click on Additional settings (or SIM card settings in older versions).
4. Find the field My phone number and enter it in the format +79XXXXXXXXX (without spaces and dashes).
5. Save changes and reboot device.

For virtual operators (for example, Tinkoff Mobile or SberMobile), the number may not be saved due to the features of the eSIM profile. In this case, try: Tinkoff Mobile eSIM.

• 📲 Install the official operator application and update your SIM profile through it.
• 🔄 Temporarily insert a physical SIM of the same operator, wait for the number to be identified, then return the eSIM.

Make sure the SIM card is active (there is a network)

Check that the number format is correct (+7 for Russia)

Disable VPN or power saving modes

Reboot the phone after saving-->

3. Resetting network settings (without data loss)

If the previous methods did not work, the problem may lie in a conflict in network settings. Resetting network settings will not delete your photos, messages or applications, but will return to factory settings:

• 📶 Mobile network settings (APN, access points)
• 🔗 Saved Wi-Fi networks and passwords
• 📞 Bluetooth device settings

How to reset:

1. Open Settings → General management → Reset.
2. Select Reset network settings.
3. Confirm the action (you may need to enter a PIN code or pattern).
4. After the reboot, wait until you register in the network (the antenna icon should appear in the status bar).

If after resetting the number is still not displayed, check APN settings your operator. To do this:

1. Go to Settings → Connections → Mobile networks → Access points (APN).
2. Select your operator's profile (for example, MTS Internet).
3. Make sure that the field APN protocol is IPv4/IPv6, and not just IPv4.

4. Using the engineering menu (for advanced users)

If standard methods do not help, you can try to activate the number display through engineering menu (also known as Service Mode). This method requires caution - incorrect actions can disrupt the network.

Instructions for Samsung on Exynos i Snapdragon:

1. Open the application Phone and enter the combination:

   *#0011#

   For new models (Galaxy S22 and newer) you may need:

   *#9900#

2. In the menu that opens, select Menu → Back → Service Mode (on some models the path may differ).
3. Go to section [1] UE SETTING & INFO → [1] SETTING → [6] PROTOCOL.
4. Find the parameter NAS and select [1] MM INFO.
5. Scroll to PLMN and check if your number is displayed in the field MSISDNIf the field is empty, enter the number manually and save (button Write).

After exiting the engineering menu, reboot your phone. If the number still does not appear, return to Service Mode and check:

• 🔄 In the section NAS parameter Network Controlled Fast Dormancy —it should be OFF.
• 📡 In RF Band Selection mode is selected Automatic (not LTE Only).

adb shell am start -n com.sec.android.app.launcher/.activities.LauncherActivity --es launch_service_mode true

5. Alternative methods: widgets and third-party applications

If software methods do not work, you can display the phone number on the main screen using widget or specialized application. This will not replace the icon in the status bar, but will solve the problem of visual display.

Best options:

For users Samsung DeX there is an additional life hack: connect the phone to the monitor, and in desktop mode the number will be displayed in the system tray (if synchronization with the SIM card is enabled).

6. Problems with specific operators and their solutions

Some operators intentionally blocked transferring the phone number to Android settings. This applies to:

• 📱 Tele2 —by default does not transmit the number to One UI (decided by manual entry).
• 💳 Tinkoff Mobile i SberMobile —require updating the eSIM profile through the app.
• 🌐 Virtual operators based on Megafon (for example, Yota) - may not support number display at the SIM card level.

Solutions for popular operators:

If you use dual-SIM (two physical cards or eSIM + physical SIM), please note:

• 🔄 The number icon will be displayed only for main SIM card (slot 1).
• 📲 To change the priority, go to Settings → SIM card manager → Select default SIM.
• ⚠️ On some models (Galaxy Z Flip/Fold), resetting the network settings results in loss of eSIM binding.

Common errors and how to avoid them

When trying to return the number icon, users often make the following mistakes:

⚠️ Attention: Never edit files in a folder /efs/ without a backup! This may lead to IMEI loss and network blocking. If you are not sure of your actions, contact the service center Samsung.

• 🔧 Using USSD commands from others operators. For example, the command *#62# (check forwarding) has nothing to do with displaying the number, but can reset the settings.
• 🔄 Reset to factory settings without backup. This will delete all data, including stored numbers in Contacts. Always export contacts to Google Account before resetting.
• 📱 Installing applications for “IMEI repair”. Most of these apps are fraudulent and do not solve the problem with a number icon.

If after all the manipulations the number still does not appear, check:

1. Whether the SIM card works in another phone (perhaps the problem is on the operator’s side).
2. Not installed whether operation profiles (for example, Samsung Knox), which limit system functions.
3. Is the mode Airplane mode or Airplane mode activated (yes, some users forget turn it off!).

For models Samsung Galaxy s Android 13+ there is one more nuance: if you use private DNS (for example, 1.1.1.1 or dns.google), this may block the transmission of data about the number from the operator. Try temporarily disabling private DNS in your Wi-Fi settings.

FAQ: Answers to frequently asked questions