Can’t Connect to Cellular Data? | Here Are 11 Things You Should Try to Fix It
Credit: quangmooo / Shutterstock
Nowadays, we are constantly connected to the internet thanks to our iPhones. Whether you're at home using your WiFi or you're out and about using cellular data, you are always available in the online world.
However, sometimes your iPhone decides not to cooperate and won't let you connect to cellular data for no apparent reason. Sure this isn't a big problem for some people. But if you need your cellular data to work while on the go, you might want to fix it as soon as possible.
Don't freak out just yet. Read on to learn about 11 things you can do to fix your cellular connection.
Turn Your Cellular Data Off and On
Sometimes, something as basic as turning it off and back on can fix all your problems. So it's a good option to try turning the cellular data on your iPhone off and back on again to see if that solves your issues. You can do this from the Control Center (which is way quicker), but you can also do it from Settings like this:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap on Cellular.
- Toggle Cellular Data off and back on.
See if that solves the issue. Hopefully, it will, but if it doesn't follow the next tips.
Have You Run Out of Cellular Data?
Not all of us are fortunate enough to have unlimited data plans. So it's possible that you just ran out of data. If that may be the case, log into your carrier account and see how much data you have left. You might be surprised to know that you probably shouldn't have watched that extra episode on Netflix.
If that's actually the problem, you can see which apps used the most cellular data on your iPhone.
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap on Cellular.
- Scroll down, and you'll see a list of the apps that used the most cellular data on your iPhone.
You can see right at the bottom of the page the period of time the statistics started, and you can reset it too if you want.
Check Your Coverage Area
Always make sure you aren't the only one having a problem with your cellular service. It's possible that the area you're on doesn't have cellular network coverage.
It's also possible that, if you're traveling internationally, you didn't set your device for data roaming. Here's how to turn it on:
- Go to Settings.
- Tap on Cellular.
- Tap on Cellular Data Options.
- Toggle Data Roaming on.
Check for a Software Update
Sometimes the problem with your cellular data might come from iOS itself. So, you might not be the only one having that problem, which means Apple's probably working on a way to fix it.
Make sure your iPhone is up to date with the latest software update before you try connecting to your cellular data again.
- Open Settings.
- Tap on General.
- Select Software Update.
- If you have a software update available, tap Download and Install.
After your iPhone is done installing the update, try using your cellular data once more.
Manually Update Your Carrier Settings
Sometimes, you'll also need to check if your carrier has a settings update that your iPhone needs to install. Usually, these carrier settings updates will be automatically installed, but you might want to install it if it's available manually.
First, make sure your iPhone is connected to WiFi. Then follow these steps:
- Launch Settings.
- Go to General.
- Tap on About.
- If there's an update available, you'll see an option to update your carrier settings.
You can also watch the version of your carrier settings on your iPhone by scrolling down. It should be next to Carrier.
Keep in mind that if you recently inserted a new SIM card, you'd need to download the carrier settings for your new carrier.
Restart Your iPhone
One of the easiest ways to fix any issues with your iPhone is just to restart it. Not only may it solve your cellular data problems, but it may also fix other issues you didn't even know it had.
If you have a second-generation iPhone SE, 6, 7, or 8, follow these steps:
- Press and hold the side button until the power off slider appears.
- Drag the slider to the right and then wait 30 seconds for your iPhone to turn off.
- Then press and hold the side button again until you see the Apple logo.
If you have an iPhone X, 11, 12, or 13, follow these steps:
- Press and hold the volume button and the side button until the power off slider appears.
- Drag the power off slider to the right and then wait for 30 seconds for your iPhone to turn off.
- Press and hold the side button again until you see the Apple logo on the screen.
Test your iPhone and see if that fixed the connection problems you had.
Take Out the SIM Card
It's possible that the SIM Card in your iPhone is the one causing all this trouble.
Try taking out your SIM card from the SIM card tray and see if there's anything physically wrong with it. See if the SIM tray is in good condition too. You should also check for any water damage or any problems inside the SIM card slot, the SIM card tray, or the SIM card itself.
If there aren't any visible problems, put the SIM card back on and see if you can connect using cellular data again.
Reset Your Network Settings
Another possible fix you can try is resetting your network settings and see if that does the trick.
- Open the Settings app.
- Go to General.
- Scroll down and tap on Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap Reset.
- Tap on Reset Network Settings.
- Confirm that you want to reset your network settings. You may need to enter your passcode to continue.
Your iPhone will restart itself and reset all your network settings. Keep in mind that this will not delete any content on your iPhone. But it will reset Wi-Fi networks and passwords, cellular settings, and VPN and APN settings that you've used previously.
Restore Your iPhone Completely
If everything else fails, you can reset all your content and settings on your iPhone and start fresh.
Keep in mind that this will obviously delete all the content you have on your iPhone, including videos, photos, settings, messages, and anything in between. Plus, completely resetting your iPhone doesn't guarantee that the problem will be fixed, so only do this as a last-ditch effort and make sure to backup your iPhone beforehand.
- Open the Settings app.
- Go to General.
- Scroll down and tap on Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap Erase All Content and Settings.
- Tap on Continue.
- You may need to enter your passcode.
- Confirm that you want to erase all content and settings from your iPhone.
After you reset your iPhone, recover your backup and try using your iPhone normally. If that didn't do the trick, you might need to call for help.
Contact Your Carrier
If nothing worked on your end, you might want to contact the experts. Contact your carrier and see if there are any issues with cellular data in your area. You might also want to verify that your account is active and check if your device is blocked in any way from receiving cellular data.
Your carrier should also give you more solutions to this problem, including fixing your account to fix the connection issues you still have.
Get Help From Apple
If there aren't any problems with your carrier, you may have a hardware problem. This means you'll need to contact Apple Support as soon as possible.
You can contact Apple Support via its website and talk to someone who can tell you what to do in this situation. Your best bet is to go to the Apple Store so they can take a look at your iPhone and make sure there aren't any hardware problems.