In this guide, let us know how to fix cellular internet not working on an iPhone. When we are not connected to high-speed WiFi, we depend on the carrier data. This means we use the internet provided by the ISP whose SIM card is being used on our iPhones.
Many times, iPhone users complain that cellular internet is not working on their iPhones. Often network coverage may be sparse in certain areas. Mostly when you travel, network inconsistencies do show up. Otherwise, minor technical snags may cause the cellular internet to not work on your iPhone.
I have listed some of the possible reasons for this problem. Also, I have mentioned some working guides which I use when cellular internet does not work on my iPhone.
Why Mobile Internet is Not Working on iPhone.?
Here are the possible reasons.
- Some minor software issue with a concerned app that requires intent to run.
- Maybe there is a bug in the iOS build causing the network issue.
- The SIM card may not be placed properly on the SIM holder.
- ISP is carrying out maintenance in your region, and the network has been down for the same.
- Flight mode may have been activated on the iPhone.
- Wi-Fi calling may interfere with the cellular connection.
- VPN may be active on the iPhone, routing the connection to a remote server that may not execute your request.
Fix: Cellular Internet is Not Working on the iPhone
Here are the Best methods to Fix Mobile Internet Not Working on iPhone or iPad Mobile
Reboot the iPhone
The effective and easiest way to fix a network snag starts with rebooting the concerned gadget facing the network trouble. In this case, you must restart your iPhone.
- Press the power button on the side of the iPhone.
- Then you will see the option Slide to Power off. Follow that.
- After a short while, restart the iPhone.
Now, check if the device can connect to the cellular data of the ISP used in it.
Install Latest iOS Update
Bugs on the iOS build especially on the beta builds, can be very detrimental to the usual fluid user experience on the iOS.
So, just to be on the safer side, you can update the iOS on your iPhone.
- Launch the Settings app.
- Then tap on General.
- Next, tap on Software Update.
- If you are connected to the Wi-Fi, you will be notified of available iOS updates.
- Follow the on-screen instructions and install the update.
- After updating the iOS, now observe if cellular internet is working on your iPhone or still you are facing connectivity issues.
Update the App Which is Not able to run on Cellular Internet
The app on your iPhone that cannot connect to the cellular internet may be running an old build with bugs. So, try updating it first.
- Open the App Store application.
- Tap on your Profile Picture at the top-right corner.
- Check in the list of apps waiting to install a new update.
- If the concerned app is listed there, tap on the button Update present beside the app.
After updating the app, check if it can connect to cellular data and run smoothly or not.
Turn off VPN
When you enable VPN, the device is routed to a server placed in some region other than the actual region where the iPhone is located. It may happen that the VPN server your iPhone is connected to maybe too busy with lots of service requests, and hence you end up facing slower cellular internet.
Unless you require VPN, I suggest disabling it and then trying to use the cellular internet.
- Open the Settings app
- Scroll to the option VPN.
- Tap on the switch beside VPN to disable it.
Disable Flight Mode
Often flight mode may have been enabled, and users forget to disable it. With the flight mode enabled, you cannot use the cellular internet on the iPhone.
- Open the Control center on your iPhone.
- Tap on the Flight Mode icon to disable it.
- Even if flight mode is not activated, you can activate it for a few seconds and disable it. This trick often works in fixing minor network problems.
Contact your ISP
Your internet service provider may have undertaken some maintenance work for which the entire coverage area may have been affected. So, you can use customer care contact for your ISP or reach out to them via social media and confirm regarding the maintenance work.
If they affirm about the repair job causing the cellular internet to not work on the iPhone, then you must wait until they finish the maintenance.
Remove and Re-insert the SIM card in your iPhone.
Another effective fix is to remove the SIM card from your iPhone. Then make sure to re-insert the SIM card back into the iPhone. If not correctly fixed in the SIM tray, the SIM card may not work, causing the cellular network not to work as intended.
When the SIM card is not properly put in the SIM tray, then you won’t see the network signal on the home screen.
Disable Wi-Fi Calling on the iPhone
Often users have reported that disabling the WiFi calling feature helps them restore cellular network connectivity on their iPhones. So, you should try it as well.
- Go to the Settings app.
- Then tap on Mobile Data.
- Scroll down to Wi-Fi calling and tap on it.
- Next, tap on the switch beside Wi-Fi, calling on This iPhone option to disable it.
- Try to use the cellular network on the iPhone now and check if the connectivity is being established clearly or not.?
Reset Network Settings
You may also try to reset the network settings on your iPhone if most of the above troubleshooting methods did not do any work.
- Go to Settings > General.
- Under that, navigate to Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Tap on Reset.
- Select Reset Network Settings from the menu.
- Confirm by entering the passcode when it is asked.
After the network is reset, the iPhone should be able to function on the cellular data.
So, these are the various troubleshooting methods that can effectively fix the issue of cellular internet not working on the iPhone.