Cellular data not working on iPhone or Android? How to fix it

Your phone shows bars but nothing loads. Or the 5G/LTE icon is gone and apps just spin until you find Wi-Fi.

By the end of this guide you'll have mobile data working again, or you'll know it's the carrier's problem and exactly what to tell them.

The short answer

Turn Airplane Mode on for 15 seconds, then off. Confirm cellular (mobile) data is switched on, then restart the phone. That clears most cases. If it doesn't, check for a carrier outage before you start changing settings.

Before you start

• You need: your phone, about 15–30 minutes, and ideally Wi-Fi so you can look things up.
• Know your carrier account login. You may need it for the outage map or a support chat.
• Don't delete an eSIM to "start fresh." On many carriers you can't get it back without contacting them, which can leave you with no service at all.
• A network settings reset won't touch your photos or apps. It does erase saved Wi-Fi passwords, so have those handy.

Step 1: Rule out the obvious toggles

Most "broken data" is a switch someone flipped.

iPhone

1. Open Control Center (swipe down from the top-right corner) and make sure the airplane icon is off.
2. Go to Settings → Cellular and turn on Cellular Data.
3. Scroll down the same screen and make sure the app you're trying to use has cellular access switched on.
4. If you're traveling, check Settings → Cellular → Cellular Data Options → Data Roaming.

Android (Samsung)

1. Swipe down twice from the top and confirm Airplane mode is off and Mobile data is on.
2. Go to Settings → Connections → Data usage and confirm Mobile data is on.
3. On that same screen, check that Data saver isn't blocking the app you need.

Android (Pixel)

1. Go to Settings → Network & internet → SIMs, tap your SIM, and turn on Mobile data.
2. Check Roaming on that same page if you're out of your home country.
3. Check Settings → Network & internet → Data Saver and turn it off for now.

If it worked: you'll see 5G, LTE, or 4G next to your signal bars, and a webpage loads with Wi-Fi off.

Step 2: Toggle Airplane Mode, then restart

1. Turn Airplane Mode on, wait 15 seconds, and turn it off.
2. If that doesn't do it, power the phone fully off, wait 30 seconds, and turn it back on.

This forces the phone to drop its connection and re-register with the nearest cell tower, which fixes most stuck sessions. It helps a lot after you've been underground on the subway and the phone never cleanly reconnects.

Step 3: Check for a carrier outage

Don't reset anything until you've ruled this out.

1. On Wi-Fi, open your carrier's app or website and look for a network status or outage page.
2. Check downdetector.com for spikes in reports for your carrier.
3. Ask someone on the same carrier nearby if their data works.

If there's an outage, stop here. Nothing on your phone will fix it. Wait it out and use Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi Calling in the meantime.

Step 4: Update carrier settings and the phone's software

Carriers push small updates that tell your phone how to connect. A missed one can break data.

iPhone

1. Connect to Wi-Fi.
2. Go to Settings → General → About and wait about 30 seconds. If a Carrier Settings Update prompt appears, tap Update.
3. Go to Settings → General → Software Update and install anything pending.

Android

1. Samsung: Settings → Software update → Download and install.
2. Pixel: Settings → System → Software updates and install what's offered.

Still not working? Try these

Reset network settings

This wipes cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and VPN settings back to default. Your personal data stays put.

iPhone

1. Go to Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Reset.
2. Tap Reset Network Settings and enter your passcode.

Samsung

1. Go to Settings → General management → Reset.
2. Tap Reset mobile network settings (on some versions it's just Reset network settings).

Pixel

1. Go to Settings → System → Reset options.
2. Tap Reset mobile network settings.

After the phone restarts, give it a minute to reconnect, then test with Wi-Fi off.

Check the APN

The APN (Access Point Name) is the address your phone uses to reach your carrier's data network. A wrong APN means bars, but no data. This is common on prepaid and budget carriers, and after switching carriers.

1. iPhone: Settings → Cellular → Cellular Data Options → Cellular Data Network. Many major carriers hide this screen. If you don't see it, your carrier manages the APN and you can skip this.
2. Samsung: Settings → Connections → Mobile networks → Access Point Names.
3. Pixel: Settings → Network & internet → SIMs → your SIM → Access point names.
4. Compare what's there to the APN your carrier lists on its support site. On Android, the ⋮ menu has Reset to default, which is the safest first move.

Reseat the SIM or check the eSIM

1. Physical SIM: power the phone off, eject the tray with a SIM tool or paperclip, check the card for damage, reinsert it firmly, and power back on.
2. eSIM on iPhone: Settings → Cellular. Confirm the line is turned on and selected for Cellular Data.
3. eSIM on Android: Settings → Connections → SIM manager (Samsung) or Settings → Network & internet → SIMs (Pixel). Confirm the line is on and set as the data SIM.

If you have two lines, a lot of "no data" problems come down to data being assigned to the wrong one.

Rule out your account

Check your carrier app for an unpaid bill, a hit data cap, or a suspended line. Throttled or capped data often looks exactly like a broken phone.

When to call the carrier

Call if you see "No SIM," "SIM not provisioned," or "SOS only," or if nothing above worked and there's no outage.

Call right away from another phone if your service died suddenly and you also can't make calls or texts. That can be a sign of a SIM swap, where a scammer moves your number to their device. Tell the carrier you suspect fraud, then change your bank and email passwords. If it happened after you tapped a link in a text, follow our scam-text checklist.

Tell them which steps you've already tried. It skips the "have you restarted it" script.

Keep it from happening again

• Install software and carrier settings updates when they show up instead of putting them off.
• Write down your APN settings if you're on a smaller carrier, so you can re-enter them in a minute.
• Set a SIM PIN and a carrier account PIN to block SIM swaps. Our 10-minute phone lockdown guide walks through it.
• Never delete an eSIM unless the carrier tells you to.

Quick answers

Why does my data work outside but not in my apartment or office? That's coverage, not a broken phone. Thick walls and basements block signal. Turn on Wi-Fi Calling and rely on Wi-Fi indoors.

Will resetting network settings delete my photos or apps? No. It only clears network settings like saved Wi-Fi passwords, Bluetooth pairings, and VPN profiles.

My data works but it's painfully slow. Same fix? Start the same way. Then check whether you've hit a data cap, and whether Low Data Mode (iPhone) or Data Saver (Android) is on.

Rather have us fix it?

If your phone still won't get data, an ITGoNYC tech can sort it out. We'll check your APN, SIM, and line settings, rule out the phone itself, and handle the carrier call with you. Most fixes happen over a remote session the same day, or we'll come on-site anywhere in the five boroughs and Long Island. Call or text 347-549-9059 now, or open a ticket.