Mobile Data Not Working? 12 Tried & Tested Solutions

You carry your smartphone everywhere. And, you don’t find trusted Wi-Fi networks outside your home and workspace. So, you turn your mobile data on but surprisingly find it not working. How can you go back online when the mobile data not working?

Be it an Android or iPhone, the issue can be frustrating. No mobile data means that you can’t access the internet for navigation, browsing, email surfing, or even viewing social media feeds. Whereas you may receive poor network coverage in certain areas.

However, consistently mobile data not on but not working can be a serious problem. Let’s see what you can do to resolve the cellular data not working scenario.

Why is Your Mobile Data Not Working?

Undoubtedly, you have a compatible subscription but you end up experiencing the mobile data not working. Well, iPhone service experts blame the following reasons for the incident:

• No or poor signals
• Expired data limits
• Network congestion
• Roaming restrictions
• Software conflicts
• Background applications
• Hardware failure

How to Fix Mobile Data Not Working on iPhones and Android Devices

If you are sure that something is wrong with your smartphone and not the subscription or service provider, then you can apply the following solutions. Reportedly, the following solutions are suitable for both iPhones and Android devices. Try them one by one.

1. Toggle Airplane Mode On and Off

Have you checked whether you have the Airplane Mode turned on? With the Airplane Mode enabled, you can’t access cellular data. So, double-check i it’s on and turn it off if required.

Also, you can reset your mobile data settings by toggling the aeroplane or Airplane Mode on and off. Access the option from the Control Centre and turn it on. Wait for a few seconds and turn it off. See if your mobile data is restored.

2. Restart Your Phone

If toggling the Airplane Mode on and off doesn’t do the trick then try this simple hack to rule out temporary software glitches. Restart your Android phone by holding the Power button for a couple of seconds and choosing the Restart option.

On the other hand, you can shut down your iPhone by holding its Power and one of the Volume buttons at the same time. Then, wait for a while before you turn your iPhone back on. After restarting, inspect whether your cellular data not working problem persists.

3. Verify Your Mobile Data Connectivity

Chances are that you have accidentally turned off the mobile data option. So, don’t discard this tip and always check whether you have turned on mobile data. Additionally, you might have run out of data limits. 

So, review your data plan and usage to find out why you face mobile data on but not working. Besides that, see whether you need to adjust settings when you are roaming. Generally, specific data plans are required while roaming.

4. Deactivate Wi-Fi

This is a common mistake among users. If you connect to a Wi-Fi network and mobile data at the same time then only the Wi-Fi network will work. Hence, it’s important to turn off the Wi-Fi connection to make the mobile data work.

Access your phone’s Control Centre to turn off Wi-Fi and turn on mobile data. Later, you can switch back to a Wi-Fi connection when it feels right. Above all, you don’t want to exceed your cellular data limit. However, for now, you can switch off your Wi-Fi connections and keep only the Mobile Data option enabled.

5. Disable the Bluetooth Function

Like Wi-Fi connectivity, your phone’s Bluetooth function can interfere with your cellular connections. And, that’s possible for both iPhone and Android devices. If you suspect that your Bluetooth is meddling in getting a smooth experience with cellular data connectivity then try switching the feature off.

To play it safe, you should turn off the Bluetooth. Access your phone’s Control Centre to power off the Bluetooth function. Now, see if your cellular data not working problem persists or not.

6. Check Your SIM Card

SIM cards can get displaced over time. Then, their pins can get out of line. Consequently, your mobile data might stop working. Additionally, you might see a ‘No SIM Card’ warning on your device.

Before you opt for a mobile repair in Dubai, it’s better to pay attention to the SIM card. Especially, when the above tricks haven’t worked for you. So, shut down your device and bring your SIM card out. Then, clean the SIM card a little bit. Finally, re-insert the SIM card as it should be on your phone and turn your device on. 

Make sure you don’t hurry in the entire situation. Enable the Mobile Data option to see if it works now. If you find the SIM card to be damaged, replace it with a new one.

7. Contact Your Network Provider

Do you get any error messages like ‘mobile network not available’? Then, the mobile data on but not working issue might arise because of a network outage. The simplest way to see if it’s a network outage is to check out the current status of your network service provider.

Typically, network service providers inform about their outage status on their social media handles. Hence, you can navigate to the provider’s official social media accounts like X, Facebook, etc. for recent updates. Official accounts have a blue checkmark next to their names.

However, make sure you don’t share your billing or account information online while inquiring about their status. If there’s a network outage then you have nothing to do except for waiting until it’s up.

8. Clear Cache Data

Is mobile data on but not working? According to the experts at the mobile repair in Dubai, accumulated temporary data can lead to performance issues and hinder cellular data connectivity. 

Therefore, you should try clearing the cache file. This should refresh the apps and their data. Additionally, it will get you rid of underlying issues that might be interfering with the mobile data connectivity.

On Android devices, you can follow the guidelines below to clear the cache data.

• Open Settings and hit Apps or Applications.
• Then, spot that particular app that doesn’t work even with the mobile data on. Select the app.
• Next, clear the app cache and data.

Keep in mind that clearing the cache data will reset your preferences and settings for that particular application.

On your iPhone, you can clear the Safari data in the following way:

• Navigate to Settings followed by the Safari option on your iOS device.
• After that, scroll to the bottom of the screen.
• Hit Clear History and Website Data.
• Finally, confirm your choice as soon as prompted.

9. Update Your Software

Temporary bugs can conflict with your mobile data connectivity. Before you turn up at an iPhone service provider, consider updating your device’s operating system. Install the newest system update.

Be it iOS or Android OS, carriers need the latest operating system to function properly. So, navigate to your phone’s Settings and look for Software or System Update. Then, proceed with the on-screen instructions.

10. Reset the APN (for Android Devices Only)

Reportedly, resetting your Android phone’s APN reconnects your device to the mobile carrier’s network. Usually, it takes the following instructions to reset the APN on most Android phones.

• Go to Settings and tap on Network & Internet.
• Next, select SIMs and tap on the SIM that is responsible for mobile data not working.
• Scroll down until you get Access Point Names. After, tap on it.
• Then, tap on the three-dot menu from the upper-right corner.
• Finally, tap on ‘Reset to default’.

Now, check whether you find mobile data on but not working or not.

11. Reset Your Phone’s Network Settings

Sometimes, misconfiguration in network settings can make the trouble bigger. Therefore, resetting the network options is the best resort if none of the above solutions haven’t worked so far. On an iPhone, here’s how you can reset the network settings:

• Enter the Settings app and go to General.
• Next, scroll down to ‘Transfer or Reset iPhone’ and tap on it.
• Choose Reset followed by Reset Network Settings.
• Now, enter your passcode if prompted.
• Select Reset Network Settings again to verify the process.

Resetting your network settings won’t delete files, folders, browser or media data. If it’s an Android device, check out how you can reset network settings.

• Go to Settings and navigate to System.
• Afterwards, tap on System and choose Reset Options.
• Then, tap on Reset Mobile Network Settings. Also, you can choose to Reset Bluetooth & Wi-Fi.
• Hit Reset Settings and your device may prompt you to enter your PIN or password to proceed with.
• Finally, you can select Reset Settings again as a confirmation.

12. Reset Your Phone to Factory Default Settings

Typically, this step is the borderline of DIY attempts for fixing cellular data not working issues. Resetting your device to its factory default settings is very effective for fixing software problems. It wipes all the data and configuration. And, your acts like brand new.

However, you will lose all your stored data on the device. So, we recommend a backup. For your iOS device, here’s the trick:

• Follow the path: Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone.
• Then, hit Erase All Content and Settings.
• Enter your passcode or Apple ID password to proceed with the final step.

Resetting your Android phone requires the following instructions:

• Navigate to Settings and hit System.
• Afterwards, select Reset Options.
• Tap on Erase All Data or Factory Reset.
• Next, choose Erase All Data. confirm the same option again.
• Now, you need to enter your PIN and tap on Erase All Data again.

Should You Visit a Mobile Repair in Dubai?

Is your mobile data on but not working? If you face the same issue even after applying the above fixes then you must contact an Android-specialised or mobile repair dubai service provider. Hopefully, extensive repairs or replacements will definitely solve the problem.