14 Best Solutions To Fix iPhone Cellular Data Not Working

Various reasons can affect your iPhone Cellular Data not working properly. The external reasons include poor network coverage and network service down. Apart from these reasons, others originate from your iPhone device. For e.g, incorrect date & time settings and expired data plans can directly affect your Cellular Data connection. 

Therefore, you can try to apply the solutions in the next section and figure out the reason that is recruiting the Cellular data issue.

iPhone Cellular Data Not Working? 14 Solutions

The “iPhone Cellular Data Not Working” issue can be fixed with the following solutions. Fix the issue starting from the easiest solution, if left unfixed then move on to more advanced troubleshooting methods.

1. Restart Your Apple Smartphone Device
2. Toggle Airplane Mode On & Off
3. Turn Off The Wi-Fi Calling
4. Perform A Reset Network Settings
5. Remove The Sim Tray And Reinsert Sim Card
6. Check Time And Date Settings
7. Check Your Data Plan Status
8. Check Cellular/Mobile Data Settings
9. Check For Latest iOS Version Updates
10. Check For Latest Carrier Settings Updates
11. Turn Off VPN Services
12. Perform A iPhone Restore In DFU Mode
13. Back-Up Using iCloud, Then Factory Reset iPhone
14. Visit The Local Apple Genius Bar

1. Restart Your Apple Smartphone Device

Restarting a device is the most common troubleshooting method, and it works in most cases. So if you find your iPhone’s cellular data not working properly, then restart your device. 

Restart iPhone X, 11, 12 or 13

• Press and hold the side button and Volume Up button(any one of the two-volume buttons). Until the power-off slider appears on the iPhone’s display.
• Drag the slider. It will shut down the iPhone. 
• Again press and hold the side button and Volume Down button until the Apple Logo appears on the screen.

Restart iPhone SE (2nd Or 3rd Generation), 8, 7, or 6

• Press and hold the side button. Release it after the power-off slider appears on the screen.
• Slide the Power off slider and wait for 30 seconds. 
• After your iPhone device turns off, press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

Restart Your iPhone SE(1st Generation), 5 or earlier

• Press and hold the top button. Release it after the power-off slider appears on the screen.
• Drag the slider and wait for 30 seconds. 
• After your iPhone device turns off, press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

Restart iPads with Home Button

• Press and hold the top button on your iPad. Release it after the Power slider appears on the screen.
• Drag the power slider, and the iPad will turn off.
• Wait for a minute, then power back on your iPad device. Press and hold the top button until the Apple logo lits up on your screen.

Restart iPad Air, Pro, and Mini 6

• Press and hold the top(or side) button and the volume up(or down) button on your iPad. Release it after the Power slider appears on the screen.
• Drag the power slider, and the iPad will turn off.
• Wait for a minute, then power back on your iPad device. Press and hold the top button until the Apple logo lits up on your screen.

2. Toggle Airplane Mode On & Off

Airplane Mode cuts off your device’s external communication altogether. Be it the Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Cellular data connection. So, if you want to fix the cellular data not working issue, toggling On & Off the cellular data can reset the connection. 

For iPhone iOS 15 version Device:

• Open the Control Center. Swipe down from the top right corner of the screen.
• Tap on the Airplane icon. It will turn orange when enabled.
• Wait for a few seconds, and tap on the icon again.

For iPhone 8, SE, and iPod Touch:

• Open the Control Center. Swipe up from the bottom of the phone’s screen.
• Tap on the Airplane icon located on the extreme left. 
• Wait for a few seconds, and tap on the icon again. Let your device reconnect with the cellular data, then check for the issue.

3. Turn Off The Wi-Fi Calling

The Wi-Fi Calling feature is used when the cellular call performance is poor, and your iPhone device switches over to a Wi-Fi network to boost the call quality. All in all, this Wi-Fi Calling feature is great. But sometimes this feature can interfere with your cellular connection. So try to disable the Wi-Fi calling feature, and check whether the issue has been resolved.

• Open the Settings app on your device.
• Go to Phone-> Wi-Fi calling.
• Turn Off the feature.

Or,

• Open the Settings app on your device.
• Go to Calling-> Wi-Fi calling.
• Tap on the toggle button. It will turn grey when turned off.

4. Perform A Reset Network Settings

Resetting will wipe out all network data. That is, your phone will restore to its original form, which came out of the factory. The network data includes Wi-Fi, cellular as well as Bluetooth connections. So resetting can fix issues related to networks other than the cellular connection. 

• Open the Settings app on your device.
• Go to General-> Reset.
• Scroll down the phone’s screen and tap on the “Transfer or Reset” option.
• Tap on the Reset Network Settings option.

• Enter the Apple password to proceed with the Reset.
• Your phone’s screen will go blank for some time. And when the screen restores, the rest will be complete. Now check whether the issue is pestering your device.

5. Remove The Sim Tray And Reinsert Sim Card

This action works similarly to a reboot. The only difference is that, upon reinsertion of the Sim card, it re-reads the data file and compiles the cellular data. This will make your phone’s cellular connection start working properly again.

• First of all, power off your iPhone device.
• Use the safety pin, and remove the Sim card tray.
• Remove the Sim card.
• Re-insert the Sim card into the tray(blow off any dust or dist present on the card).
• Turn/power On your Apple device.

6. Check Time And Date Settings

Any device stamps its action or process with the internal time & date. So if the internal time & date settings don’t match with the external(Internet one), then an information mismatch will occur. And that can lead to a cellular connection issue with your iPhone.

• Open the Settings app on your device.
• Navigate to General-> Date & Time.

• Toggle On the option Set Automatically.

7. Check Your Data Plan Status

Most users opt for a prepaid cellular plan. In this plan, there is a daily data usage limit. So if you have exhausted your data or your plan is past its validity period. Then you will not be able to browse the Internet.

Check your data plan expiration date. If it is asst the validity date, recharge with a new one.

8. Check Cellular/Mobile Data Settings

Check if the cellular network connection is turned on. Follow the guidelines below(for devices with iOS 15):

• Open the Control Center by swiping down from the top right corner of the screen.
• Tap on the Antenna icon. It will turn green when enabled.

Or,

• Open the Settings app.
• Navigate to General-> Cellular.
• Tap the toggle button beside the Cellular Data option.

Alternatively, you can disable the Low Data Mode option. This feature is used to cut off data usage of some apps or processes that consume a large amount of data. For e.g, background app updates, data backups, accounts sync, etc.

• Open the Settings app and navigate to general-> Cellular.
• Tap Cellular Data Options.
• Toggle off the Low Data Mode button. The button will turn gray when disabled.

9. Check For Latest iOS Version Updates

You can try updating your iOS version to fix the cellular data issue. The update contains fixes to various bugs and minor glitches. And the network issue may also get fixed with this software update. Also, you can read the details of the update that comes with it, and you can observe the various perks and bug fixes it contains.

• Open the Settings App on your Apple device.
• Tap on the General option.
• Select Software Update.

• Check for the latest updates. If it is available, then click on the Download & Install option at the bottom of the screen.

• Note that you must connect your device to a Wi-Fi network. And keep it connected with the charger before starting the iOS update.

10. Check For Latest Carrier Settings Updates

Carrier Updates contain small but important files for your iPhone, which improve the overall performance of your device network. Generally, the iPhone prompts the users to install Cellular updates periodically. However, in this case, it is necessary to manually download and install carrier updates.

• First of all, make sure that the iPhone is connected to a charging device and Wi-Fi network.
• Open the Settings app.
• Navigate to General-> About.
• Scroll down the information list and locate the Carrier. You can observe the current version of the carrier. If an update is available, then it will be visible here. The device will prompt you to download and install the latest carrier updates.

11. Turn Off VPN Services

VPN is great for use in public Wi-Fi connections. And to bypass regional restrictions to access prohibited contents. But sometimes, a VPN connection can interfere with the regular cellular connection of your device. So you can try to disable your phone’s VPN service and check whether this tip helps you fix the cellular data issue. 

• Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
• Go to General.
• Scroll down the options list, and tap on the toggle button beside the VPN option.

• Upon doing this, the VPN status will change to Not Connected. 
• Perform a force restart on your Apple device. 
• After your iPhone screen lights up, check whether this method has fixed the issue. If not, then move on to another solution.

12. Perform A iPhone Restore In DFU Mode

DFU, which stands for Device Firmware Update, can be correlated with Recovery Environment in Windows OS. Fixing your iPhone or iPad using DFU Mode can resolve or troubleshoot those issues that are not left unsolved through other means. The entire process is applicable for iPhone 8 Series & Later.

• First of all, you need to access DFU Mode.
  • Power off your iPhone device. Connect it to your Mac or PC.
  • Make sure that the iTunes or Finder app is running on your computer.
  • Press and release the Volume Up button.
  • Press and release the Volume Down button.
  • Press and hold the Side button. Now wait till your iPhone screen lights up, or the Apple Logo jumps on the screen.
  • Quickly press the Volume Down button while you are still holding the side button.
  • Release the Side button after 3-5 seconds.
  • Release the Volume button when the iTunes or Finder app detects your iPhone device.

• Now that you have accessed the DFu mode, choose or click on the Restore iPhone option. 
• The DFU mode will start to download the latest iOS software and install it on your iPhone device. Please be cautious to not disconnect the iPhone from the PC during the Restoration process.
• The Restore is complete. Now you have to exit the DFui mode. For that, you need to force restart your iPhone device.
  • Press and release the Volume Up button.
  • Press and release the Volume Down button.
  • Press and hold the Side button until your iPhone’s screen displays the Apple Logo.

13. Back-Up Using Icloud, Then Factory Reset iPhone

You should use this solution if all other solutions produce negative results. The factory reset will restore your Apple device to its original state(straight out of the factory). But before proceeding with the Reset, you need to make a backup of your device data. So that you don’t lose all of your personal information.  

iCloud Backup

Both iCloud and iTunes can backup your device data. But this article will demonstrate the backup process using iCloud.

• Open the Settings app on your Apple device.
• Tap on your Apple ID found on top of the Settings list.

• Scroll down and tap on the iCloud option.

• In the next section, tap on the iCloud Backup option.
• You can see the Backup Now option at the bottom of the list. Tap on it.

Factory Reset

After you have backed up your important data, you can proceed further with the factory reset. Here’s a detailed process on how to factory reset your Apple device.

• First of all, connect your device with the charger.
• Open the Settings app. Tap on the Gear icon on your device screen.
• Go to General. Then scroll down and tap on Reset.
• Tap Erase all contents and settings.

• Enter your Apple passcode when prompted. 
• The process will initiate after the passcode verification. It will take time to reset your device. After completion, the device will restart and be restored to its original form. 

14. Visit The Local Apple Genius Bar

If any of the previous solutions don’t work for your device, then as a final resort, you can reach out to the nearest Apple Genius Bar. Describe the issue to the Apple technicians and leave the rest to them. If the issue arises from hardware, then the fixes will become invalid. Also, you will get free repair or replacement if the warrant period hasn’t expired.

Conclusion

Your iPhone may face cellular data not working issues for various reasons. Starting from poor network coverage, incorrect date & time settings to bugs in iOS software. 

Following the solutions written in this article, you can try to fix this issue on your own. For e.g, if your iPhone device faces this issue because of a mismatch or incorrect date & time settings, then set the correct date & time in the Settings app can quickly fix this problem.

Another solution that many iPhone users might not be aware of is Carrier Settings Updates. These are small packets of data that contain important fixes and contribute to the overall improvisation of your Cellular network performance.

And lastly, if your iPhone device’s cellular data issue doesn’t get fixed with these solutions. Then you can apply the Reset to factory settings as a last resort move. Or, else you can always visit the nearest Apple Genius Bar.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)