iPhone Says No Service and How To Fix It

In the event that an iPhone says No Service, that means that the device cannot make calls or send texts, and much less receive those two things, and also it cannot connect to the internet unless it is set to Wi-Fi mode. Nowadays in the U.S. iPhones are undeniably an important part of all Americans’ lives, that is, of course, until they stop working. In the following paragraphs, an explanation on the infamous No Service sign will be given, along with the way to properly fix this issue.

Before going any further, it is important to note that there’s no such thing as one definitive solution for this issue. This article is meant to guide iPhone users through the most effective ways known to solve this problem. The following is a step-by-step guide of how to fix an iPhone that says no service.

Checking With Carriers Regarding Accounts

Usually, carriers tend to cancel their costumers’ accounts for a wide set of reasons. There have been occasions where iPhones were disconnected upon suspicion of fraudulent use, delay in payment, and even annoyed husbands or wives who, for many reasons, didn’t want to hear from their spouses at a given time. In case any of those reasons sounds familiar, iPhone users should immediately contact their carriers, which doesn't ensure the problem will be immediately solved, but it is a way to make sure that there is nothing wrong regarding that aspect. iPhones will surely say No Service in case an account is canceled, which is curiously a very common reason for this problem to occur, and yet it is highly overlooked.

In the event of the discovery that the infamous No Service issue is, in fact, being caused by carriers, the solution is only one call away. If carriers aren't the problem (and mostly aren't), users should consider the option of going through the iPhone’s software to find a solution.

Updating Software and Carrier Settings

A great number of iPhone users saw the No Service sign right after the release of iOS 8. Even though that problem was solved long ago (before iOS 10 and iOS 11) every software update more than likely contains a wide set of adjustments for software bugs that aren't widely known and a lot less common that can surely cause the No Service issue. In that case, the way to proceed is one of the following two:

If it is possible to connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, the way to proceed is by checking if there’s an iPhone software update available, which can be done by going to Settings, then General, and then Software Update. Now, there is the possibility that an update is not available, in which case, the way to proceed is going to Settings, then to General, and finally to About, in order to check for carrier setting updates. If a button to check for carrier setting updates is not visible, the next thing to do is staying in the About menu waiting for something to pop up, if nothing does, that means the carrier settings are in fact up to date.

On the other hand, if it is not possible to access the internet via Wi-Fi, the way to proceed is by connecting the iPhone to a computer and using the iTunes App to check for available software updates for the iPhone. In case an update is, in fact, available, the iTunes App automatically will let customers know and ask them if they would like to update their iPhone’s software to the latest version. Moreover, iTunes also updates carrier settings automatically, always asking if the user wishes to install said update, of course. In case a carrier setting update is available, users should definitely install it.

Now, in case an iPhone still says No Service even after the software has been updated, or if it says No Service when the software is up to date already, it is time to go through the next set of possible solutions for this unbearable issue.

Resetting All Network Settings

Resetting the network settings on an iPhone back to its original factory defaults allows users to solve all kinds of problems related to cellular and Wi-Fi that one of these devices may have. By doing this, the iPhone will delete all Wi-Fi networks that were saved in the memory, which means that users will have to reconnect the devices to Wi-Fi and re-enter all passwords. It is possible that No Service issue on the iPhone may vanish after the device is rebooted.

Checking Cellular Settings

Various cellular data settings can be found on the iPhone, and in case something isn’t correctly set, it might cause the No Service problem. It is important to note that these settings can be changed by accident, and many times the problem can be simply solved by switching off a setting and then turning it back on

The difficulty that comes up when searching for cellular-setting problems on an iPhone is the fact that what can be found by going to Settings, and then to Cellular, is different for each carrier. In case one of the settings mentioned bellow is not visible, something helpful will surely be found on the next suggestions. The ways users can approach the search for cellular-setting problems are:

Going to Settings, then Cellular, to check if the setting Cellular Data is on. If it is on, the next thing to try is switching it off and then back on.

Going to Roaming to check if the setting Voice Roaming is on. In the United States, this setting should be on for most of the people. Carriers do not currently charge for cellular roaming as they did in the past.

Note that it is important to know how voice data and voice roaming on the iPhone work. It can help users in a number of ways. For instance, turning the Voice Roaming setting off when traveling internationally might be a good idea in order to avoid an inexplicably huge phone bill when returning to the U.S.

And finally, the last suggestion, going to Settings, then to Carriers and switching off the automatic carrier choice. There is a possibility that the iPhone stops saying No Service in case the user chooses a cellular network manually. Many iPhone users certainly won’t see this option on their devices, which is normal given that it only comes with certain carriers.

Related: Best iPhone Deals

Taking The SIM Card Out

The SIM card of an iPhone links the device to the cellular network. That is the way a carrier distinguishes one phone from all the other ones in the country. An iPhone could stop saying No Service after simply removing the SIM card from the device and then inserting it back in, which sounds way too simple, but it is in fact effective.

Users should make sure they know how to remove the SIM card from their iPhones. It can be removed with a SIM card ejector that can be bought online, or it can be removed using a paper clip.

In case that after going through that process, the No Service issue on an iPhone remains, users should consider the next step on this list.

Checking for Water Damage

It is simple to know why an iPhone could say No Service after being smashed against a wall for example, but when it comes to water damage, it can be extremely difficult to see, and it is more than likely going to be malicious for the device. If an iPhone starts to say No Service immediately after getting wet, it could mean that the problem is being caused by water damage.

It is important to note that Apple does not repair iPhones that have been damaged by water, instead they replace them. If users have AppleCare+, the price for replacing an iPhone is actually low when compared to the costs of not replacing it. In case there is the wish for a cheaper alternative, consider another repair options available.

Backing Up And Restoring The iPhone (being aware of the warning listed below)

Software corruption can surely be the cause of several issues like an incredibly excessive battery drain or an overheating of the device. iPhone users should make sure they back up their devices on iTunes or iCloud in case they choose this option, the reason fo this being that restoring an iPhone deletes everything saved in it.

A Significant Warning

Restoring an iPhone when it is not able to connect to a network is dangerous, that is why every iPhone needs to be activated after a restore in order to be able to use it again. If an iPhone is restored and the No Service issue remains, it will end up being completely unusable, meaning the user will not be able to do anything with said device. It simply won’t work anymore.

In case a user has a backup phone and is willing to risk his iPhone for the sake of solving the problem, the act of restoring an iPhone could solve the issue, but it is not guaranteed that it will. For that reason, restoring an iPhone is not highly recommended.

Contacting Carriers Or Repairing The iPhone

Often, carriers can provide special activation codes that could solve the No Service issue. Said codes change frequently, and there are several carriers in existence, which makes the task of listing specific codes borderline impossible, but carriers can definitely help customers over the phone. In case that doesn’t work, a carrier will more than likely send a customer to an Apple Store so a technician can diagnose the iPhone.

Repair Options

In the case of making the choice of going to an Apple Store, it is not a bad idea to make an appointment at the Genius Bar by calling or going online before actually arriving at the store. If this step is skipped, a customer could end up waiting in a line for a while.

In order to save money, CellSavers can meet customers at the location of their choice and fix their phones.

A Few Tips and Other Solutions

The No Service problem can cause several side effects to an iPhone, one of the biggest being the increasingly quick dying of the battery. In case that happens, iPhone users should make sure to research battery-life saving methods, which can be easily found online.

If a customer has gone through the No Service problem several times and is consequently tired of this issue, said customer should consider the possibility of switching to anther carrier and finding different cell phone plans.

The End of the No Service Problem

A complaint about not being able to make phone calls from any place in the world might have seemed a “luxury problem” twenty years ago, but in the modern world of today, things have clearly changed, making the ability to stay connected not only possible bu also vital in everyone’s daily life. Through this article, iPhone users are expected to learn the reason why their devices sometimes say No Service and the steps to follow in order to fix that problem.