You want to call someone but are not answered. You will see the ‘No service’ message on the screen of your iPhone. What does this mean? And most importantly: how do you solve it? Here are six tips for calling again quickly.
‘No Service’ on iPhone: You can do this
Do you see the message ‘No service’ on your iPhone? This means that your device cannot connect to a cell tower and therefore cannot make calls. It is also not possible to receive a call. Do you get to see ‘Search’? In that case you cannot use mobile internet because your iPhone is still searching for a mobile network. In this article, we’ll list six solutions to fix both notifications.
1. Walk outside for a moment
When you get the No service notification on your iPhone, it means that your device cannot connect. If you were not bothered by this before, you are most likely in a location where transmission towers have little or no signal, such as a building. Some houses also suffer from a certain ‘blind spot’ where the range is poor.
The simplest solution is therefore to check whether you have coverage at another location (in the open air). Before continuing with the step-by-step plan below, also check whether something has changed in your internet settings by accident.
Open the Settings app and tap Mobile Network. Make sure the switch at ‘Data roaming’ is green. Also always try to restart your iPhone: this miraculously solves a lot of problems.
Read more: How to reset your iPhone: explained step by step
2. Just no internet?
You just don’t have mobile internet, but can you make calls? Then there may be something wrong with the mobile network settings. You can reset it by following these steps:
- Grab your iPhone and open the Settings app;
- Select ‘Mobile network’ and go to ‘Mobile data options’;
- Tap on ‘Mobile data network’ and press ‘Reset’;
- Confirm your choice and your mobile network settings will be reset.
3. Is there a malfunction?
In general, providers deliver a great job, but sometimes there is a hitch somewhere. Therefore, check that there is no accidental malfunction. An excellent website for this is allestoringen.nl. When your provider actually suffers from a malfunction, the problem is certainly not yours and there is nothing else to do but be patient. Usually these failures are resolved within a few hours.
4. Update …
Providers are constantly rolling out updates to improve their network. These are generally downloaded automatically by your iPhone. Sometimes, however, you have to give the device a push and download the update (s) manually. By updating the provider settings you can be sure that your device has the most recent software:
- Go to the Settings app on your iPhone;
- Tap on ‘Settings’ and choose ‘General’;
- Select ‘Info’.
If an update is ready, you will see a button to update the provider settings. This may take a while. In some cases, it also pays to update your iOS version. It is always advisable to update your iPhone in a timely manner anyway, but in rare cases you also need the updates because they fix problems from previous versions.
Also handy: iOS update overview: your iPhone runs on this version
5.… Or start with a clean slate
Was your iPhone working fine when you first took it out of the box, but have you seen the ‘No service’ message since performing an update? It may then be worthwhile to restore the network settings correctly.
You start with a clean slate. Open the Settings app on your iPhone and go to ‘General’ and choose ‘Reset’. Then tap on ‘Reset Network Settings’. Pay attention: this will also delete all saved WiFi networks (including passwords).
6. Contact your provider
Did all the steps above not help? Then it’s time to contact your provider. There may be more to it than you can solve yourself. It is also quite possible that, for example, your SIM card is broken and therefore cannot make contact with the transmission tower. This will keep you seeing the ‘No Service’ or ‘Searching’ notification on your iPhone.
To rule out this last possibility – a broken SIM card – it can be useful to swap SIM cards with a friend or family member. Does that person’s SIM card work in your iPhone? Then your ticket has probably broken. Contact your provider to arrange a replacement.
More useful tips for your iPhone
On iPhone we are happy to help you get the most out of your iPhone. For example, have you bought a new device? Then read our article about transferring data. It is also important to regularly make an iPhone backup. In the unlikely event that something should go wrong, you will certainly not have lost all your data. We show you how to back up your iPhone in the video below.