Fix Android Mobile Network Not Available [Complete Guide]

If your Android phone shows the “Mobile network not available” error message, the first thing you should do is toggle the Airplane mode. If that doesn’t work, look into the network settings.

I often travel to remote places where I get this problem a lot. The steps I’m about to share are basic troubleshooting methods that I use to get rid of it in emergencies.

I’ve divided the guide into basic and advanced methods. So you’ll only have to dive into technical details if the trivial solutions don’t work.

To learn more, make sure to stick around till the end!

General Solutions To Fix Mobile Network Not Available On Your Android Device

Here are some simple but effective ways to fix mobile network on Android phones. These don’t require much technical know-how but work well:

1. Toggle Airplane Mode On and Off

Toggling airplane mode ON/OFF will restart the cellular network on your mobile phone. You can also turn off just the mobile data connection and turn it back on, but I find it more effective to toggle airplane mode.

Just go to Settings > Network & internet (in some devices, it’s Connection and sharing).

Now find Airplane/Flight mode, and firstly enable the slider button and then disable it. This will restart the mobile network and hopefully fix any network issues.

Alternatively, you can disable airplane mode on the status bar. Just swipe down from the home screen and tap on the airplane icon

2. Restart Your Device

If switching airplane mode on and off doesn’t fix “Mobile network not available” error, the next step is to reboot your phone.

Over time, background apps and temporary files clog up memory and may cause error messages like these. Restarting helps clear all this junk and restore your device to a fresh state.

Simply hold the power button for a few seconds till you see a popup screen. Select the Restart option and confirm if prompted.

3. Remove SIM Card and Place It Back

If you encounter the “Mobile network not available” error even after you’ve restarted your device, you can try removing and reinserting the SIM card.

Find and open the SIM card slot on your device. On really old Android phones, you might need to remove the back cover and battery to access the SIM card, but on most modern devices, you can access the SIM tray using a SIM ejector pin tool.

Now, gently remove the SIM card, wait for a few seconds, and put it back carefully. Restart your device and see if the network issue still persists.

4. Update Firmware

Many people neglect system updates on their Android phones because they find it unnecessary or simply don’t have access to WiFi. The problem occurs when you haven’t updated the device in a while.

Updating your Android phone is highly recommended to prevent errors like these. Follow these steps to perform a system update:

1. Go to Settings > Software update
2. On certain phone you will have to go to Settings > About Phone
3. If any software update is available, it’ll appear on the screen. Download and install the same.
4. Once your Android device reboots, check if you still get the “Mobile network not available” error message.

5. Turn Off Data Roaming

Data Roaming is when you’re outside your primary cellular provider’s coverage area and your device uses the services of local cellular network operators. Basically – when you’re traveling internationally.

However, this feature is not required when you’re already under your cellular plan’s coverage area. Plus, you might risk incurring roaming surcharges. In this case, you must disable it on your phone.

Here are the steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Network & Internet (or Connections).
3. Then select Mobile Networks
4. Find the Roaming slider and turn this OFF.

6. Try Moving To A Different Location

It’s no secret that if you’re in a place with poor network coverage, you will have trouble with signal reception. This mostly happens when you’re in a remote location or an insulated environment.

If possible, you can try moving to a different place with a better cellular network signal. Also, check with your colleagues or friends around you. If they’re facing the same problem, chances are there’s a temporary network issue in your location.

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Advanced Methods To Fix Mobile Network Not Available Error

We just discussed some basic ways to fix network connection on Android smartphones.

Most of the time, these are enough to get rid of the “Mobile network not available” issue, but in some cases, you might have to resort to more technical methods.

These are listed below:

1. Reset Network Settings

If the trivial solutions don’t work, there might be some problem with your mobile network settings. Luckily, you can reset them easily.

Doing this won’t delete any data or important files, but you will lose your APN settings and WiFi passwords.

Note that this option is only available in the newer Android versions and in specific devices, so if you don’t see it on your smartphone, you can skip this step.

1. Launch the Settings app on your Android phone.
2. Go to System (General management in some devices) and click on Reset.
3. Now select Reset WiFi, mobile & Bluetooth (or Reset network settings).
4. Upon being prompted to confirm, do so.

Wait for your phone to restart, and check if the mobile network error message still occurs.

2. Switch Mobile Network Operators

1. Open Settings and go to Mobile networks (in some phones, this option is under the Wireless and Networks section).
2. Now go to Network operators. You might have to choose a SIM card if you have multiple installed.
3. Here, you’ll see an option to switch between Automatic and Manual network modes. Choose Automatic mode (if you’re already on Automatic, try changing it to Manual first and then back to Automatic).

3. Brute Forcing Radio Signal

You can force a specific connection type (radio signal) using a special code on your Android device.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Dialer pad on your phone and type “*#*#4636#*#*” (without the quotes). A new testing menu will appear.
2. Click on the Phone Information option.
3. Firstly, scroll down and click Run ping test to check ping status of your network.
4. Now find the Set preferred network type drop-down list and select the network you want to connect to.
5. You can choose from various networks like “LTE only,” “GSM only,” “LTE/UMTS auto” etc.

You may switch between different networks to see if one works, but if none of them work, you need to switch it back to the default network type.

4. Contact Your Service Provider

I recommend that you contact your network provider before doing a factory reset, which is the next and final step. This way you’ll get a little peace of mind and you won’t risk losing all your important data and files.

Your service provider will be able to tell if there are any technical issues with your mobile network – perhaps a downtime in your area or maybe your SIM is damaged. You can easily contact them through the customer care number or their website.

5. Factory Reset

If none of the above solutions worked for you, you might have to perform a factory data reset.

This will wipe all the data from your phone including all the apps and files, and restore your device back to its original state. So, only proceed if you know what you’re doing.

I suggest taking a backup of your phone first:

• Go to settings
• Select Backup and Restore and then Back up data
• Select the files you want to back up and tap on Back up now

Then following these steps:

1. Open Settings on your Android smartphone and select General Management
2. Tap on Backup and reset (If you don’t find this option, you can instead go to Settings > System > Reset).
3. Choose the Factory reset option and click on Reset.
4. Enter your PIN if prompted and wait for your phone to perform the factory data reset.

Main Causes Of “Mobile Network Not Available” Error

There could be a variety of reasons leading to these errors, but the primary ones are listed below:

• The main reason is poor reception in your area. This also means that you won’t be able to do anything to fix it, and just wait until your provider fixes the connectivity issue.
• Displaced or damaged SIM cards: If a SIM is displaced from its slot or even damaged in the worst-case scenario, you will not get proper signal reception.
• Incorrect mobile network setting: The network settings on your device have been modified, perhaps after a recent update or by someone else unknowingly. You can use some of the advanced methods we discussed to fix this problem.
• Old firmware: Outdated or corrupted firmware can lead to various bugs and glitches, including the “Network not available” message. You should check for system updates every once in a while.

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Final Words

This is quite an extensive list of troubleshooting methods to fix your mobile network. I hope you found a solution that worked for you.

You can already tell that there’s no single best solution to be used in all cases. That’s also why I suggest trying out simple methods like rebooting or reinserting the SIM first, and only then moving on to the other techniques I shared.