To use cellular services, you will need the cellular network to work as intended. Apart from texting and calling functions, you can also connect your iPhone to the internet through cellular data. All you need is simply activating cellular data feature on your iPhone and then start browsing with 3G, 4G, or LTE connection. However, there are some instances when that simple process gets more complicated.
The Enable LTE setting is a different beast. But LTE (short for “Long Term Evolution“) isn't the only kind of cellular data. And if you turn LTE data off (Settings, Cellular, Enable LTE, Off), your iPhone may simply downshift to 3G or even 2G networks. When data is enabled, it will only be used when you are not connected to wifi (iOS was built to prefer wifi). Your cellular company (i.e AT&T, Verizon, etc) doesn't know how much data you use over wifi, and they will not bill you for it (obviously, there is some cost for internet in your house, but that is separate).
So, there are many iOS users having trouble with using cellular data services when it cannot activate on their devices. If you are bumping into the same issue when attempting to use cellular services on your new iPhone XR, read on our solutions below. Find out what to do if cellular data does not work or won’t activate on your new phone.
How to Fix cellular data on iPhone XR that’s not working
Before getting started with fixing the cellular service problem on your phone, you should first remove and reseat your SIM card. It can rule out SIM card problems from the underlying causes. Power off your iPhone before taking out the SIM card without causing any damage to your SIM card and other components. After reinstalling your SIM card, wait for a few seconds so that your phone can re-establish the cellular network connection. Next, retry activating the cellular data on your phone. If it doesn’t help, move to these next workarounds.
Solution 1: Disable Cellular Data and then turn it on again
Random network errors that might have affected cellular data functions can be fixed just by disabling cellular data and then enabling it again. So if you haven’t already, you should consider it as the first possible solutions to try. Here’s how to get it done:
- Head over to Settings-> Cellular Next, toggle the Cellular Data switch to off.
- You can also swipe to open up the Control Center of your iPhone and tap on the Cellular Data icon to disable it.
A green icon means the Cellular Data is ON. Otherwise, the icon will be grey. In this case, it should be green.
Solution 2: Enable Airplane Mode and then disable it.
While Airplane mode is an old trick, it has been used to fix various types of problems that affect network-related issues. This trick will give Wi-Fi functions a quick reboot as well as eliminate minor glitches. Here’s how to get it done
- Open Settings from your Home screen.
- Tap on Airplane Mode from the menu options.
- Toggle Airplane mode switch to on. This will disable all wireless features, including Bluetooth, Cellular Data and Wi-Fi.
- Next, restart your iPhone XR while Airplane mode is still on.
- Return to Settings-> Airplane mode menu and toggle off the switch to disable the Airplane mode again.
All wireless features will be active again. Now, go to Settings, enable Cellular data and check if it is already working as intended.
Solution 3: Install new carrier updates and iOS update
Bugs are the usual culprits on iOS devices, so they must be rid of. That’s why updates play an important role. Apart from bringing new features, software updates also include fixes to clear out any existing bugs, inflicting troubles to the wireless functions of your phone.
- To check for any new carrier settings update, simply head over to Settings-> General-> About menu. Wait for few seconds on this menu and check if there is an update message. If you see a new carrier update, it will then be indicated on a message prompt. If not, there is not any message prompt at all.
Besides carrier updates, updating your iPhone to the latest version also has the same positive outcome to resolve network errors.
- To check for the latest iOS update on your iPhone XR, navigate to Settings-> General-> Software Update.
You will see an update notification if there is a new iOS version available. Before installing the update, you should back up your important files first to avoid something going wrong. After that, follow the onscreen instructions to download and install the latest update on your iPhone.
After the installation is successful, reboot your iPhone to apply the recent system changes. Next, check if the problem with the cellular data functions on your iPhone has gone away.
Also read: How to fix Personal Hotspot not working on iPhone XR
Solution 4: Reset network settings on iPhone
Generally, network-related issues can be fixed just by resetting the network settings. This method will wipe out all current network configurations on your phone and then load the default network options. Should you want to give it a try, here is how to reset network settings on iPhone XR:
- Open Settings app from Home screen
- Tap on General > Reset.
- Choose the third Reset network settings
- Enter your device passcode when prompted
- Tap on the option again to reset network settings.
Your iPhone will then restart automatically and load up the default network options. To get them back online, you simply set up and reconnect your iPhone to a Wi-Fi network like the first time you do.
Solution 5: Factory reset your iPhone XR
The last resort you should consider doing if the problem still remains after attempting prior methods is a factory reset. The process will wipe everything from your iPhone including your contacts, installed apps, personal information and other added data stored on your phone. Any complex system issues will also be resolved during the process. However, before proceeding, you should first back up all important files through iCloud or iTunes on your computer so that you can recover them later. Once you’re all set, you can start factory resetting from your iPhone settings menu. Here’s how to get it done:
- Open Settings from the Home screen.
- Tap on General > Reset.
- Choose the Erase all content and settings
- Enter your device passcode when prompted.
- Tap on the popup to confirm factory reset.
Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the reset. Once the reset is done, your iPhone will reboot by itself. As soon as your iPhone boots up, proceed with the setup wizard and set up it as new.
Most software issues can be resolved just by performing a factory reset, so cellular data will be working properly on your iPhone again. If it’s still not, then the problem could come from your network provider. At this point, contacting your network provider would be the next solution.
An Apple iPhone connects to the internet automatically from almost anywhere using a cellular network. iPhones also contain a built-in Wi-Fi antenna to connect to wireless internet networks. Using iPhone Wi-Fi connections provides a couple of benefits:
- Time savings: Wi-Fi provides much higher network bandwidth than the cellular protocols the iPhone supports. That typically means noticeably faster app downloads and browsing.
- Cost savings: Any network traffic while the iPhone is connected via Wi-Fi does not count toward monthly data plan quotas.
Monitoring Network Connections on the iPhone
The top left corner of an iPhone's screen displays icons indicating its network status:
- Connection strength: A value between one and four bars indicates the wireless signal strength the iPhone detects for the current connection (either Wi-Fi or cellular).
- Cellular provider: The name of the cell provider (e.g., AT&T) appears next to the connection strength, even when the iPhone has a Wi-Fi connection.
- Connection type: The type of network connection appears next to the provider's name. This will be text like '3G' or 'LTE' if the iPhone is connected to a cellular network. A Wi-Fi icon will appear if that's what the iPhone is using.
An iPhone will automatically switch from the cellular connection when it successfully makes a Wi-Fi connection. Likewise, it will go back to cellular connectivity if the user turns Wi-Fi off or the connection drops.
How to Connect the iPhone to a Wi-Fi Network
The iPhone Settings app contains a Wi-Fi section for managing connections to these networks.
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Wi-Fi, and then switch the slider on the next screen to on/green. Your iPhone will generate a list of available wireless networks under Choose a Network.
- Tap the name of the network you'd like to join, and then enter the password if necessary.
Once you enter the password once, your iPhone will remember it. Tap the switch next to Auto-Join in the info screen to tell the iPhone to join this network whenever it's possible.
How to Make the iPhone Forget Wi-Fi Networks
To remove a previously configured Wi-Fi network so that iPhone no longer attempts auto-connecting to it or stores the password:
- On the Wi-Fi screen, tap the info button next to the network you want your iPhone to forget.
- If you want to join this network again in the future, it will ask you for a password.
How to Restrict iPhone Apps to Use Wi-Fi Only
Some iPhone apps, particularly those that stream video and audio, generate high amounts of network traffic. Because the iPhone automatically reverts to the cellular network when it loses a Wi-Fi connection, a person can quickly consume their monthly cellular data plan without realizing it.
To guard against unwanted cellular data consumption, many high-bandwidth apps include an option to restrict their network traffic to Wi-Fi only. Consider setting this option if it's available on frequently used apps.
Here's how to tell your iPhone not to use cellular data automatically:
- Open Settings, and then tap Cellular.
- Tap the switch next to Cellular Data to off/white.
- You can also leave Cellular Data on if you don't want to risk being without a connection in an emergency. The Cellular Data Options menu gives you control over what you use the connection for.Data Roaming lets your iPhone connect to another network when it's outside your cellular provider's range. Turn this option off to avoid extra (roaming) charges from your carrier.If you have an Enable LTE option, you can set your network to use cellular for data, voice & data, or neither. Turning it off restricts both data and call activity.Turning off cellular data may make your iPhone run slower.
- If your carrier supports Wi-Fi Calling, you can also switch that on to save data. This function lets you make calls using a wireless network instead of a cell plan.