Mobile Network Not Available – Top 9 Ways to Fix This Error

Android is by far the most popular mobile operating system out there. Since Android is an open-source platform and is highly customizable, it’s easy to understand why it’s running on more than 85% of smartphones globally. However, Android can also be susceptible to a lot of bugs from time to time, one of them being the “Mobile network not available” message.

In this article, we are going to take a closer look at this serious bug and we’re also going to discuss several methods that you can use to fix it. Ready? Let’s get started.

Mobile Network Not Available

What is “Mobile Network Not Available” Error?

This is an error message that pops up when the phone can’t find any mobile network and is seen mostly on Samsung devices, although it can also appear on Android phones from other manufacturers. The error seems to be independent of the network carrier. However, many users face this with Verizon, ATT, Vodafone and T-Mobile. When this error occurs, you won’t be able to make a phone call or use mobile data at all.

The error can be caused by a number of different things. If the issue is caused by a software glitch, it can be solved easily in a lot of cases. However, if the “Mobile network not available” message is caused by a hardware failure, you should definitely take it to a service center.

There can be times when the error message is not caused by a phone glitch at all. Some areas can have poor network coverage and mobile network won’t be available.

How to Fix “Mobile Network Not Available” Error?

Since there are multiple reasons for this error message to appear, there are multiple solutions too. We recommend that you follow the order of this list and do the methods one after the other. This is because when you fix the issue, you’d know what caused this problem and how to avoid it if it ever happens again in the future. Also, note that since there are a large number of different flavors of Android, these methods may not be exactly the same but they will be very similar.

Method 1: Make Sure That It’s Not a Phone Issue

 

If you’re seeing this message soon after taking your phone to a new area, then there is a good chance that this is a network issue. You can verify this by asking your friends since if you’re experiencing this issue, they would be experiencing it too.

Method 2: Airplane Mode

Airplane mode will turn off all radio signals from the phone. It can be used to basically restart your mobile network services and this method can be used to fix a lot of network issues.

  1. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the quick settings panel.
  2. Tap on the airplane icon and wait for a minute.
  3. Tap on the airplane icon again to turn off the airplane mode and check if you see the error message.

Since android is highly customizable, there can be times when the airplane mode will not be available in the quick settings panel. In this case, you can always access it from the phone settings.

  1. Open up Settings.
  2. Tap on Network and Internet / Wireless and Networks.
  3. Toggle Airplane Mode on. Then turn it off after a minute.

Method 3: Reboot Your Phone

Rebooting your android can make a lot of issues go away, especially if the device hasn’t been reboo0ted in a long time. This method can not only fix the “Mobile network not available” message but also other minor glitches and can temporarily increase performance.

  1. Simple press and hold the power button until you see the power menu.
  2. Tap Restart / Reboot and wait until the phone turns back on again.

A lot of Androids today have non-removable batteries but if you have a phone with a removable battery, try removing and re-inserting the battery to see if the issue still persists.

Method 4: Find Network Manually

By default, Android phones are set to find networks automatically. This is to ensure seamless network coverage if you are traveling to different places. Android allows you to manually find networks too, but this is in case the automatic detection fails.

  1. Open up the Settings app.
  2. Tap on Network and Internet / Wireless and networks.
  3. Tap on Mobile Network.
  4. You can find the toggle to automatically find networks.
  5. When you turn it off, your phone will give you a list of available networks. Simply select your network.

Method 5: Fix The Radio Signal

This method uses the inbuilt testing menu to test and fix radio signal issues. It’s simple and all you have to do is follow these steps.

  1. Launch the Dialler app.
  2. Type in *#*#4636#*#* and it will automatically take you to the Testing menu.
  3. Tap on Phone Information and then tap on the Run ping test button.
  4. Select GSM auto (PRL) from the Set preferred network type drop-down menu.
  5. Scroll down and tap on Turn off radio.
  6. Restart the device.

Method 6: Re-Insert The SIM Card

  1. Press and hold the power button until the power menu shows up.
  2. Tap Power off.
  3. Wait until the device is powered off and then remove the SIM card.
  4. Insert it again and turn on the device by pressing the power button.

Method 7: Update The Software

Android security patch updates can also bring minor bug fixes. To update your phone, just follow these instructions. Note that you will need a WiFi connection for this method.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Scroll down and tap on System.
  3. Then select System Update.
  4. You can refresh and check if there is a new update.
  5. If there is, simply install it.

Method 8: Factory Reset

If nothing has worked so far for you, it might be time for a factory reset. This will clear your internal storage so make sure you back up your personal data on another device. All of your settings will be set to their default state.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Open System and then tap on Reset options.
  3. Tap Erase all data(Factory Reset).
  4. Confirm by entering your phone password.

Method 9: Service Center

 

If you’re still getting the “Mobile network not available” message, then there’s a good chance that this is a hardware issue. Visit the nearest service center for your phone and they will fix it for you.

Final Take

That’s all there is to know about the “Mobile network not available” message. I hope that you found this article was helpful. If you have any doubts about this article or any other suggestions, please let us know in the comments section down below and we will get back to you shortly.