Your cellular connection should always work because you rely on it for calls, text messages, and Internet access. If you’re trying to make/receive calls, text messages, or connect data on T-Mobile and can’t, you should read this guide to fix it if it’s not a network failure.
Why is my T-Mobile not working?
- Network issues and service outages
- You are in an area with low coverage
- 5G/4G/LTE compatibility issues
- Incorrect network settings on the phone
- SIM card is damaged
- Outdated phone software
- The phone is not receiving signals properly due to a hardware problem.
How do I fix problems with calls, text messages and data transmission through T-Mobile?
Data connection issues are more common than calls and texts, so we’ll start with solutions to data issues on T-Mobile. Many of these fixes may also work for calling and texting issues.
Save another carrier’s SIM (AT&T, Verizon, or whatever) as a backup so that if you can’t make calls or surf the internet, you can use it to perform activities that require internet access and check T-Mobile. shutdown updates.
- Check T-Mobile network failure
- Find out if your plan has expired
- Check coverage
- Turning airplane mode on or off
- Remove the SIM card from the phone for 5 minutes / restart the phone
- Inspect the SIM card for damage
- Remove VPN Apps
- Update carrier settings
- Reset/change APN settings
- Reset network settings on your phone
- Remove recently installed apps
- Update your device
- Insert a T-Mobile SIM card into another phone
- Turn on VoLTE
- Check your roaming settings
- Restore phone to factory settings
1. Check T-Mobile network failure
Disabling a service usually does not result in no signals. But some maintenance schedules or failures interrupt only 4G and 5G data transmission. You can call, but your mobile data won’t work. Some problems are even worse, and calling and texting services are also affected.
Follow these steps to stay up to date with T-Mobile crash updates:
- Visit Downdetector which shows the status of different operators. This will give you an idea of any outages anywhere in the country.
- Search Twitter and other social networks for the latest news about T-Mobile outages.
- Do a Google search for “turn off T-Mobile [your region]”.
If you notice a failure, there is little you can do. Reboot your phone or internet devices every hour and keep checking for updates.
2. Find out if your data plan has expired
The first thing you should do when your TM mobile data is down is to check your data plan. If your plan has expired or you’ve used allotted data, your internet may stop responding.
Check your account or data usage by dialing the code provided by T-Mobile. Do the same if you can’t call or text anyone.
- To check the minutes dial #646#.
- For text messages dial #674#.
- Dial #932# to use data.
If these codes don’t work for you, search Google for “short code to use T-Mobile data”or use the T-Mobile app.
Also, check the data limit on your phone. If a data server or limit is active on your phone, the data will not work when you reach the limit.
3. Check coverage
It is also possible that your location does not initially have T-Mobile coverage. T-Mobile is a big carrier and its coverage is also huge, so its call and text messaging service should work in almost every part of the country. But the data service may vary depending on the location.
In some places you may not get 5G. Moreover, your LTE data may suffer in some other low coverage areas. What’s more, if you’re in a remote area with forests and mountains, cell coverage may deteriorate further and you may find it difficult to even make or receive a call.
If your data service isn’t working at all, or your data speed is slow, or you’re having trouble making calls or texts, be sure to check the T-Mobile Cellular Coverage Map.
4. Turn Airplane Mode on and off
Your signals on your phone may be buggy. Its causes are unknown; many of these glitches are fixed by turning your phone on airplane mode for a minute and then turning it off again.
This is most useful if you’re on E, 3G, or H+ and can’t get 4G, LTE, or 5G. When you turn on airplane mode, your phone loses signal and network. And when you turn it on, the phone starts receiving signals again.
4.1 Turn on Airplane Mode on iPhone
- Swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to access the Control Center.
- Press the Airplane Mode button (airplane icon).
- Turn it off by following the same steps.
4.2 Turn on airplane mode on Android phone
- Swipe down from the top of the screen to see quick settings.
- Touch the flight mode button.
5. Remove the SIM card from the phone for 5 minutes/reboot the phone.
If the Airplane mode method doesn’t fix the problems with calls, text messages, or data, remove the SIM card from your phone and reinsert it after a while. With this method, you will complete two troubleshooting steps. Reboot the phone and reinstall the SIM card in the phone.
- Turn off your phone.
- Take your phone out of the case (if you have one).
- Open the SIM tray by inserting a paperclip into the small hole next to the SIM tray.
- Gently wipe the SIM card with a microfiber cloth.
- Wait 5 minutes.
- Reinsert the SIM card into your phone.
- Turn on your phone.
- You will receive some network settings notifications. Allow and install them.
- Check the service (call, data) that was not working.
6. Inspect the SIM card for damage.
If the SIM card is worn out or damaged, it will not receive signals correctly and your calls, text messages and mobile data will be directly affected. Some types of corruption only result in signal loss and call interruptions and reduced data rates, but some SIM card corruptions make it impossible for the phone to receive service.
Thus, you may not find a service or only one signal band. That’s why it’s so important to check your SIM card to make sure there are no crashes in your area and that you’re in a location that has T-Mobile coverage.
- Turn off your phone and remove the SIM card tray.
- Pay attention to the copper coating of the SIM card. If there is discoloration, chipping, or any other damage, apply for a replacement SIM card by contacting T-Mobile by phone with signals, or get a new SIM card by visiting a T-Mobile retail store.
7. Remove VPN Apps
VPN apps mask your IP address and access websites by showing them a location different from your actual location. They can bypass regional restrictions. But you must remember that VPN apps take control and change your phone’s network settings.
These settings may conflict, your mobile data will completely stop working or you will get a slow connection (Edge, 3G).
Follow these steps to uninstall VPN apps from your phone:
7.1 Remove VPN Apps from Android Phones
- Tap and hold on the app you want to uninstall.
- Select Delete.
- Reboot your phone.
7.2 Remove VPN apps from iPhone
- Tap and hold the app you want to uninstall.
- From the pop-up menu, select Uninstall Application.
- In the pop-up window, select “Uninstall application”and then confirm.
If you want to completely uninstall an app so it won’t be accidentally installed again, remove it from your Apple account.
- Go to the Apple App Store.
- Click on your profile picture.
- Go to the “Purchased”section.
- Swipe left to the VPN app and select Hide.
8. Update carrier settings
You get carrier settings automatically when you turn on your phone after turning it off. Open settings and press OK or similar button to set them. But if you can’t get your carrier settings when you restart your phone, try turning your phone off, removing the SIM card, and waiting 5 minutes before inserting it.
You can also update your carrier settings in the Settings app on Apple devices. Use these steps:
- Make sure you are connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data. (If you can use data, use another carrier’s SIM card that works Wi-Fi, or get a hotspot from a friend whose data reception is unaffected.)
- Go to settings.
- Select General.
- Select About.
- Select Update Carrier Settings.
9. Reset/change APN settings
If you’re having problems with your data connection, try updating your APN settings. It stands for hotspot name settings and is required to connect your phone to the Internet.
Typically, your phone receives the APN settings and configures them automatically. But since we’re dealing with data connection issues, you should reset it, and if that doesn’t work, change your APN settings manually.
Let’s start by resetting the APN settings.
9.1 Reset APN settings on Android devices
- Go to settings.
- Select Network & Internet > Mobile network > Hotspot names.
- Tap on the three dots in the top right corner.
- Select Restore Default.
Some Android phones may have hotspot name settings in a different or similar location.
9.2 Reset APN settings on iPhone and iPad
- Go to “Settings”on your iOS device.
- Navigate to Cellular > Cellular Data Network > Reset Settings.
If this method doesn’t reset your settings, please delete your APN profile and restart your phone to get the new APN settings automatically.
9.3 Manually change APN settings on Android and iPhone
Some carriers do not allow users to change APN settings. You should go to the APN profile and check if the value can be changed. Then go to the T-Mobile data and APN settings page to set them manually on your phone.
10. Reset network settings on your phone
Your phone’s network settings include data, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings. If resetting or changing the APN didn’t work for you in terms of data connection or speed improvement (LTE, 5G), try resetting your network completely.
Resetting the network will delete your saved networks, APN profiles, paired devices, and other network settings.
10.1 Reset network settings on Android phones
- Go to Settings > System > Reset Options > Reset Wi-Fi, Mobile Phone & Bluetooth Settings.
- The screen will display the settings that will be reset. Click the Reset Settings button.
10.2 Reset network settings on iPhone
- Go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
- Confirm the action if prompted.
11. Remove recently installed apps
If calling or receiving data on your phone used to be fine, but you notice problems after installing some apps, it’s time to uninstall them. Some apps change your phone’s settings, which sometimes results in a situation where you can’t get service or high data speeds.
So, uninstall the apps you don’t need and any recently installed apps. Also, restart your phone after completing the process.
12. Update your device
T-Mobile recommends that you update your phone software to the latest version if you have no service or problems with calls or data. New updates improve features and settings; it might just be what your phone needs.
12.1 Update Android phones
- Go to “Settings”on your smartphone.
- Select “System”in settings.
- Select System Update.
- Check for updates. It usually takes some time to update.
12.2 Update iPhone and iPad
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
- If you find an update, download and install it. In some cases, you may find two updates. One will be for existing iOS and the other will be an iOS version update. Apple recommends opting for an iOS update.
13. Insert the T-Mobile SIM card into another phone.
It’s rare, but poor reception or data issues can be related to the phone’s hardware issues. If your phone’s antenna or component that receives cellular signals is malfunctioning, you’ll experience an unstable data connection and dropped calls.
If you have another phone, then you should insert the T-Mobile SIM card into another mobile phone and check if the problems you are experiencing are still there or not. Another way to check the same thing is to insert another carrier’s SIM card into the main phone.
If it’s a phone defect, take it to the phone manufacturer’s customer service center if it’s under warranty, or go to a certified repair shop.
14. Turn on VoLTE
Voice over LTE allows you to make and receive calls on the high-speed LTE network. It also provides a clearer and more reliable connection during calls. If you’re having problems with calls, such as you can’t make calls or calls are dropped, check to see if you’ve turned on VoLTE.
Also, if your mobile data stops during a call, please check your mobile network settings and make sure it is in 3G/4G/LTE/5G mode. If it is connected to 2G/GPRS/Edge, your data will be disconnected whenever you make a call.
14.1 Turn on VoLTE on iPhone
- Go to Settings > Cellular.
- Make sure Cellular Data is turned on.
- Now select Cellular Options.
- Select Voice & Data.
- Make sure 4G, LTE or 5G is turned on. If there is a separate option for VoLTE, enable it.
14.2 Enable VoLTE on Android phones
- Launch the Settings app.
- Select Network & Internet > Mobile network > Preferred network type.
- Choose the highest. In most cases it will be 5G/LTE/4G.
- You may also see an option with VoLTE, Enhanced Calling, or HD Voice; turn it on.
Another way to turn on VoLTE is from the Phone app on your Android device:
- Open the Phone app.
- Tap on the three dots in the top right corner.
- Select Call Settings.
- Find VoLTE, Enhanced Calling or 4G Calling and enable them.
The name of the settings menu may differ on some brands and models of Android phones.
15. Check your roaming settings
If you are unable to connect to mobile data while roaming, please check the following settings:
- Dial #776# and press the call button to send a “Roaming enabled”message. This will allow you roaming and you can use mobile data.
- Check your text messages for text that says something about your internal data roaming. If you have reached your internal data roaming limit, you cannot use data roaming until the next billing cycle.
- Manually select a network on your phone and try to connect to the network of each T-Mobile roaming partner. Make three attempts for each network.
16. Factory reset your phone
If the above solutions didn’t fix the T-Mobile not working problem, the last option we have is to factory reset the phone. Before doing this, make sure you have followed all the methods in this guide. Factory reset deletes everything from your phone like captured images, saved downloads, installed apps, saved data and everything else. Your phone will be factory reset and no data of yours after the reset.
So, back up everything you don’t want to lose. Now do the following:
16.1 Factory Reset iPhone
- Open settings.
- Select General.
- Choose Transfer or Reset iPhone or Reset.
- Click Remove All Content and Settings.
- Enter the password if it prompts.
- Your iPhone will restart.
16.2 Factory Reset Android Phone
- Go to settings.
- Select “System”in settings.
- Select Reset Options.
- Select “Erase all data (factory reset)”.
- The next screen will show the content that will be removed. Confirm by clicking “Delete all data”.
- Enter your password or PIN if prompted.
- Your phone will be reset to factory settings, deleting everything on the phone.
Conclusion
The first thing to check if you find problems with calls, text messages, or data on T-Mobile is service outages from your carrier. Once you know there is no network outage, follow the above solutions to fix T Mobile not working issues.
FAQ
How to reset T-Mobile signal?
There is no specific method for updating T-Mobile signals, but you can use these two methods. – Turn off your phone. Keep it off for 10 minutes. Turn it on. – On iPhone, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. – For Android phones, go to Settings > System > Reset Options > Reset Wi-Fi Settings, mobile phone and Bluetooth.
What to do if mobile data is on but not working?
First, make sure that there are no interruptions in mobile data transmission in your area. After that, try the following fixes: – Turn on Airplane Mode, leave it on for 2 minutes, then turn it off. – Reset your phone’s APN settings. – Remove the SIM card from the phone for 5-10 minutes. – Check Data Usage – View your carrier coverage map – Update carrier settings – Reset network settings.
Why is My Metro By T-Mobile Network not working?
The following may be reasons why Metro or T-Mobile is not working: – There may be problems with T-Mobile services in your area. – You are not in T-Mobile coverage. – Conflicting applications (for example, VPN) are installed. applications).– The SIM card is damaged.– The APN or network settings are incorrect or not up to date.– Roaming is not enabled (if you are roaming). Why does my T-Mobile phone say that the mobile network is not available? Mobile displays the message “Mobile network not available”for the following reasons: – You may be in an area not covered by T-Mobile. – The carrier settings on your phone may be incorrect. – The SIM card may be damaged or not inserted correctly. – Your phone software is out of date. – The network settings on your phone are corrupted or incorrect.