Network connectivity issues like signal drops, poor reception, and no signal are among the most inevitable problems encountered by smartphone users. Network problems can occur to any smartphone, from basic to the highest tiered handsets like the iPhone SE. Despite the embedded advanced network technology for both wireless and cellular support, this small power iOS device can still succumb to any of the aforementioned issues due to various factors. What appeared to be the usual triggers are network outages and random glitches on the network service provider’s end.
Signal issues that are caused by scheduled and unexpected outages are typically get resolved once the outage ends. But that is not the case with other network signal problems that are triggered by some other factors. Network signal issues can likewise yield to other pertinent issues to arise on the iPhone. Without a stable signal or reception, calling and texting functions are also affected. This can be very frustrating especially if you are relying much on your iPhone for personal or business transactions. Unless the problem is not caused by an outage, any of these network signal issues has to be fixed as soon as possible.
Should you bumped into this page while searching for some help in fixing signal problems or network service errors on the iPhone SE, this post might be able to address your concern. Read on to find out what can cause signal problems to occur on your iPhone SE and what should be done to deal with the symptoms and fix the main issue on your end.
What can cause network signal issues on the iPhone SE?
A recommended approach in troubleshooting various mobile device issues is to determine the possible cause beforehand. Doing so will help you save time and effort in troubleshooting as it will increase your chance of obtaining a quick fix. You’ll need not to perform any unnecessary troubleshooting steps and work directly on what has gone wrong. Applying that same concept, check out the possible causes of your iPhone SE network signal issues. Working on these factors first will help you fix the problem in no time.
Outage – this is an inevitable factor. Network outage can be scheduled or unexpected. Unfortunately, if the network signal issue on your iPhone is a direct effect of service outage, all you can do is wait until it’s over. Network services should be up and running again once the outage is over. This means that troubleshooting won’t be necessary otherwise it is going to be a waste of time. Apparently, the problem is not on your end. To determine whether the transpiring network signal problem is caused by an outage, you can contact your network service provider for more details. You can ask for an estimated timeframe as to when the services should resume so as to have an idea when to use network services on your iPhone again.
Account status – another factor to consider when it comes to network or signal issues is your account status. Typically, network service providers would impose a soft disconnect to user accounts with delinquent status. During this state, outgoing services like calling and texting as well as the Internet are temporarily unavailable. Your modem or router will be disabled thus it won’t be able to get a signal from the network. As a result, you’ll see a red light indicator on your modem or router and prompted with no service or no signal error on your iPhone. Your service will only be restored once the account problem has been resolved. And to do so, you will need to contact your service provider to settle any account issue that resulted to your network services being disrupted or unavailable.
Network Settings – when the problem has started after making some changes to your network settings, most likely the recent changes you’ve made to the network settings have triggered the problem. Among the relevant settings for you to check when dealing with network or signal issues on your iPhone are cellular data and data roaming settings when travelling abroad. For new devices with network or signal issues, be sure to check and enable cellular data, if necessary. Or if you are travelling internationally and having trouble connecting to your cellular network, verify and ensure that your iPhone SE is setup for data roaming services.
SIM card – some cases of network or signal issues like no service, no signal, or other SIM-related errors are due to a faulty SIM card. It could be that the SIM card is loose, improperly installed, or worst, defective. To rule this out from the possible cause, you may try to remove and reinstall the SIM card on your iPhone to make sure it is properly secured in the SIM card tray. Be sure to power off your device completely before removing the SIM card to prevent causing any damage to the iPhone. Please refer to the steps provided in the troubleshooting section below. A SIM card might get loose from an impact like when you accidentally dropped the iPhone.
Software bugs and glitches – network errors can also be triggered by software glitches or bugs residing in the iPhone system. This is usually the case when the network or signal problem started after installing new update or downloading contents to your iPhone. Updates to apps or even the major iOS releases can contain some bugs that will affect certain apps or functions on the iPhone including network services. When it comes to downloaded contents, they might have contained some corrupted files that have messed up the iPhone’s network functions.
Physical or liquid damage – this can be the worst among the possible causes. Hardware damage on the iPhone, particularly on the network components would usually require physical repair. This means the need for you to take your device to an authorized technician for further assessment and repair. Consider this as the root cause especially if you’ve dropped or got your iPhone wet before. Note that symptoms of hardware damage from a hard impact or liquid exposure can manifest sooner or later.
After checking and working on each of the aforementioned factors and your iPhone SE network signal is still showing some problems, proceed to the following generic solutions and suggested workarounds to deal with signal issues or network errors on the iPhone.
Potential Solutions and Workarounds to deal with network error or signal issues on your iPhone SE
Highlighted below are potential solutions and workarounds used by other iPhone users who have dealt with the same problems on their iOS device. While it won’t guarantee the same positive result to everyone, it won’t hurt to give each of them a try and see how it works on your end. Be sure to test your device after completing each of these solutions to determine whether or not the problem has been resolved. Proceed to the next applicable solutions, if necessary.
Before you begin performing any of the subsequent solutions, be sure to check your account status and make sure that your account is in good standing. Also make sure that there are no on-going outages that might have affected network services in your location. And lastly, make sure that you are within your network’s coverage area. Sometimes, your iPhone is getting low signal or no signal simply because you are already outside your network coverage. If the problem persists with no account issues, no outages, and you’re using your device within your network coverage area, then you may proceed with the following solutions.
First Solution: Reboot your iPhone SE (soft reset)
Many issues in mobile devices, particularly those that are software-related can be rectified by a simple solution, that is a reboot or soft reset. It is deemed the simplest yet most effective solution proven and tested by many people who have dealt with various mobile issues including those affecting the network or signal functions. Here’s how to perform a soft reset or reboot your iPhone SE:
- Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button for a few seconds until the slider appears.
- Drag the slider to power off the iPhone completely.
- Wait for about 30 seconds.
- After the elapsed time, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button again, until the Apple logo appears. Your iPhone will then reboot.
A soft reset is deemed safe as it won’t affect any data or personal information on the iPhone.
In the case where a soft reset is not possible like when the iPhone becomes frozen or unresponsive, a force restart would be necessary.
- To do a force restart on the iPhone SE, just press and hold the Sleep/Wake button and the Volume Down button simultaneously until the Apple logo appears.
If none of these reboots is able to rectify the issue, try to reboot your wireless router or modem. This method is also known as modem/router power cycle. It’s a highly recommended solution by network providers when dealing with signal or connectivity issues in mobile devices. Basically, you’ll just have to turn off your modem or router for at least 30 seconds and then turn it back on. The process yields the same positive result as the usual device reboot or soft reset and also a safe process.
Second Solution: Verify cellular data network settings
In some cases, the iPhone shows no signal or network errors because of incorrect or misconfigured network settings, particularly with those associated with cellular data. To ensure that this is not causing your trouble, check and ensure that cellular data is enabled on your iPhone. Navigate to your iPhone Settings-> Cellular and make sure that cellular data switch is turned on.
If you are travelling abroad and having problems with cellular data network services, head over to Settings-> Cellular-> Cellular Data Options-> Data Roaming and make sure that data roaming option is turned on. Or you can contact your network service provider for further assistance and available options.
Third Solution: Remove and re-install SIM card
A damaged or misplaced SIM card or SIM card tray can also cause network or signal problems on your mobile device. If you are getting no service or SIM card error on your iPhone SE, try to remove and re-install the SIM card to see what happens after doing so. Be sure to power off your iPhone completely before you proceed with these steps.
- Pop the SIM card tray open using a paperclip or SIM-eject tool into the hole beside the tray.
- Carefully remove the SIM card from the tray.
- Check the SIM card for any signs of damages or scratches.
- After ensuring no damage on the SIM card, place the SIM card back into the SIM tray.
- Make sure the SIM card is secured.
- Insert the SIM tray completely in the same way that you removed it.
- Turn your iPhone back on and then see what happens.
Make sure that you are using the SIM card and SIM tray for your device. In the case where the SIM card is damaged or does not fit the SIM card tray, contact your carrier for other options.
Fourth Solution: Reset Network settings
Network glitches can be inflicted by incorrect or misconfigured settings within the iPhone’s network menu. One of the most effective solutions for network-related issues in mobile devices is a network settings reset. Consider this a potential solution especially if transpiring signal problem or network problem on your iPhone started to manifest after making some changes to the network settings, unless you are certain of which option(s) were changed. But there’s also a downside. As the method implies, everything in your iPhone’s network settings will be erased in the process. This means you will lose your network information including Wi-Fi password, and server information. That being said, be sure to take note of this information before you proceed with the following steps:
- Go to Settings.
- Tap General.
- Tap Reset.
- Tap Reset Network Settings.
Your iPhone will instigate the network reset and then reboots when finished. After the reboot, check your iPhone and see if it is now getting a good signal or network reception.
Fifth Solution: Update or Restore iOS in iTunes
This solution is best applicable to network and signal issues that instigated after an update installation or content downloads. Most likely the recent update or downloaded is the culprit and so removing it will likewise rectify the problem. However, if you couldn’t get to figure out which update or download is the underlying cause, then you can just restore your iPhone in iTunes. You can restore to a previous iOS backup with no issues.
Meanwhile, if you suspect that the problem is caused by some bugs or apps glitches and that you still haven’t updated your iPhone software, then you should consider installing the latest iOS update for your iPhone. Software updates not only bring new and enhanced features but also entrenched some fixes to certain bugs affecting the iOS device. Refer to the following steps on how to update or restore iOS on your iPhone SE using iTunes.
You will need to secure a Windows or Mac computer that runs the latest version of iTunes program to proceed. Here are the steps on how to Update/Restore iOS with iTunes:
- Connect your iPhone SE to the computer using the supplied USB cable/connector.
- Wait until your iPhone is recognized.
- If prompted, enter your iPhone passcode or click the option to Trust This Computer and then follow the onscreen instructions.
- Select your iPhone SE from the list of available devices in iTunes.
- Navigate to the Summary section.
- Click the Update button to update your iPhone SE to the latest iOS version available. Otherwise, click the Restore button to restore to a previous iOS backup.
When you click Update, wait until iTunes is finished installing the update. Meanwhile if you opt to Restore your iPhone, select the iOS backup you want to use and then wait for iTunes to complete the restore process. Once finished, you can set up your iPhone accordingly.
Seek More Help
If none of the highlighted solutions is able to resolve the problem and your iPhone SE network signal is still dropping, poor, or not working at all, check for any signs of physical or liquid damage on your iPhone. Otherwise, you may consider taking your iPhone to an authorized technician for a thorough hardware assessment. This is highly recommended especially if you have accidentally dropped or got your iPhone wet before the onset of the problem.
Alternatively, you may contact your iPhone carrier or Apple Support for further troubleshooting assistance and recommendations.