How to fix Apple iPhone XS mobile data that’s not working

This post tackles a problem on the iPhone XS that cannot use mobile data for some reason. Read on to find out why such problems occur and what to do if mobile data is not working on your iPhone for some reason.

Another way of getting wireless internet access on your smartphone is through mobile data. It is a better alternative in the absence of a Wi-F network and that you badly needed to browse the Internet. With mobile data, you’ll have the convenience of on-the-go access to the Internet, depending on how much data plan you’ve got. But there are just some instances when mobile data problems are encountered and so you wouldn’t be able to connect through it. Exceeding the data limit  that results in data capping as well as network signal issues are usually the main culprits. Data capping could result in slow or intermittent connection to the Internet. 

In worst scenarios, you could end up having no internet connection at all. To address this problem, I’ve mapped out a few suggested workarounds to eliminate software-related factors that caused mobile data to stop working on your iPhone XS.

Before we proceed, if you’re looking for a solution to a problem with your phone, try to browse through our iPhone XS Help Guides page to see if we support your device. If your phone is in the list of our supported devices, then go to the troubleshooting page and look for similar problems. Feel free to use our solutions and workarounds.

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Troubleshooting iPhone XS with mobile data that’s not working

Before troubleshooting your phone, make sure that mobile data feature is enabled. To view and manage this setting, just head on to your phone’s Settings-> Cellular menu. If the Cellular Data switch is not turned off, tap it to enable the feature. Otherwise, toggle the switch off and then back on again to refresh cellular network services. After enabling the mobile data or cellular data on your iPhone, check and see if you are able to surf the internet. If you still don’t have internet access even if the cellular data is turned on, try the lined up solutions below.

First solution: Restart (soft reset) your iPhone XS.

A highly recommended solution to various phone issues including network errors such as mobile data issues is a soft reset. Aside from giving your phone some breather, it also dumps junk network caches. If you haven’t already, then you should consider performing a soft reset among the first possible solutions to try to fix mobile data that’s not working on your iPhone XS. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Press and hold the Side/Power button and either Volume buttons simultaneously for a few seconds.
  2. When the Slide to Power Off command appears, release the buttons.
  3. Then drag the power off slider to the right to turn off your phone.
  4. After 30 seconds, press and hold the Side/Power button again until the Apple logo appears.

Once your iPhone XS is completely turned back on, open your browser app or any internet-operated apps on your iPhone  to check if your mobile data is already working.

ALSO READ: How to fix an Apple iPhone XS that can’t set up email, email setup error

Second solution: Toggle Cellular Data off and on again.

Minor software glitches affecting your phone’s cellular network system can also be eliminated by turning the phone’s cellular data feature off and  on again. It a simple way to refresh cellular network functions of your iPhone. Just follow these steps whenever you’re ready:

  1. From the Home screen, go to Settings.
  2. Scroll down to and select Cellular.
  3. If your Cellular Data switch is enabled, tap the switch to turn it off for a few seconds to refresh the cellular data functions then toggle the Cellular Data switch again to turn the feature back on.

Another way to refresh cellular data services on your iPhone XS is through the Airplane Mode trick. It works by toggling the Airplane Mode switch on and then off again. This old trick has been known and proven effective in resolving various types of problems regarding network-connectivity. And here’s how it’s done:

  1. Go to Settings from the Home screen.
  2. Then tap the Airplane Mode menu.
  3. Toggle the Airplane Mode switch to turn it on.
  4. While it is on, reboot (soft reset) your iPhone XS.
  5. Then head back to Settings->Airplane Mode menu and toggle the switch to turn the feature off again.

You can also launch the Control Center on your phone to manage the Airplane Mode feature. Simply swipe down from the upper-right corner of your phone screen, and then tap the Airplane Mode icon to turn it on and off.

Turning Airplane mode on disables your phone’s wireless radios and associated functions. And turning it off, re-enables wireless features of your phone. So it’s like a quick restart on your iPhone’s wireless system including mobile data.

Wait for your iPhone to re-establish network connections and then allow it to reconnect to Cellular Data network. See if that solves the problem.

Third solution: Check for and install carrier settings update when available.

Network-related issues including mobile data errors can also be remedied by updating carrier settings on your iPhone. Most carrier updates are automatically imposed while other optional updates needed to be manually downloaded and installed. These updates are necessary as they keep your phone’s network services optimal and free from major issues. To get these updates installed, your device must have an internet connection. With that said, you need to connect your iPhone to a Wi-Fi network.

Once your phone is already connected to a wireless Internet, follow these steps to check for and install carrier settings update on your phone:

  1. From the Home screen, go to Settings.
  2. Select General.
  3. Tap About.

On the carrier section, you should see a notification regarding new carrier updates. If an update is available, just follow the onscreen prompts to update carrier settings on your device. Then restart your phone when the update is completely installed. 

ALSO READ: How to fix locked out iPhone, forgot passcode on Apple iPhone XS

Fourth solution: Reset network settings on your iPhone XS.

Incorrect or misconfigured network settings on the phone can also trigger mobile data errors to occur. In that case, deleting your phone’s current network settings then restoring the original network configurations are a possible solution. Any associated errors will be deleted in the process and so as the transpiring symptoms. Just be sure to note your Wi-Fi network password because you’re going to enter it again later to reconnect to your Wi-Fi network. Once you’re all set, follow these steps to reset network settings on your phone:

  1. Go to Settings from the Home screen.
  2. Select General.
  3. Scroll down to and tap Reset.
  4. Select Reset Network Settings option.
  5. Enter your device passcode when prompted to continue.
  6. Then select the option to confirm network settings reset.

After the reset, your phone will reboot automatically. As soon as it boots up, retry enabling cellular data and see if the problem is gone. If mobile data is still not working after a network reset, move on to the next possible solutions to eliminate other culprits.

Fifth solution: Remove and reinsert your SIM card.

Removing and reinstalling your SIM card can also fix network errors on your phone. If the options above didn’t fix your mobile data not working issue, might as well give this method a try. Note that you need to turn off your phone beforehand to avoid SIM card damage. Once your phone is already turned off, follow these steps:

  1. Insert the SIM eject tool or a paperclip into the provided slot on the SIM card tray.
  2. Carefully pull the SIM card tray out.
  3. Then remove the SIM card from the tray.
  4. Check your SIM card to ensure that it is free of debris, no scratches and has no sign of liquid damage. You can use a clean cloth to clean the SIM card if needed.
  5. Afterwards, return the SIM Card to the card tray and make sure that it is placed in the same manner before you removed it.
  6. Then slowly push the SIM card slot back into the phone until you hear a click, indicating that the card slot is already locked.

Once you have successfully reinserted the SIM Card and locked the tray, turn your iPhone back on. Then reconnect your mobile data and check your browser to see if you are able to connect.

ALSO READ: How to fix Apple iPhone XS that cannot connect to WiFi network

Last resort: Erase your iPhone and restore its factory settings.

Performing a factory reset is likely what’s needed if complex network system errors are the underlying cause of the problem. Doing so will erase everything from your device including stubborn symptoms inflicted by major system errors. Should you wish to proceed, be sure to back up all critical files from your iPhone storage so you can still recover and use them later. If you wish to manually erase your iPhone through iTunes, then you can back up your iPhone data to iTunes on your computer. Otherwise, back up your iPhone data to iCloud and then proceed to these steps to factory reset your iPhone XS through settings:

  1. From your Home screen, tap Settings.
  2. Select General.
  3. Scroll down to and tap on Reset.
  4. Choose the option to Erase all content and settings.
  5. If prompted, enter your device passcode to continue.

Then tap the option to confirm that you want to factory reset your iPhone.

Allow your device to finish erasing files and other contents. Once the reset is finished, your iPhone should restart automatically and then loads up its factory defaults. To use it again, you need to set it up first. You can use the start-up wizard to set up your iPhone as new. After setting it up, enable mobile data and see if it’s already working as intended.

Is your iPhone XS mobile data still not working even after a factory reset?

The problem is likely not rectifiable on your end given that it persists even after performing a factory reset. In that case, you can escalate the problem to your network service provider/carrier for further assistance and more advanced solutions. Also care to check your account status to ensure that it hasn’t exceeded the specified mobile data limits.

If this happens to be a post-update problem and that it persisted after exhausting all possible solutions on your end, better report it to Apple Support already. A dedicated fix patch might be necessary to fix mobile data feature that’s not working on your iPhone XS.

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We are committed to helping our readers fix the problems with their phones as well as learn how to properly use their devices. So, if you have other issues, you may visit our Help Guides page so you can check by yourself the articles we’ve already published that contain solutions to common problems. Also, we do create videos to demonstrate how things are done on your phone. Visit our Youtube Channel and please subscribe to it. Thanks.


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