Are you growing tired of your device and you’re asking, why does my cellular data keep turning off? Why is it toggling by itself even if I’m not doing anything with it?
You’re lucky, because, in this tutorial, we’ll go about discussing the reasons why your cellular data is turning off automatically. Not only that, but we’ll also walk you through the complete list of steps to fix it.
To fix the sudden disconnection of your cellular data, toggle airplane mode on/off, then power cycle your device. After that, remove and reinsert your SIM card back to the tray, and then check your power-saving settings. Lastly, perform reset network settings on your device.
In resolving this, it’s imperative that we understand the common culprits of this dilemma.
Reasons Why Cellular Data Turns Off Automatically
Should you be part of the demographic that’s cursed, and you’re wondering, why does my cellular data keep turning off on Android, here are the most common reasons for it:
- Network-related problems
- Battery saving feature (low-data mode)
- Low signal or reception
- Hardware issues/problems
Now that we know the answer to the question why does my iPhone keep turning off my cellular data, how do we fix it? Is there something we can do to solve it on our end?
Why Does My Cellular Data Keep Turning Off? – Complete Fix
Whether you’re an iPhone or an Android user, following this comprehensive fix method can make your cellular data work back up flawlessly and seamlessly again.
Step #1: Ask Your Carrier if There’s an Outage
The issue could simply be with the network of your carrier.
So, the best and most sensible thing to do before trying out further troubleshooting steps is to contact and ask your carrier if there’s a network outage.
The easiest way to do this is to contact their customer service/customer experience department via their hotline.
To get more accurate results, let them know:
- Where you are located
- The problem you’re experiencing
- When you started to experience the problem
They’ll be able to tell you if the reason why your data is turning off by itself is because of a bad signal or reception, or if there’s a current network outage you should be aware of.
Step #2: Toggle Airplane Mode On/Off
Then, what you want to do next is to toggle airplane mode on your smartphone.
To do this, you simply have to go into Settings > Airplane Mode.
For Android devices, Settings > Wireless & Networks > Airplane Mode. Tap it and wait for it to turn on. Keep it on airplane mode for about 30 seconds, and then switch it off.
For iPhone, you can do it via the Quick Settings menu or when you scroll down from the top of the screen. Click the airplane icon to turn it on, and then click it again after 30 seconds to turn it off.
Step #3: Power Cycle Your Smartphone
What you want to do for the next step is to power cycle your device. The issue could be congested packets of data going in and out and resetting your device can help resolve it.
To power cycle your smartphone, press and hold the power button until the slider or the options appear. Select Power Off, and then leave it turned off for about one (1) to two (2) minutes.
NOTE: Refrain from restarting it because stored battery/energy could still be at the capacitors. It’s important to wipe out the energy from the device completely.
Before turning the phone back on again, proceed to the next step, which is…
Step #4: Remove and Reinsert the SIM Card
While the phone is turned off, remove the SIM card from the SIM card tray, and then insert it back to the tray again.
To successfully remove the SIM card, follow these steps:
- Locate the tray on the edges/bevels of the phone.
- Then, using a SIM card pin or a paperclip, press on the pinhole to release the tray.
- Pull the tray out, and then remove the SIM card.
- Clean the SIM card’s contacts (chip), and then reinsert it to the tray.
NOTE: Make sure that the SIM card is positioned correctly. If the chip is not detected, then your device wouldn’t recognize the SIM card.
Step #5: Check Battery Saving Settings
The next thing you have to do is to check the battery-saving settings of your device. Sometimes, setting it on optimized decreases the performance of your device.
Overall, you want to heighten the performance by turning off battery optimization or battery saving. Here’s how you can do it on your device.
Turning Off Low Power Mode/Battery Saving on iPhone
To turn off battery saving or lower power mode on your iPhone, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings on your iPhone.
- Then, navigate to Battery.
- After that, toggle the slider to turn Low Power Mode off.
Doing this will allow your iPhone to maximize all its features. Meaning, the display will be brighter, some features would be stronger, and there’ll be no limitations on how it performs.
Turning Off Low Power Mode/Battery Saving on Android
Should you have an Android device, here’s how you can switch or turn off battery or power-saving mode.
- On your Android device,go to Settings.
- After that, go to Battery & Device Care.
- Click on Power Saving Mode to turn it off.
Akin to iPhones, disabling low power mode or battery saving mode also helps your Android device maximize its performance.
Step #6: Perform a Reset Network Settings
Last, but most definitely not least is to perform reset network settings on your device. The process will be different depending on the phone you’re using.
But, here’s the general structure of how it’s done:
- Go to Settings on your phone.
- Then, select General/General Management.
- After that, go to Reset > Reset Network Settings.
- When prompted, enter your PIN code or your Passcode.
- Confirm the reset.
NOTE: Make sure that you select Reset Network Settings, not Reset All Settings. Doing the latter will reset and revert all settings on your phone to defaults.
That’s about it! This is the comprehensive process you can do if your cellular data is turning or switching off by itself.
If you were able to do these steps correctly, you shouldn’t have any problems with your cellular/mobile data any longer.
My Cellular Data is Still Toggling by Itself, What Should I Do?
If in the event, you followed these steps accordingly and you’re still encountering issues and problems with your mobile data, it could already be a hardware problem.
Bring your device to the nearest service center and have them check it.
NOTE: Let them know of all the troubleshooting steps you’ve already done to avoid delays and redundancies in resolving it.
Read Next: How to Get a Google Voice Number for Free?
Conclusion
So, you now know the answer to, why does my cellular data keep turning off. Most importantly, you now know the steps to do in order to fix it!
Armed with the knowledge of this tutorial, you’ll no longer be clueless the next time you find your cellular data turns off by itself frequently.
Finn Wheatley holds a Master’s Degree in Computer Science from UCL, London. He helped small data science consultancy firms, helping large corporations to grow their data capabilities, deploy advanced machine learning-based analytics and troubleshoot tech-related issues. Check out more about him here.