Are you dealing with your AT&T mobile network not available on your device? Luckily, this article will help you figure out why this happens and how to fix it.
If you encounter this error constantly, it can be incredibly frustrating.
By following these proven solutions, you should be able to fix this in less than 15 minutes.
It’s an easy fix that anyone can work on.
Find out how right now!
One effective way to fix mobile network problems on your phone is toggling the Airplane Mode on and off. It will restart the cellular network connection on your phone. You can also force your phone to use AT&T by selecting it as the carrier. Entering the latest settings will also help resolve this issue.
Before we discuss the solutions, let’s enumerate the different causes that can cause your phone to not connect to AT&T.
What Causes Mobile Network Not Available AT&T
How many times have you seen this message pop up? The main reason can be the lack of reception in your area.
You may be far from a cell tower or dealing with SIM exhaustion. Either way, you will have a Mobile Network not available problem.
1. Service Outage
If a poor signal isn’t the culprit, then you may be dealing with real-time outages and problems. This is generally true when all users in your area have no connection.
2. Faulty SIM Card
Either your SIM card is damaged, or you did not insert it properly. If you have another phone, try placing your SIM card in it and see if it works.
3. Poor Connectivity with AT&T
Poor connectivity with AT&T may be due to the limited number of towers in your area and the frequencies AT&T operates those towers at.
These two determine the strength of your connection and the bandwidth you get from it.
4. Using Wrong Settings
You need to look out for a couple of settings. The APN and roaming settings are the primary culprits to watch out for.
These are the possible reasons your AT&T mobile network is not working.
Now, let’s get into the basic and advanced methods of fixing the problem.
How to Fix AT&T Mobile Network Not Available
Before you try the advanced solutions, we recommend you start with the basic ones.
Check for AT&T service outages in your area by visiting Twitter. Then, restart your phone.
Apps and temporary files can fill up your device’s memory. Restarting helps clear all junk files and restore your device to a fresh state.
If this doesn’t work, we suggest you try the following troubleshooting methods.
Solution #1: Reinsert Your AT&T SIM
If restarting your phone does not resolve the issue and get your phone to connect with your network, you want to check your phone’s SIM card.
A faulty or damaged SIM can cause a problem, as your phone will be unable to connect to your mobile network.
Although it’s not easy to damage your SIM card, it can happen.
Since it’s tucked away inside your phone, it helps to check it early on, so you catch it and replace it if necessary.
Here’s how to reinsert your SIM into your phone:
- Locate the SIM tray on your phone.
- Use a SIM eject tool or a pin and poke the hole to open the SIM tray.
- Take out your SIM card and check its condition.
- If you see signs of damage on the gold chip, consider replacing it.
- If not, you can wipe the gold chip with a clean cloth.
Pro Tip: You should switch off your phone before opening and taking your SIM card out.
Solution #2: Refresh Your Connection by Enabling Airplane Mode
Your phone’s Airplane Mode can work wonders for fixing any network-related issue with your phone. It’s a solution that’s incredibly effective.
That’s why you find it in a lot of troubleshooting guides.
If you’re experiencing connectivity issues like your phone is unable to AT&T, you want to refresh the connection via Airplane Mode.
Here’s how to use Airplane Mode to refresh your phone’s connection to the AT&T network:
- Swipe down from the top of your phone screen.
- This will open iOS’ Control Center and Android’s Quick Settings.
- Locate the Airplane Mode option. It’s the one with the airplane icon.
- Tap on it to turn it on.
- Wait for at least 30 seconds, then tap on it again.
Note: It’s important that you do not reconnect right away to allow your phone to search for the signal and request a new connection with AT&T.
Solution #3: Select Your Carrier Manually
You should not have any issues when it comes to your phone’s network settings.
By default, your phone’s carrier settings are set to Auto. This is a configuration where it gets this information from the SIM inserted on your phone.
However, there are instances when the Auto setting can cause issues. It becomes useful to set it to your actual carrier manually whenever it does.
In this case, you want to change it and select AT&T, so it matches the SIM on your phone.
Here’s how to select your carrier manually:
On iPhone:
- Go to your phone’s Settings.
- Select Mobile Data.
- Choose Mobile Network.
- Turn off Automatic.
- Select AT&T from the list of carriers.
On Android:
- Open your phone’s Settings app.
- Go to Network and internet.
- Select SIMs.
- Tap on AT&T.
Note: If you use your phone with a different network, you will need to select your new carrier for it to connect to the network.
Solution #4: Update Your Phone’s APN Settings
If your phone doesn’t connect to your AT&T mobile network, you will want to look at your APN settings.
This has the information your phone needs to connect successfully to your carrier’s network.
Whenever your carrier updates its settings, it will usually send out notifications to all its subscribers to get it.
It’s possible that your phone did not get the latest one leaving it with outdated settings.
You want to make sure to update your phone’s APN settings, so it connects to your carrier.
Here’s how to change your phone’s APN settings:
On iOS devices:
- Open your phone’s Settings apps.
- Go to Cellular, then Cellular Data Options.
- Select Cellular Network.
- Tap on Use Carrier Settings to update it automatically.
- If it doesn’t work, tap on each item and type each setting found below.
On Android devices;
- Open your phone’s Settings.
- Select Mobile networks.
- Go to Access Point Names.
- Tap on New APN.
- Enter the setting from your carrier.
AT&T’s APN Settings:
- Name: NXTGENPHONE
- APN: NXTGENPHONE
- MMSC: http://mmsc.mobile.att.net
- MMS Proxy: proxy.mobile.att.net
- MMS Port: 80
- MCC: 310
- MNC: 410
- APN Type: default,mms,sup,hipri
- APN Protocol: IPv4
Solution #5: Turn Off Data Roaming
Roaming is a useful feature whenever you’re going abroad. However, if you’re not leaving the country, it can confuse your phone’s connectivity.
This is common when you forget to turn off roaming from a trip abroad.
It might not show up right away, so even if it’s been weeks or a couple of months, you’ll want to switch off roaming to restore your connection to the AT&T network.
Here’s how to turn off roaming on your phone:
On iPhone:
- In your phone’s Settings app, go to Cellular.
- Select Cellular Data or Mobile Data.
- Choose Cellular Data Options.
- Switch the Data Roaming toggle to Off.
On Android:
- Open your phone’s Settings app.
- Go to Wireless and networks.
- Select Mobile networks.
- Uncheck the Data Roaming option.
Solution #6: Reset Your Phone’s Network Settings
If your phone still doesn’t connect to the AT&T network after working on these solutions, one of the steps you can take is to reset its network settings.
Doing this will revert all your connection settings back to their factory defaults.
It will clear up network settings from previous carriers, which can cause issues with your current configuration.
This will allow your phone to only detect the current settings from AT&T that you’re going to enter after the reset process.
Here’s how to reset your phone’s network settings:
On iPhone:
- Go to your phone’s Settings.
- Select General, then Reset iPhone.
- Choose Reset.
- Tap Reset Network Settings on the pop-up that appears.
On Android:
- Open your phone’s Settings.
- Navigate to General Management or System.
- Go to Reset Options.
- Tap on Reset Network Settings.
- Select the Reset button to confirm.
Note: You’ll have to type in AT&T network settings like APN and other configurations.
These are the things you should do whenever your phone does not connect to AT&T.
If none of these solutions work, you can always contact AT&T customer support to ask for assistance.
They should be able to determine if the issue is caused by a settings issue or if your phone needs repairs.
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Bottom Line
Now that you know what to do in case your AT&T mobile network not available, you can take the necessary steps to fix it.
You should be able to work on these solutions and resolve this problem in a matter of minutes.
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.