Why is my phone roaming at home? If you have been noticing that your phone signal always displays the letter “R” on it, you might be wondering.
After all, you know at the very least that roaming is supposed to happen only when you are in a different state or country, right?
If your phone is roaming at home and it has been bothering you, one of the easiest ways to do it is to disable roaming function on your device. However, most of the time, it may not be that simple as it can sometimes lead you to not have any reception at all.
Let us learn in detail how to fix this issue completely.
What is Roaming?
Simply put, roaming is when your mobile phone “borrows” reception from another network when it is already out of coverage of your home network.
Most of the time, the process for roaming is automatic.
If you travel to a different country or state where your home network is already not available, your phone automatically catches the signal of the network available in that area.
This is done to enable you to still make calls and use mobile data.
One thing you should know about roaming, though, is that your phone would not get just any available service, but only that with which your home network has a sharing or roaming partnership.
In most cases, major networks across countries share a deal with deal other for this purpose.
However, what if you are not in a different area, in a different country, much less, not even outside your own house?
You are now left wondering: why is my phone roaming all of a sudden? What could the issue be if you are “roaming” even at your home?
Why is my Phone Roaming at Home?
Understanding why your phone may be in a roaming state even though you are at the comfort of your home may be a very technical thing to discuss.
But it is something worth paying attention to, nonetheless.
After all, it always helps if you understand the root cause of the problem.
To begin with, mobile networks are identified through things called Mobile Country Code (MCC) and a Mobile Network Code (MNC).
Every SIM card out there has these data that is unique to their network embedded in their modules.
This lets your SIM and your carrier “communicate” and identify each other correctly.
Sometimes you may be in a range wherein all towers are broadcasting on a different MCC and MNC as that what your SIM card contains.
In that case, your phone would assume you are away from your “home” network, and that you are roaming.
Thus, your phone would display that you have a roaming signal.
Another possible reason is that your SIM may be connecting to a network that is being sued by more than one provider. One example is the many subsidiaries of AT&T.
What can Roaming do for your Phone?
Most of the time, people are always panicking about their phone being roaming even though they are not.
This is why it is no wonder why a lot of people freak out when they see the “R” on their signal bar, and they ask: why is my phone roaming all of a sudden?
Technically, it does nothing bad to your phone, aside from the fact that it can sometimes give you a bad reception. It does not even consume more battery.
Although roaming would mean huge charges outside your usual plan, this particular issue would not cause you to have that–as you are not really “roaming.”
Still, how do you fix this issue?
How to Fix Phone Roaming at Home?
There are three ways you can fix this issue. For those who are not too savvy on the technicalities of mobile phones, you may want to ask assistance from a friend who knows at least more than the average person about these things.
However, it is not to say that these are hard fixes. They are easy, but some points can be overwhelming if this is the first time you are hearing all of them.
Here are the top three ways to fix the roaming issue on your mobile phone.
Method 1- Check what Type of ROM you Have
This is for people who are running on custom ROMs, or software that is not the one officially issued to your phone at purchase.
Usually, custom ROMs contain bugs and one such possible bug may be about signal and reception.
Make sure that if you use a custom ROM, it does not come with a bug that can cause problems with how your phone communicates with your network.
If possible, try to stick to whatever software your phone comes with out-of-the-box.
On the other hand, if you are using your default ROM, make sure that it is always updated to its latest version, as developers often fix known bugs and issues with every update.
Method 2 – Disable Roaming on your Phone
Perhaps the easiest way to solve this issue is to turn off all roaming functions for your mobile phone entirely.
That way, your phone would not be “confused” and go roaming–even if it is not.
The option to turn off roaming may vary from one device to another, but it is always within the Settings app and under the Network settings.
Look for the option to use roaming or data roaming, and make sure that you choose “no,” or untick the button that activates it.
Method 3 – Call your Provider for Technical Assistance
Sometimes, you may need direct help from your provider, as they would have to give you codes or provide settings for your phone that can fix the bug with roaming.
For example, Boost Mobile and Sprint subscribers can dial ##72786# on their devices and it will “reset” their roaming preferences, clearing any errors and bugs. This usually gets rid of the problem.
Conclusion
The next time you ask the question, “why is my phone roaming at home?” you can rest assured that there are ways for you to fix it on your own.
Still, when all troubleshooting methods fail, a call to your provider would surely do the trick.
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Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites.