Have you ever experienced the frustration of being cut off from a call because your phone has no signal bars? If you have, you will understand the need to know some fixes that could help you deal with such situations.

This article will teach you some working tips to help you fix your connection anytime your phone has no signal bars.

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Why Your Phone Has No Signal Bars – Culprits

In this section of the article, we will consider some things that could lead to the situation where your phone will have no signal bars.

Heavy Cellular Traffic

The weak signal you are getting may just be because of the heavy cellular traffic wherever you are making your call or texting.

Take a look around you. Are you in a crowded place? In such a case, every person there will also have a phone, and every one of their phones will also need a signal.

Since you are all in the exact location, yours and every other person’s phones will draw signals from the same nearest cell phone tower. So as long as your cell phone is linked to the nearest tower, your phone will be able to get signal reception.

However, the more phones that attempt to draw a signal from that tower, the weaker your phone’s signal will become. If the traffic becomes too congested, your phone could lose its reception because of the presence of a phone with a stronger signal pull.

Cell Tower Distance

This problem is a common one. The farther you are from a cell tower, the weaker your cell phone signal will get.

For instance, if you are far away from the city where there is hardly any cell tower, you may not get any signal, and sometimes you may just get a weak one.

Low Battery

If you have a low battery, your phone may struggle to perform some regular functions adequately to conserve battery.

This mostly happens when your phone is in battery-saving mode.

Building Materials

As weird as it may sound, the type of building materials surrounding your location also plays a significant role in your phone’s signal strength.

If you have any metal or tinted, low-E glass materials surrounding you, you may notice weaker signals when you are around them. This is because these materials are heavy obstructors of the free flow of cell phone signals.

Geographical factors such as trees, hills and valleys

The presence of many large trees in your environment can come in between your phone and the strong signal reception it ought to be getting.

Likewise, you will probably get a bad reception if you live on the other side of a hill or mountain. It may even be worse if the only cell tower in that area is on the other side of where you are.

Bad Weather

Bad weather conditions such as humidity, thunder, lightning, wind, rain, or snow can also affect the signal reception on your cell phone.

How to Fix When Your Phone Has No Signal Bars – Tips We Recommend

Here are some working fixes you can try when your phone has no signal bars.

Fix 1: Enable and Disable Airplane Mode

This is one of the fastest and easiest fixes you can try. When you enable and disable the Airplane mode, your phone can reset its network settings.

In case you want to know how to enable and disable the Airplane mode, here is a short guide:

STEP 1: Swipe from the top of your home screen to bring down your notification and quick setting tray.
STEP 2: Tap the “Airplane Mode” icon to enable Airplane mode on your device. Wait for a few seconds and click on the Airplane mode icon again.

Fix 2: Restart your phone

Like with most other technical issues, you can fix the lack of signal reception by restarting your phone.

Restarting your phone will help shut down every operation on your phone. So, if the issue originates from a third-party app running in the background or a system process, restarting your phone will stop its operation.

Fix 3: Turn ON the network speed feature on your phone if you have one

If your phone uses a network speed feature, turning it OFF intentionally or unintentionally can affect the signal reception you get. Simply turn ON your phone’s network speed status to resolve the signal issues.

Follow the procedure below to do that:

STEP 1: Go to your phone’s “Settings.”
STEP 2: Navigate to “Network and Internet.”
STEP 3: Tap the “Status bar network speed display ON” option to display network speed on your notification bar.

Fix 4: Manually select your network carrier or preferred network type

Sometimes a particular network carrier may not have a strong network reception in an area.

In situations like this, your best bet is to manually switch your network carrier to another one with a good signal presence in that area. You can do that by following the procedure below:

STEP 1: Go to your phone’s settings.
STEP 2: Select the “Mobile Networks” option.
STEP 3: Select “Network Operators.”
STEP 4: Select your network from the list of networks your phone displays.

On another note, you may not need to change your network carrier before fixing your signal issue. For example, if your phone has no signal bars, you can consider switching your network type between 3G, 4G, or 5G.

This is because sometimes, your network carrier may not have a strong reception for your network type. Switching between 3G, 4G, or 5G can help you establish a better signal strength.

Fix 5: Update your phone’s operating system

The reason why your phone has no signal bars may be because you are running an outdated operating system.

After all, experts suggest that your phone is more likely to develop faults and unexpected errors if you run an outdated version of your mobile’s OS. This is why it is advisable to download software updates whenever your mobile company releases one.

To check and download software updates:

STEP 1: Go to “Settings.”
STEP 2: Click on “Software Updates“. Install any pending software updates you see because they may contain the solution to your signal issues.

Fix 6: Restore your phone to its factory settings

If none of the above fixes works, you can restore your phone to default settings. When you do this, you can fix most of your phone’s software problems.

However, you must know that choosing this option would mean that you are willing to let your phone wipe away all your personal information. So, before you attempt this fix, ensure to back up your data, or you will lose them.

If you’ve backed up your data and you want to go ahead with this option, here is how to:

STEP 1: Open your phone’s “Settings” app.
STEP 2: Find and click on the “Backup and Reset” option.
STEP 3: Tap the “Factory Data Reset” option and follow the instructions on your screen to complete the factory settings process.

Fix 7: Check Your Sim Card:

You may need to check your SIM card if your phone still has no signal bars. First, remove your SIM card from the SIM pocket and inspect it for damages.

If the SIM card is still intact, check the SIM pocket on your phone and try to blow out any particles coming in between your SIM and the direct contact it should have with your SIM pocket.

Before you insert the SIM back into your phone, you can also insert it into another phone to see if it will get a signal. If it doesn’t display any signal, you may have to contact your network carrier to enquire about the status of your network account.

However, you can try inserting the SIM card back into your phone before you do that.

Tips That Will Help You Improve the Signal Strength on Your Phone

Here are some tips that can help you improve the signal strength on your phone, in case your Phone Has No Signal Bars:

1. Use light phone cover or cases:

Modern cellphones – like the old ones – feature signal receptors that help them to pull signals from the nearest cell tower. Modern cellphones have embedded signal receptors rather than visible ones.

So, if you use a thick phone cover or case, you may limit your phone’s signal reception strength. To prevent this, we advise that you use light phone cases.

2. Conserve your cell phone battery:

Try as much as possible to avoid running low on battery power. This is because your phone’s battery health also plays a significant role in the signal strength you receive.

Since our phones consume battery while finding signals, they might find it challenging to search for signals when they are low on battery power.

Moreover, our phones usually go into a battery-saving mode when they are low on battery. If your phone goes into battery-saving mode, it will reduce its performance efficiency to conserve battery.

In such cases, your network signal tends to get weaker. So, to prevent that, you should always charge your phone and conserve battery power.

3. Get a cell phone signal booster:

Most major carriers recommend that you get cell phone signal boosters to improve the signal strength you get on your phone.

According to cell phone carriers and the FCC, signal boosters can help you tap an existing cell signal. They amplify such signals and then distribute the strong signal within your reach, making them great for when your Phone Has No Signal Bars.

Another good thing about them is that they work with all networks, and you won’t need to pay recurring fees.

4. Constantly update your phone’s software:

The importance of regularly installing software updates for your phone cannot be overemphasized. Software updates will help keep your phone working in good condition.

Installing the updates can also help ensure that your phone’s connectivity options remain excellent.

5. Clear out obstructions from your surrounding:

You should consider improving your surroundings if you want good signal strength within your location. The process of improving your surrounding will include things like reorganizing your space.

Consider repositioning objects like metal filing cabinets, refrigerators, and solid furniture from where you need signal the most. This is because those types of materials are more liable to block signals.

You will also need to clear out trees and bushes surrounding your environment. Lastly, you can consider opening your windows.

Conclusion

We hope you have discovered some helpful tips to help resolve issues similar to when your phone has no signal bars. You can go through the list of the working tips we provided until you find the one that works for you.

About The Author

John Adebimitan

John Adebimitan is an accomplished tech writer with a passion for unraveling the complexities of the digital world. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for simplifying technical jargon, John has been instrumental in guiding readers through the ever-evolving landscape of technology.

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My Phone Has No Signal Bars – Best Tips to Fix