What Causes Poor Signal Strength on Android and iPhones? – Some Tips to Boost Signal

We all know that moment when you finally land a potential client after several months of hunting. The moment you’ve gained enough trust from the client to land that final sale, your iPhone or Android runs out of reception, and you lose touch with the client due to poor signal strength.

There’s almost nothing as frustrating as that. But what causes poor signal strength?

What Causes Poor Signal Strength on Android and iPhones?

Below is a list of some of the things that can cause poor signal strength on your Android and iPhones:

1. Distance Away from a Cell Tower

The farther you are from a cell tower, the weaker your phone’s signal reception strength will get. Hence, your location plays a significant role in determining your signal reception, whether good or bad.

In other words, being far from a cell tower is one of the things that cause poor signal strength on your Android or iPhone.

2. Having a Faulty or Low Battery

When your battery power is almost drained, your smartphone will automatically attempt to reduce performance by going into battery-saving mode. In this mode, your smartphone limits background data usage, reduces screen brightness and limits many other processes to conserve battery.

Since the battery-saving mode typically reduces the efficiency of many processes, it can also contribute to one of the things that cause poor signal strength.

3. Concentrated Cellular Traffic at a Point

Usually, when there is a large crowd of people in a particular location, you may find it difficult to get a strong reception. This is because there would be many phones within that vicinity, and these phones would also be receptors of signals in the area.

Eventually, all the phones would compete for signal strength from the nearest cell tower.

How to Increase Network Signal Strength on Android and iPhones

Now that we’ve understood what causes poor signal strength, how can you fix poor signal strength on Android and iPhones? Here are a few things that will help you improve the signal strength on Android and iPhone:

1. Remove possible obstructions between your cellphone and the nearest cell tower

Here are some other things you could do:

1. Relocate from a concentrated traffic location to an open space or area.
2. Get a WiFi extension.

2. Update Carrier Settings on your iPhone

Apple often releases system update software to improve performance and connectivity. One of these updates is the carrier settings update.

If you have not installed the latest update, here’s how to do it:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone
2. Click on the General button
3. Go to the About button
4. Install any latest update if there is any.

This feature isn’t available on Android smartphones, but updating your operating system can help improve your network signal.

3. Turn Airplane mode ON/OFF

Activating and deactivating your Airplane mode should help troubleshoot your network settings.

To do this on your Android:

1. Swipe from the top of your screen to access the Quick Settings panel.
2. Click on the Airplane Mode Icon.
3. Wait 30 seconds for your phone to disconnect from the available networks.
4. Then, tap the Airplane Mode icon again.

To do this on your iPhone:

1. Depending on the iPhone model, you can access Airplane Mode from the Control Center.
2. If you use an iPhone X or a newer version, you can access Control Center by swiping down from the top-right corner.
3. If you use an older iPhone, you can access Control Center by swiping up from the bottom of the screen.
4. Tap the Airplane Mode icon in the Control Center to turn it ON.
5. Wait for 30 seconds, and then turn it back OFF.

4. Resetting Network Settings on your Phone

When you reset network settings on your phone, you will lose saved WiFi passwords, VPN connections, and other saved network settings; it’s an effective way to boost network signal.

To do this on your Android:

1. Go to Settings on your Android device.
2. Click on General.
3. Click on Reset.
4. Tap on Reset Network Settings.
5. Confirm your choice to reset, then wait for your phone to restart.

To do this on your iPhone:

1. Go to Settings on your iPhone device.
2. Click on General Management.
3. Click on Reset.
4. Tap on Reset Network Settings.
5. Confirm your choice by tapping Reset Settings, then wait for your phone to restart.

Read also: What Are Haptic Alerts on Apple iWatch?

What to do if you have Poor Signal Strength Right Next to a Router

Here are some things you can do when you have poor signal strength when you are right next to your route:

1. Put your Router in an Open Space    

People often hide their routers in closed areas, inside a box, or behind their television. However, routers perform better in an open space, clear of obstructions.

2. Run a Speed Test on your Router

Performing a speed check is vital in this process because you want to ensure you’re getting what you paid for. To check for speed, use Speedtest.net. If it is lower than expected, get across to your cable provider.

3. Get yourself a Router Extension

One of the best decisions you can make is purchasing a long-range router extender. This eliminates dead zones in your house, meaning you could go anywhere in your house and still have a decent internet connection.

4. Install Available Router Updates

Unlike smartphones, routers provide performance enhancement through driver updates. To get the latest updates, head to the router manufacturer’s website to install it.

5. Block your Freeloading Neighbors

Use WPA encryption for your password, and if you have a hacking neighbor, use a MoocherHunter program to find your leech.

Read also: How to Fix “No DP Signal from Your Device” on Dell Monitor

Conclusion

We hope we have been able to help you explore what causes poor signal strength on your Android and iPhone. You should also try our tips on increasing network signal strength on your Androids and iPhones.

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