This post tackles an iOS 15 issue on intermittent network signals. Here’s what to do if your Apple iPhone SE 3 2022 keeps losing signal.
What causes Signal Problems?
Bumping into signal issues in mobile devices is inevitable because there are a lot of factors that can cause wireless signal interference. Even new devices with upgraded network components aren’t exempted from experiencing occasional signal loss.
In new iOS devices like the recently released iPhone SE 3, intermittent network reception (cellular signal) is typically due to some random system glitch affecting wireless services, buggy updates, corrupted SIM card, and messed up network settings.
In worst cases, intermittent signal loss can be directly attributed to a damaged network component like a busted network antenna or any relevant components on the phone.
Some iPhone owners who faced the same dilemma have later figured out that a defective SIM card is to blame. Should this be the case, a new SIM card replacement would be necessary.
Before taking your iPhone to an Apple genius bar, performing some basic tweaks to eliminate software-related culprits is highly recommended.
To give you some input on how to deal with this issue on your new 3rd generation special edition iPhone, I’ve mapped some basic yet very effective solutions.
Feel free to try these workarounds if ever you need help troubleshooting this iPhone problem.
Troubleshooting iPhone SE 3 2022 that keeps losing signal
Performing these subsequent procedures will help eliminate common software-related factors that can interfere with your iPhone’s wireless network reception. These procedures don’t affect any personal information saved in the internal storage so they’re deemed safe.
Just follow the given instructions whenever you’re all set to troubleshoot your iOS device.
Solution #1: Restart your iPhone.
The first suggested solution is an iPhone reboot or soft reset. Thus, if you haven’t already, restart your iPhone to eliminate random system glitches that might have caused conflicts with the iOS cellular network services resulting in an unstable network reception.
This process does not delete any saved information from your iPhone storage so there’s no need to create backups beforehand.
Just follow these steps to reboot your iPhone SE 3:
- Press and hold the Side/Power button until the Power off slider appears.
- Slide the Power off slider to the right to power off the device.
- After 30 seconds, press and hold the Side/Power button until the Apple logo appears and your iPhone boots up to the Lock/Home screen.
Wait for your iPhone to finish rebooting and give it more time to re-establish connection to cellular networks.
Solution #2: Turn Airplane Mode on and off.
If restarting does not fix the problem, performing the Airplane mode tweak is the next recommendation.
This tweak gives a simultaneous restart to your iPhone’s wireless connectivity features including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and cellular data networks.
- To do so, go to Settings-> Airplane mode menu then turn the Airplane mode switch ON for a few seconds and tap to turn it off again.
Alternatively, you can turn the Airplane mode icon on and off from the Control Center of your iPhone.
Many iPhone users who encountered network related issues have found wonders from doing this trick so hopefully it does the same on you too.
If it doesn’t, then there must be something else that is causing the problem. That said,you need to troubleshoot further.
Solution #3: Update carrier settings (if available).
Carrier updates are separate updates released by network carriers/wireless service providers. These updates are typically designed to enhance network-related services and eliminate any transpiring bugs that are causing problems.
If your iPhone doesn’t have trouble connecting to the internet via Wi-Fi network, try to check for any pending updates for network carrier settings and iOS.
- To manually check for an available carrier update, open the Settings app then go to General-> About menu. If a carrier update is available, you’ll see a notification. Just tap Update and follow the rest of the onscreen instructions to finish updating the carrier settings on your iPhone.
Don’t forget to restart/soft reset your iPhone after installing carrier settings update to ensure all recent network changes and network system enhancements are properly implemented.
iOS Update
Installing the latest iOS version available for your iPhone is also recommended to ensure optimum performance among iOS services including cellular data networks.
- To manually check for a new iOS update on your iPhone SE 3, go to Settings-> General-> Software Update menu then wait for your iPhone to check for available updates.
If a new iOS update is available, follow the onscreen instructions to download and install.
Do not use your device while updating to avoid interrupting the process. As soon as the update is complete, you can restart the device and use it as normal.
Solution #4: Remove then reinstall the SIM card.
As mentioned earlier, a corrupted SIM card or SIM card data could also be the underlying cause of the problem. Should this be just a minor glitch in the SIM card system, reinstalling the SIM card on your iPhone will likely solve it.
Thus, removing and re-inserting the SIM card is the next recommended tweak.
Before you remove the SIM card, make sure that your iPhone is powered off. This is recommended to prevent damaging the SIM card components and the iPhone itself.
While the phone is turned off, insert the SIM ejector or paperclip into the slot to eject or unlock the tray. The SIM card tray is located on the right edge of the iPhone SE 3.
Gently push it until the tray ejects and then remove the SIM card. Just lift the SIM card from the tray.
Check the SIM card for any visible signs of damage. If there’s none, place it back into the tray with the gold contacts facing away from the screen and the notch is located in the top-right side. After securing the SIM card in place, press in on the tray to lock it into place.
Solution #5: Reset network settings.
If the problem continues up to this point, your next option would be to carry out network settings reset. To do this, you can tap on the built-in iOS reset network settings command on your iPhone SE 3.
Resetting network settings on the iPhone will delete all previously used networks and VPN settings, custom network settings, saved Bluetooth devices, personalized cellular data configurations and other relevant information.
Saved apps and user data in the iPhone storage are not affected with this reset so you won’t lose any important information in the process.
Just follow these steps should you wish to proceed with this reset.
- Head over to your iPhone Settings-> General menu.
- Tap Transfer or Reset iPhone
- On the next screen, tap Reset to continue.
- Select Reset Network Settings.
- Read the reset details then tap Reset settings. If prompted, enter your unlock PIN or passcode to proceed.
- On the final warning prompt, tap Reset settings to confirm.
After the reset, the phone reboots on its own and then loads up all the default network configuration. This means the need for you to set up Wi-Fi to reconnect to your Wi-Fi network and get back online.
Other wireless features like Bluetooth connections also need to be set up like the first time.
Still having trouble getting a stable signal on your iPhone SE 3?
Restoring factory defaults via factory reset or iOS restore in recovery mode or DFU mode can be regarded among the last options to get rid of complex system errors that might have ruined the iPhone’s network system resulting in an unstable signal reception.
These however are deemed drastic solutions as they will wipe everything from the system including all your downloaded apps and files, saved documents, contacts, custom settings and other personalized information from the internal storage.
After the reset, factory default settings are reinstated and the latest iOS version is installed on your device.
Should you wish to troubleshoot further, then you can start with a factory reset through your iPhone settings.
But before you do, be sure to back up all your critical information so you’d still be able to retrieve them afterwards. You can back up files straight to your iCloud account or to a dedicated drive/folder on your computer using iTunes.
Talk to your carrier
If your iPhone’s signal remains unstable, then it’s possible that the problem is inflicted by something else that’s already beyond the end-user’s capacity to resolve. At this point, seeking further assistance is recommended.
Contact your network service provider for further assistance if none of the given solutions worked and your iPhone is still not getting a good signal. The above solutions should be good enough to clear out common software-related factors that can interfere with wireless network signals unless the problem is from within the network base.
Among the possibilities include unexpected technical difficulties in the network server as well as scheduled network system maintenance or outages.
Call Apple Support
If the problem instigated from an iOS update and it persisted after carrying out all the above solutions, there’s a good chance that an unforeseen software bug is to blame. In this case, you should contact Apple Support to escalate the issue for them to be aware of and look into it closely. Complex iOS bugs often require a dedicated fix patch in the form of minor follow-up updates.
Taking your iPhone to an authorized Apple service center can also be regarded among the last options if you suspect that hardware damage is present on your device. This is recommended if prior incidents of accidental dropping or liquid exposure on your device have taken place.
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