How To Fix iPhone No Service Issue After iOS 13.3

No service error on an iPhone usually occurs when no network signal is detected. As a result, the iPhone won’t be able to process network-related operations like sending and receiving of SMS messages. Your iPhone will also not be able to receive and can’t make calls at this moment. There are many possible reasons as to why this error transpires. In many cases, temporary network problems such as network outage or scheduled maintenance are found to be the underlying cause. An iPhone no service error can also occur when the SIM card, SIM tray, or any other network component is damaged. No Service error that is attributed to a damaged iPhone component typically requires service. This is when a technician’s aid is needed.

There are also some cases, when the no service error is tied to account problems. Software-related No service error on the other hand can still be remedied at home by some workarounds. The procedures I’ve demonstrated below can be deemed among the possible solutions to pertinent issues on an iPhone. Read on to learn what to do if your iPhone keeps prompting a No service error and unable to make and receive calls and can’t text.

Before you begin, check and ensure that the date and time settings on your iPhone are correct. The date and time on your phone must be based on your current location’s time zone because this is among the requisites for network-related services to work as intended. For example, time stamps for call logs and SMS received on the device are based on real-time date and time. Thus, it’s recommended to set the iPhone’s date and time to automatic. That way, it will be updated based on the current location’s timezone.

Another thing to consider checking beforehand is your account status. No reception, can’t make calls or can’t text error may have something to do with the status of your account. Talk to your service provider to check and ensure that your account and network services are active. If your iPhone still prompts No service error, then here are your next options.

First solution: Reboot your iPhone/soft reset.

A simple reboot can do a lot of good things to your iPhone. Aside from dumping junk files from its memory, it also corrects minor software errors and fixes common symptoms tied to random app glitches and firmware crashes. Network-related errors that are caused by minor system crashes including No service error, no reception, can’t make calls or can’t text can also be remedied by a reboot. Thus, this is one of the first recommended solutions you should to try on.

Restarting or performing a soft reset may vary depending on the iPhone model. If you’re using an iphone x, XS, XS Max, or XR, follow these steps to soft reset:

1. Press and hold the Side button and either Volume button until the Power off slider appears.
2. Drag the slider to power off your iPhone completely.
3. Then after 30 seconds, press the Side button again to turn your iPhone back on.

If you’re using an iPhone 8, 8 Plus, or earlier versions, performing a soft reset or restart is done this way:

1. Press and hold the Top or Side button until the Power off slider appears.
2. Drag the slider to power off the phone completely.
3. After about 30 seconds, press and hold the Top or Side button again to turn the phone back on.

Allow your device to finish booting up and gets to the Home screen. Then see if the No service error is gone.

Second solution: Reinstall your SIM card.

Errors related to cellular or network including No service error on the iPhone can also be attributed to a bad SIM card in use. Your iPhone may be having trouble reading the SIM card or the SIM card system might have crashes. This therefore yields to a No service error or no reception problem. To rule this out, reinstalling the SIM card on your iPhone is recommended. By “reinstalling” means that you will have to remove and then re-insert the SIM card on your phone. Whenever you’re all set to give it a try, then here’s how it’s properly done:

1. Turn off your iPhone completely.
2. While your phone is turned off, insert the SIM card ejector tool into the tiny hole on the SIM card tray located on the side of your phone.
3. Gently push the ejector tool until the tray pops out.
4. Remove the tray from the phone.
5. Then take the SIM card out from the tray. Check and ensure no signs of damage (liquid traces or scratches) to the tray or SIM card itself.
6. If everything looks good, place the SIM back into the tray in the same orientation before you removed it.
7. Secure the SIM card in place then push the SIM tray back into the phone.

After ensuring that the tray is locked, turn the phone on and see if the No service error is gone. If it still appears, then you’ve got to try other methods to rule out other causing factors.

Third solution: Toggle Airplane Mode on and off.

Problems affecting cellular and wireless network services can also be resolved by performing the Airplane Mode trick. A lot of iPhone owners have found wonders resolving network-related issues like can’t make calls or can’t text by carrying out this old tweak. If you wish to try it, then here’s how it works:

1. From your Home screen, tap on Settings.
2. Select Airplane Mode.
3. Then tap the switch to turn Airplane Mode on. Doing so turns off wireless radios on the phone.
4. While Airplane mode is turned on, restart/soft reset your iPhone.
5. As soon as the phone boots up, head back to Settings-> Airplane Mode menu.
6. Then toggle the switch to turn Airplane mode off again.

Wait for your iPhone to re-establish Wi-Fi and cellular network connections then see if the No service error is gone.

ALSO READ: How to fix iPhone 7 No Service issue, won’t activate successfully in a network, other issues

Fourth solution: Update carrier settings, iOS to the latest version available.

Updates also provide fixes especially if they’re programmed to eliminate existing errors caused by some type of malwares and bugs. If the No service error be attributed to network system bugs on your iPhone, installing new carrier settings update and updating your iPhone’s firmware to the latest version will likely solve the problem. To check for new carrier updates, refer to these steps:

1. Tap Settings from the Home screen.
2. Select General.
3. Tap About.
4. Navigate to the Carrier section and see if there’s an update notification. Then follow the onscreen instructions to update your carrier settings.

Carrier updates are pushed by your network service provider or carrier periodically. Some carrier updates are mandatory while others are optional. Mandatory updates are installed on your device system automatically. Optional updates on the other hand require manual implementation. And that’s when performing the above procedure is necessary.

Aside from carrier updates, it’s also imperative to keep your iPhone system up-to-date. If your iPhone has access to Wi-Fi internet, you can follow these steps to check for OTA updates to download and install on your device:

1. Tap Settings from your Home screen.
2. Select General.
3. Tap Software Update.

An update notification shows up if a new iOS version is available. Read and review the update details before updating so you will know what it contains. Before downloading and installing the update, make sure that your phone has sufficient power and storage space.

After installing updates, restart/soft reset your iPhone to refresh its system and to implement the new system changes.

Fifth solution: Reset network settings on your iPhone.

Network-related errors that could not be remedied by the initial procedures usually require some resets. In this case, you can proceed with a network reset on your iPhone. This will erase all your current network configurations and then restores the default network options and settings. Any errors attributed to incorrect settings are likewise cleared out in the process. Here’s how it’s done:

1. From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
2. Select General.
3. Scroll down to and tap on Reset.
4. Select the option to Reset network settings.
5. Enter your device passcode to continue.
6. Then tap to confirm that you want to reset network settings on your phone.

After the reset, your phone restarts itself and then loads the default network values and options. This means the need for you to set up and reconnect to your Wi-Fi network in order to get back online.

If you’re using cellular data services, be sure to re-enable Cellular Data on your iPhone beforehand.

Sixth solution: Reset all settings on your iPhone.

If the previous reset doesn’t work, then you can proceed with an all settings reset. This deletes all customized settings on the phone. It’s likely what’s needed to get rid of the No service error if it instigated after customizing your iPhone settings. Here’s how it’s done:

1. From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. Scroll down to and tap on Reset.
4. Choose the option to Reset all settings.
5. Enter your device passcode when asked to continue.
6. Confirm that you want to reset all settings on your iPhone.

Wait for your iPhone to finish resetting and then restarts automatically. As soon as it boots up, you will need to re-enable the features that are disabled by default so you can use them again on your phone. Try and see if that fixes the iPhone No service error.

Last resort: Factory reset/master reset.

You may have to consider resorting to a full system reset if none of the prior methods is able to solve the problem and you’re confident that your phone doesn’t have any sort of hardware damage that could have triggered the network system to fail. Before you factory reset your phone though, back up all your important files because they will also be deleted in the process. You can back up your iPhone files straight to iCloud if you prefer to factory reset through settings. Once you’ve secured the backup, you can proceed with these steps:

1. Tap Settings from the Home screen.
2. Tap General.
3. Scroll down and tap Reset.
4. Select the option to Erase all content and settings.
5. Type in your passcode to proceed.
6. Then confirm that you want to erase and restore your iPhone to its factory defaults.

After the reset, you can use the startup wizard to set up your iPhone as new.

You can also use iTunes to manually erase and restore factory defaults on your iPhone on a computer. Many people would prefer to use this method as they can backup their files on their computer drives. To get started, you will need to plug your iPhone into the computer’s USB port via Lightning cable or USB cable that came with your device. Once the phone syncs with iTunes, you can start the reset by clicking on the given commands and controls.

Still getting No Service error on your iPhone?

If the error is still showing up even after erasing your iPhone and restoring its factory default settings, then you’re more likely dealing with a hardware issue. It could be due to a bad SIM card, damaged SIM card tray or other relevant components that require physical repair. At this point, you may seek further help from your network service provider. If the SIM card is found to be the root cause of the problem, then you can ask for a new SIM card replacement or subscribe to an eSIM (if available). You can also visit the nearest Apple-authorized service center and ask an iPhone technician to run some hardware tests so as to determine if there are any damaged network component that needs some fixing.

I hope that we’ve been able to help you fix the problem with your device. We would appreciate it if you helped us spread the word so please share this post if you found it helpful. Thank you so much for reading!