How to fix my iPhone 6s that keeps losing signal, getting poor reception, random signal drops, other network problems [Troubleshooting Guide]

One of the most inevitable issues in today’s smartphones is on network connectivity. It can occur to any phone regardless of range, status, and brand. Even those that are tagged among the high-end gadgets like Apple’s iPhone 6s can be susceptible to various types of network connectivity issues including signal loss, poor reception, signal dropping, and other network errors. Despite having one of the most advanced network systems, wireless and cellular services can still be halted by any of the said symptoms. Based on prior claims made by other iPhone users, what appeared to be the common triggers are network outages as well as random glitches on the side of network providers.

Apparently, these are beyond the control of the end-user. Other network connectivity issues on the iPhone have been tied to account problems like inactive account status. Cases like this usually requires end-user intervention. In most cases, the user needs to contact the carrier or service provider to settle any account issues for network services to resume. When any of these network problems occur, other key functions of the iPhone like calling and texting are might as well be affected. This can be a bummer especially for those who are relying much on their iPhone to carry out personal or business transactions on a daily basis. Just imagine how it feels for you to miss even just a single important call or text, which could be your only chance to closing a lifetime business deal. That is just one of the many things you would miss from having network signal or reception errors on your mobile device.

Several factors can cause your iPhone to lose network signal or get unstable reception. Some are environmental while others are technical. Read on to learn more on the possible causes  and potential solutions to deal with various types of network signal issues on the iPhone 6s.

But before we jump right into our troubleshooting, if you have other issues with your iPhone, make sure you drop by our troubleshooting page because we’ve already addressed a lot of issues reported by our readers. Find issues that are similar with yours and use the solutions we suggested. If they don’t work for you or if you need more help, fill up our iPhone problems questionnaire and give us more accurate information about your problem so we can give you the best solution.  

Possible causes of network connectivity or signal problems on your iPhone 6s

Mobile networks can experience downtime at anytime. As a matter of fact, you could get poor reception or no signal at all from just using your device in a different area. In this case, your device is likely out of your network coverage area or it could be that something went wrong within your network system. As much as possible try to determine the underlying cause so as to get the problem resolved immediately. To give you some more clues on which factors to work on when dealing with any of the aforementioned symptoms, here’s a rundown of all the possible causes of network connectivity and signal problems on your iPhone 6s.

Network outage

Again, this is one of the leading causes of network connectivity issues in mobile devices and the problem is not on your end but rather on your network service provider or carrier. Outages can occur in schedule or unexpected. Scheduled outages are usually announced before the date to make consumers become aware of the upcoming service interruptions and likewise have enough time to make necessary preparations ahead. But this is not the case with unexpected outages. As the name implies, these types of outages can occur randomly at any time, thus unexpected. Just like scheduled outages, unexpected problems on the network are most likely on your network provider’s end. That means you can do nothing but to wait until your network technicians fix the main problem and get the network services back up and running as intended. To avoid wasting time from doing unnecessary troubleshooting, be sure to contact your network service provider whenever you experience problems on signal loss, poor reception, or intermittent network connections on your iPhone.

Inactive account status

Another factor to consider looking into when dealing with network connectivity issues like no signal or no service on your iPhone is your account status. Generally, service providers would impose a temporary disconnection to account status in bad or delinquent standing. This is usually the case if you have failed to keep your bills paid on time or perhaps missed to enrol or subscribe to the right service plan. When your account is placed under temporary disconnect or soft disconnect status, outgoing services might be limited or totally not available. As a result, you may not be able to send outgoing messages or outgoing calls with your iPhone. For your outgoing services to resume, you will need to contact your carrier to verify your account status or settle any account issues, if necessary.

Incorrect network settings

Unavailable network, no network coverage, and other network-related errors could be due to incorrect or misconfigured network settings on your iPhone 6s. This is likely the case if the problem has instigated right after making new changes to your iPhone’s network settings like changing network options, disabling, or enabling of the wrong options. When you encounter any of the aforementioned problems after changing the iPhone settings, you can head back to the menu options you’ve recently configured and revert the changes you made before the problem manifested. If you happen to experience signal or network problems while using cellular network services on your iPhone, verify and ensure that cellular data is enabled. For problems with roaming services, check your iPhone’s data roaming settings and make sure data roaming option is turned on. Also make sure that your iPhone is set up for data roaming services for you to be able to use your cellular network services while travelling abroad.

SIM card issues

A bad SIM card can also be the culprit. It’s possible that your iPhone 6s SIM card has been damaged or dislodged from a drop. This is most likely the case if the error prompts you are getting are related to the SIM card like SIM card error, No SIM card, SIM card not registered or recognized, SIM card not detected, and the like. A possible solution would be to remove and reinstall the SIM card on your iPhone 6s. You can also assess the SIM card condition based on the way it looks. One important thing to note before removing the SIM card is to make sure that your iPhone is completely powered off. Doing so will prevent causing any damage to your device during SIM card removal and installation. In the case where the SIM card is showing signs of possible damage like scratches, contact your carrier for recommendations. A SIM card replacement might be necessary in this case.

Software glitches and bugs

Sometimes, you will get to see any of these errors because of some glitches or bugs affecting the iPhone’s network functions and pertinent applications. Common instances when you can associate network connectivity or signal errors include update installation as well as when downloading new contents on your iPhone. Updates and downloads may contain some corrupted files that can mess up the iPhone’s network connectivity or cellular services  and therefore yield to relevant errors. Bad iOS updates can also contain bugs that could cause similar problems on the iPhone after update implementation.

Hardware damage

You may consider putting the blame on a faulty hardware especially if there were previous incidence of dropping or liquid exposure on your iPhone 6s. Symptoms of physical or liquid damage may appear sooner or later. Unfortunately network or signal issues that are tied to a faulty hardware like damaged network chip would require a technician’s aide for fixing or possible replacement of damaged iPhone component.

Basically, these are the most common triggers of network or signal issues on the iPhone. Should you wish to troubleshoot the pertinent errors and problems on the same iPhone device, be sure to check each of these factors beforehand. And if the problem persists, time proceed and take your chances in the following solutions and workarounds.

Recommended Solutions and Workarounds

Below is a list of all possible solutions and suggested workarounds to deal with network or signal issues on your iPhone 6s. Be sure to test your device after completing each procedure to determine whether or not the problem has been resolved. If necessary, proceed to the next applicable solutions.

Before you begin, make sure that you’ve already verified your account status and that it is in good standing and enrolled to the correct service plan. Also ensure that there are no outages that might have affected network services in your place. And finally, make sure that you are using your iPhone within your network coverage area. Again, you may not be able to get good reception or any signal if you are already out your network coverage. Once you have verified all these things and you’re still having problems with your iPhone network or signal, try the next solutions.

First solution: Reboot your router/modem.

The very source of your home network is the modem or wireless router. This equipment receives the signal transmitted from your network tower and relays that signal to all your connected devices. Sometimes, the modem or router system glitches and results to random signal drops or signal loss. If this happens, you will need to reboot your modem or router to rectify the glitches and get the equipment back up and running normally. This process is referred to as a power cycle. It’s a recommended solution by network service providers to subscribers who are experiencing pertinent network problems and errors. Here’s how it’s done:

 

  • Turn off your modem or router.
  • Unplug its power cord from the outlet or power source.
  • Leave it unplugged for at least 30 seconds.
  • After the elapsed time, plug it back into the power source.
  • Turn it back on.
  • Wait for the light indicators to resume to become stable.
  • Reboot your iPhone.

 

Check your network signal after the reboot and see if it’s now working fine.

Second Solution: Soft reset.

Minor apps glitches on the iPhone, particularly among network-related applications and services can also lead to network or signal issues. Should this be the case on your end, you can try to fix the problem by doing a soft reset on your iPhone 6s. It’s the simplest yet most effective solution to various types of problems within the device’s software structure. Minor bugs and glitches are often rectified by this reset. So make sure you don’t miss this. Here’s how a soft reset supposedly done on your iPhone 6s, just in case you need further assistance.

 

  • Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button for a few seconds until the slider appears.
  • Drag the slider to power off the iPhone completely.
  • Wait for about 30 seconds.

 

  • After the elapsed time, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button again, until the Apple logo appears. Your iPhone will then reboot.

Alternatively you can do a force restart by pressing and holding down the Sleep/Wake button and Home buttons on your iPhone 6s simultaneously for a few seconds and then release both buttons when the Apple logo appears. Both can yield the same possible result without losing any data from your iPhone.

Third Solution: Manage cellular data network settings.

Incorrect or misconfigured network settings on the iPhone are also among the key factors you need to look into when dealing with network or signal issues. That being said, check and make sure everything is configured accordingly. First, head on to your iPhone settings and make sure cellular data is enabled. You won’t be able to use cellular services with this option disabled on your iPhone. So make sure it’s turned on.

If you are dealing with relevant problems when trying to use cellular data roaming services while travelling internationally, go to your iPhone Settings-> Cellular-> Cellular Data Options-> Data Roaming menu and make sure that data roaming option is enabled. For further assistance in using data roaming features of your iPhone 6s, contact your carrier.

Fourth Solution: Check the SIM card.

Some iPhone users were able to find remedy by working on the SIM card. It turned out that the main problem is within the SIM card that is either dislodged or worst, damaged. A damaged or misplaced SIM card tray can also cause relevant problems and errors to occur so make sure you check on that too.

Here’s a workaround for you to try in rectifying the problem:

 

  • Power off your iPhone 6s completely.
  • Pop the SIM card tray open using a paperclip or SIM-eject tool into the hole beside the tray.
  • Carefully remove the SIM card from the tray.
  • Check the SIM card for any signs of damages or scratches.
  • After ensuring no damage on the SIM card, place the SIM card back into the SIM tray.
  • Make sure the SIM card is secured.
  • Insert the SIM tray completely in the same way that you removed it.
  • Turn your iPhone back on and then see what happens.

 

Another thing you need to consider doing is to make sure that you are using the right SIM card and SIM tray for your device. In the case where the SIM card shows signs of possible damage or does not fit the SIM card tray, contact your carrier for other options.

Fifth Solution: Reset network settings on your iPhone 6s.

Sometimes, we just change something on our device as we would prefer without even considering the possible adverse outcomes. This shouldn’t be a problem if we take note of the changes we’ve made. Should things go wrong after implementing new changes, particularly on the iPhone’s network settings, you can always revert the changes back to when everything was fine. However this is not always the case. Sometimes, we just couldn’t get to remember which options from the network settings have been modified and yields to a network error or signal problem on the iPhone. As resolution, you can resort to a network settings reset instead. This will erase all your customized  options as well as network information including network password and servers. After the reset, your iPhone’s network settings are set to default.

 

  • To reset network settings on your iPhone 6s, go to Settings-> General-> Reset-> Reset Network Settings.

 

If prompted, enter the correct passcode to proceed. When the reset is finished, your iPhone reboots with default network settings and options.

Sixth Solution: Update or restore iOS through iTunes.

For network connectivity and signal issues that are triggered by tough glitches and bugs, the usual resets may not be able to deal with them. In this case, you can either update or restore iOS on your iPhone 6s using iTunes. You may go for an iOS update if you suspect that a software bug is causing the problem and couldn’t be rectified by the other procedures. In the case where the network or signal problem is caused by a faulty update to iOS, an iOS restore would be able to fix it.

In order to proceed with either processes, you will need to secure a computer that runs the latest operating system and has the latest iTunes software installed. Once you have the computer ready, follow these steps:

 

  • Connect your iPhone 6s to the computer using the supplied USB cable/connector.
  • Wait until your iPhone is recognized.
  • If prompted, enter your iPhone passcode or click the option to Trust This Computer and then follow the onscreen instructions.
  • Select your iPhone 6s from the list of available devices in iTunes.
  • Navigate to the Summary section.
  • Click the Update button to update your iPhone 6s to the latest iOS version available. Otherwise, click the Restore button to restore to a previous iOS backup.

 

When you click on Update, wait until iTunes is finished installing the update. Meanwhile if you opt to Restore your iPhone, select the iOS backup file you want to use and then wait for iTunes to complete the restore process. Once finished, you can set up your iPhone accordingly.

Other Suggestions

Escalate the problem to your iPhone carrier or Apple Support if it persists after doing all of the aforementioned solutions. There might be some other reasons as to why your network signal keeps dropping, or why your iPhone 6s keeps getting poor reception.

Connect with Us

If you have other problems with your iOS device including iPhone 6s, you may visit our Troubleshooting Page or complete and submit this form to get further assistance from our support team. Just be sure to provide us with all necessary information, such as your iOS device model, as well as more details about the issue you have with your device. For example, when did the problem start to occur or what you did before the problem shows. This way, it would be easier for us to determine the main cause(s) and help you towards finding the best possible solution available.

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