Fix Apple iPhone 7 Unable To Connect Cellular Network

Even the newest and by far the most powerful iPhones are not free from troubles, especially when it comes to network connectivity. Evidently, several owners of the iPhone 7 are in fact already starting to raise their concerns including problems on connection failed error, no service, searching for network, cannot connect to a cellular network and other network-related problems that manifest at this very early stage.

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As a result, these users are also having troubles in making or receiving phone calls and messages on their new iOS device. What causes network problems to occur on such a new powerful device and what should users do in order to fix the problem on their end? To find out the answers to these questions, consider reading this entire content.

What causes network problems to occur on your iPhone 7? 

Again, network problems can occur unexpectedly on any mobile device, regardless of their condition or whether it is new or old. In the case where users of the iPhone 7 are having trouble with network connectivity, most likely the issue is on the network provider or improper configuration of relevant settings on the iPhone. In short, majority of these issues are software-related. But it does not mean that we’ll automatically rule out the possibility of a faulty hardware causing the same problem to transpire on this new iPhone. This is especially true when you’ve got your iPhone wet or accidentally dropped it.

The good thing about software-related issues is the fact that they can be possibly rectified using any of the applicable workarounds. Apple is actually offering a free support page or source of troubleshooting guides for iOS users to refer to whenever they will encounter any of the common issues while using their devices. And in order to save your time and effort from browsing other pages, all applicable methods are included in this content to help you deal with network-related problems on the iPhone 7 right away. All these along with other workarounds suggested by other iPhone owners are likewise demonstrated in the later section of this page.

There are other cases of network issues that were tied to faulty software or iOS update. As much as possible, iOS developers are doing the best they could to make all software updates error-free. However, just like any other major software updates, iOS updates can also contain bugs which cause problems to the device upon implementation. And this is where post-update issues arise.

Just like what some iPhone 7 and 7 Plus owners experienced after installing the iOS 10.0.2 update on their respective devices late last year. Among the transpiring issues include random LTE signal drops and GPS problems manifested by a No Service error when attempting to use Google Maps or Waze app. The exact cause of these problems were actually not disclosed nor explicated by Apple but instead, the company has promptly addressed these concerns. However, other people have speculated that the problems were isolated to CDMA-based carriers or network provider. That notion was based on the fact that other iPhone 7 users were able to fix the problem by changing network bands from LTE to Data only, or other options available.

Before Apple has released the official fix patch, some affected iPhone 7/7 Plus users have resorted to a temporary solution, which is through toggling the Enable LTE function to Data Only option. This feature is found in the settings panel.

In response to these concerns, Apple then released a follow-up update (officially fix) through iOS version 10.0.3, which is specifically designed to fix the existing cellular connectivity issues for both the new iPhones. This update however was not made available to older iPhone variants.  

How to fix network connectivity issues on your iPhone 7? 

The solutions may vary depending on which has caused the problem to occur on your device. That being said, you’ve got to try to determine the underlying cause so as to save time and effort from troubleshooting. But if you could not figure out the main cause no matter how hard you tried then you can just try any of the subsequent solutions one by one. Be sure to test connectivity on your device after completing each step to see if the problem has already been fixed. Otherwise, try other steps available.

The following solutions are comprised of manufacturer-recommended procedures and user-defined workaround to deal with network connectivity issues on the iPhone 7 in general. 

Note: Before you begin, verify your account status and make sure it is in good standing and active. This is to eliminate the possibility of the problem being caused by account issues like unsettled bills and/or account restrictions. Contact your service provider for more information about your account and services status beforehand. Also check with your carrier if there is any on-going service maintenance or outages that might have caused network service interrupts in your place. Your carrier will tell give you instructions on what to do then.

Step 1. Reboot (soft reset) your iPhone 7.

Minor device issues that are software-related are usually get remedied by performing a restart on the device. The process is otherwise known as soft reset or turning the device off for a few seconds and then back on. A reboot eliminates any minor glitches that might have been causing the software to act weird or become randomly inconsistent.

For starters who need help in performing a soft reset or restart on the iPhone 7, it’s done through the following simple steps:

  • Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button or Power button on your iPhone 7 for a few seconds until the red slider appears.
  • Drag the Slider to Power OFF the iPhone completely.
  • Wait for about 30 seconds and then press the Sleep/Wake or Power button again until the Apple logo appears.

The device should then reboot.

Alternatively, you can do a force restart in the case where your iPhone becomes unresponsive. No data will be erased in the process therefore, it is deemed safe.

  • To do a force restart on your iPhone 7, press and hold the Sleep/Wake (Power) button and the Volume Down key simultaneously for at least 10 seconds until the Apple logo appears on the screen.

Step 2. Verify network settings on your iPhone 7.

To eliminate the possibility about the problem being caused an incorrect or misconfigured network settings or options. Among the key features to check on your iPhone are Airplane Mode, Cellular Data, and Wi-Fi network options.

When Airplane mode is enabled on your iPhone, Wi-Fi, Cellular Data, and Bluetooth features are automatically disabled. You will know if Airplane mode is enabled when you see the airplane icon in the status bar of your iPhone display.

  • To disable or turn off Airplane mode on your iPhone 7, swipe up from the bottom of your Home screen. Doing so will open the Control Center. Tap the airplane icon in the Control Center to toggle Airplane mode OFF.

After disabling Airplane Mode, check your Wi-Fi settings and make sure it is enabled.

  • To check your Wi-Fi settings on your iPhone 7, head over to Settings-> Wi-Fi. If necessary, toggle the Wi-Fi switch to enable Wi-Fi and connect to your Wi-Fi network.

In case you cannot enable Wi-Fi on your device because the Wi-Fi switch is greyed out, then you can try resetting network settings on your iPhone 7.

  • To reset network settings, go to Settings-> General-> Reset-> Reset Network Settings. Network information including your APN and VPN settings, Wi-Fi credentials and password will be erased in the process so be sure to take note of them before you proceed.

If you are having trouble connecting a certain network when using certain network band like LTE, then you can try to switch between network bands available on your device.

  • To do so, go to Settings-> Cellular-> Cellular Data Options-> disable LTE, and use 4G or 3G instead.

Other users who have encountered pertinent problem on their network were able to deal with it by switching to other network band. 

Step 3. Update iOS on your iPhone 7 to the latest version available.

Originally, the iPhone 7 comes with the iOS 10 platform. A few months later, Apple has issued a series of minor software updates as part of their periodic iOS update rollout as well as to address existing issues affecting iOS devices. To keep your iPhone system optimized, keeping it up-to-date is highly recommended.

  • You can check for available software updates for your iPhone 7 by going to Settings-> General-> About-> Software Update. If an update is available, you will see a notification along with the instructions to proceed with the iOS update download and installation. Backup your iPhone 7 to iCloud or iTunes and then proceed with the update.

You may opt to update your iPhone 7 via iTunes or OTA (wireless update) if available.

Step 4. Re-install SIM card on your iPhone 7.

If you cannot connect to your network and are prompted with an error relevant to the SIM card like SIM card error, No SIM card, and the like, then try to remove and then re-install the SIM card on your device.

Note:

  • It is recommended to power off your iPhone completely before removing the SIM card to prevent causing any damage to the device system.

To remove the SIM card, you will need a SIM eject tool or a small paper clip to pop the SIM tray out.

When the SIM tray is out, gently remove the SIM card from the tray. Before re-inserting the SIM card, make sure that the SIM card slot is free from any dirt or dust. Clean it up if necessary, and then place the SIM card back to its original set up. Once secured, carefully place the SIM card tray in.

Turn your iPhone back on when everything is properly secured.

Step 5. Power cycle your router or modem.

Do not forget to check the source of your connection, which is your wireless router or modem. Most of the time, network connectivity errors and problems like connection failed or network unavailable are usually fixed by rebooting the router or modem. The process is otherwise known as power cycle. It is considered the basic and can either be the very first or last thing to do when attempting to fix any problem with network connections. Most of them time, it helps so you should consider giving this a try on your end too.

The proper way to power cycle a router or modem is through these steps:

  • Power off your router/modem.
  • Unplug its power cord from the power source or outlet.
  • Keep it unplugged for at least 30 seconds.
  • After the elapsed time, plug it back in and then turn it back on by pressing the Power button.

Once your router or modem has restarted, try to reboot your iPhone and then see if the network is now all good.

Note: If you are using wired connections for your network, try to make sure all network cables are properly connected and secured.

Step 6. Restore (factory reset) your iPhone 7.

If none of the indicated steps is able to fix the problem or your iPhone 7 still could not connect to the network, then you should now consider performing a system restore or reset your iPhone to its factory default settings. Doing so will eliminate major software glitches or bugs that might have caused your iPhone to encounter problems with network connections.

This must be considered the last resort since everything stored in your device will be erased in the process. After the reset, your iPhone will restore to factory defaults.

  • To restore your iPhone 7 as new, go to Settings-> General-> Reset-> Erase All Content and Settings. Wait until the entire reset is complete and then set up your iPhone as new.

Note: The process could take longer depending on your iPhone contents. The more contents you have to the restore could take, otherwise, it will get finished shortly.

Need more help?

Contact your carrier or Apple Support for more help

If the problem persists and you think you have done everything on your end but to no avail, at this point, you should contact your carrier or Apple Support to escalate the network connectivity problem you have with your iPhone 7 and seek further assistance. It is possible that a more advanced troubleshooting is required given that you’ve exerted all your efforts and yet couldn’t get the problem fixed.

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