How to fix No Service error on Apple iPhone XR, calling and texting services not available [Troubleshooting Guide]

by Harold updated   

When your iPhone prompts you with a No Service error, it means that the device couldn’t establish a network connection, probably has no signal. As outcome, you won’t be able to make and receive phone calls, send and receive text messages, or connect to the Internet unless through Wi-Fi. Problems like this usually occur when a network outage is transpiring as well as when the phone’s network system is glitching.

In worst case scenarios, No service error is attributed to hardware damage. But before rushing to a service center, there are some workarounds that can be used to rule out software-related factors that might have triggered the No Service error to occur on your device. To give you some inputs I’ve outlined the simplest and most effective solutions for you to try on. Read further and find out what to do whenever you’re iPhone XR prompts the same No service error and unable to process calls and text messages.

But before anything else, if you have another issue with your phone, drop by our troubleshooting page as we have already addressed hundreds of issues reported by the owners. Odds are that there are already existing solutions on our website or at least, there are similar problems we already fixed. So, try to find ones that are similar or related to your problem. If you need further assistance, however, feel free to contact us by filling up our iPhone issues questionnaire.

How to troubleshoot iPhone XR with No Service error

Before troubleshooting, you need to check on a few things including your account status and network outage. If any of these is the main cause, then troubleshooting won’t be necessary. Service providers or carriers typically disable outgoing services for accounts with unsettled issues including unpaid bills, fraudulent activities, and the like. Give your carrier a call to verify and ensure that your account status is good and your services are all active. Aside from account and service status, also check for any temporary network outages transpiring in your place. Network signal and services can become temporarily unavailable due to network outages either scheduled or unexpected. Otherwise, try performing any of the following solutions, if the No service error persists even when there are no network outages and with a good status on your account.

First solution: Toggle Cellular Data off and on.

Should this be just a temporary glitch affecting the phone’s cellular data functions, then it should be easily resolved by turning Cellular Data off and then back on. If you haven’t done this yet, then give it a try and refer to these steps:

  1. Tap Settings from your Home screen.
  2. Scroll to Cellular.
  3. Toggle the Cellular Data switch to turn the feature OFF.

With Cellular Data disabled, restart/soft reset your iPhone XR with these steps:

  1. Press and hold the Side/Power button and either Volume buttons simultaneously for a few seconds.
  2. Release the buttons when the Slide to Power Off command appears.
  3. Drag the power off slider to the right. Keep the phone turned off for about 30 seconds.
  4. Then press and hold the Power/Side button again until the phone boots up.

After restarting your iPhone, go back to Settings-> Cellular menu, then toggle Cellular Data switch to turn it on again.

Second solution: Update carrier settings on your iPhone XR.

Carrier settings are comprised of small update files from your carrier or Apple to improve carrier-related settings like calling, network, messaging, hotspot, voicemail and cellular data settings. These updates also offer fix patches to get rid of network-related issues in certain iOS device. Here’s how to check for and install new carrier settings update on your iPhone XR:

  1. Connect your iPhone to Wi-Fi, if necessary.
  2. Tap Settings.
  3. Select General.
  4. Tap About.

You will see an option to Update your carrier settings if an update is available. If the carrier update is mandatory, you will see an OK button instead of Update.

Reboot your iPhone after successfully updating carrier settings to implement the new changes accordingly. Then see if that fixes the problem.

Third solution: Update phone software to the latest version.

Aside from carrier settings update, it also helps to update your iPhone software to the latest version of iOS available. New updates Apple rolls out generally contain fix patches for security enhancements, hence installing them will likely get rid of bug-inflicted network issues particularly No service error. If your phone can connect to the internet via Wi-Fi, then you can try these steps:

  1. From the Home screen, tap on Settings.
  2. Select General.
  3. Tap Software Update.
  4. Tap the option to Download and Install update whenever you’re ready.

Before downloading and installing update, creating backups is recommended. You can back up your critical data to iCloud or iTunes as you prefer.

Fourth solution: Reset network settings on your iPhone XR.

Performing this reset can help deal with network problems and relevant errors on the phone. You’re probably getting a No service error due to some incorrect network configuration or network data corruption. To rule this out, follow these steps to reset network settings on your iPhone XR:

  1. Tap Settings from Home.
  2. Select General.
  3. Scroll down to and tap on Reset.
  4. Select the option to Reset network settings.
  5. Enter your device passcode when asked to continue.
  6. Then tap the option to confirm network settings reset.

After the reset, your iPhone should reboot automatically and then loads the default network options and values. Turn on Cellular Data and see if the error is gone.

Fifth solution: Remove and reseat your SIM card.

SIM card issues like when the SIM card segments are corrupted can also cause similar errors to occur. The same thing can happen if the SIM card is loose or dislodged. In this case, the phone is telling you that it’s not getting network services simply because no SIM card is detected. To make sure this isn’t what’s causing your iPhone XR to get a No service error, follow these steps to remove and reinstall the SIM card on your iPhone:

  1. Turn off your iPhone XR completely.
  2. While the phone is turned off, insert the SIM ejector tool into the small hole on the SIM card tray. The SIM card tray is located on the side of your iPhone.
  3. Gently push the ejector tool into the hole until the tray ejects.
  4. Then remove the SIM card from the tray.
  5. Examine the card for any signs of damage. If there is, then call your carrier and ask for new SIM card replacement. If the SIM card is fine, place it back into the tray in the same manner before you removed it.
  6. Secure the SIM card into place then push the tray back into the phone to close it.
  7. Lock the tray in place.

Then turn on your iPhone XR again and then wait for a few moments until your phone re-establish network connection.

Seek more help

Contact your network service provider for further assistance in performing more advanced solutions if you’re still getting a No service error on your iPhone XR. Otherwise, take your device to an Apple-authorized service center nearby for hardware damage assessment. A certain network component of your iPhone XR might have obtained some sort of physical or liquid damage and that therefore requires service. If you’re phone is still eligible for warranty, then you should make use of it.

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If you need more help with the use of certain functions and features of the Apple iPhone XR smartphone, feel free to visit our Tutorial Page. There you can find a list of how-to contents, step-by-step tutorials, as well as answers to FAQs regarding iPhone XR. If you have other concerns or encountered some troubles while using the phone, you can reach us through this form. Just be sure to tell us more details of the problem or device issue(s) you may have and we will be more than happy to assist you further.