It is possible that your iPhone device will occasionally fail to connect to the network. If this happens, you will most likely see a “Could not activate cellular data network” error. It’s really inconvenient, but you can easily resolve this problem with a few simple steps.
Many people encounter the “could not activate cellular data network” error message when connecting to Wifi. Messages and phone calls are unaffected, but internet browsing is. Users have reported other variations of this error message, including “Could Not Activate Cellular Data Network” and “You Aren’t Subscribed to a Cellular Data Service.”
In this article, we will go over the problem in detail and show you how to easily fix it. So, if you would like to learn more about how to fix the “Could not activate cellular data network” error in your iPhone device, read on.
Table of Contents
What Is This Network Error All About?
This “could not activate cellular data network” error on an iPhone device is fairly common. This issue has been reported by an outsized number of iPhone users. On the vast majority of occasions, travelers have also reported this issue.
As a result, if this occurs, users will have no trouble making calls or sending SMS and messages on their iPhones. However, this message appears only when they attempt to open an app on their devices or connect to the internet via mobile data or cellular data. There are several variations of this error message. However, the most important point is that this inability to activate cellular data networks is quite common, and there’s a simple solution.
What Are The Possible Causes Of “Could Not Activate Cellular Data Network” Errors?
There might be several reasons why your cellular data isn’t working. It might be a bad connection in your area or a complete lack of mobile internet coverage, a bug within the system, a physical problem with your device or SIM, or just forgetting to turn on cellular data or turn off Airplane Mode. Your device may simply require a software update.
Before you begin fixing it, here are the most common reasons why this error occurs:
Incorrect APN information: This error is caused by incorrect Access Point Name (APN) information saved within the network settings.
Bugs in updated iOS: According to some users, after updating to the newest version, their network displayed errors due to bugs.
Poor network connectivity: When switching to WiFi connectivity, the web briefly stops working. When the network fails repeatedly, the error “could not activate cellular data network” appears.
Methods For Handling The “Could Not Activate Cellular Data Network” Error
Here are some quick fixes you can try before consulting an expert:
1. Making Cellular Data Available
First and foremost, ensure you have enabled cellular data on your iPhone. It’s very easy to do, but if you do not know how, let us show you.
- Navigate to Cellular in Settings.
- After that, you need to turn on the “Cellular Data” option to enable it.
- Then, scroll down and enable cellular data for all of the apps that are required. Furthermore, if you would like to save cellular data, you ought to disable cellular data for the apps you don’t want to use.
So, after you have done that, try connecting to the web to see if the problem persists.
2. Clear VPN
If the above method doesn’t work, you can try clearing your VPN profiles. This one, however, is only available if you use a VPN service on your phone. Otherwise, you can move on to the next method we discussed. To do so
- Go to Settings>General>VPN.
- Following that, on the VPN screen, tap on the “Profiles” button and clear everything within the “Profiles” section.
- Turn off the phone and wait for about 10 seconds before restarting it.
3. Reset Your Network Configuration
There is another thing you can do to easily solve the “Could not activate cellular network” problem. In fact, it’s one of the most common and effective solutions. You simply need to reset your network settings. So, to accomplish this, go to
- Settings>General>Reset.
- Then, on the subsequent screen, you will see the option “Reset Network Settings.” To reset your iPhone’s settings, tap the Reset option.
- Return to the overall screen and press the shutdown button. Wait about 10 seconds before turning the phone back on.
4. Reset Carrier Preferences
If the above methods fail, the matter is most likely related to the carrier settings. In other words, they would have released an update that your phone lacks. So, all you’ve got to do is go to settings>general>about and see if there is an update available. Install any available updates. If nothing else works, you will need to perform a factory reset to resolve the “could not activate cellular data network” error.
5. Enable and Disable the Airplane Mode.
Enabling and disabling Airplane mode on the iPhone will resolve the “could not activate cellular data network” error. Please carefully follow the steps below.
- Swiping up on your phone and switching off and on airplane mode will take you to the control panel.
- You can also go to settings and turn on and off airplane mode.
6. Force Restart Your Device.
This is one of the simplest methods for resolving the “could not activate cellular data network” issue on the iPhone. All you have to do is force restart your device. Please carefully follow the steps below.
Follow these steps for iPhone 6 and older generations:
- The first thing you should do is simultaneously press the power and home buttons.
- Hold them for about 10–15 seconds.
- Following that, you’ll see the Apple logo, and the device will be forced to restart.
Follow the steps below for the iPhone 7 and later generations:
- The first thing you should do is press the power and volume down buttons at the same time.
- Hold them for about 10 seconds.
- After you see the Apple logo on the screen, the device will be forced to restart.
7. Reinsert SIM
If you are having trouble activating your iPhone’s cellular data network, it’s probably due to SIM card issues. If none of the above methods are working for you, simply use this method.
Make sure your iPhone is turned off and your SIM card is inserted. Remove your SIM card and wait a few seconds. Replace your SIM card and restart your iPhone. Toggle the “Info Network” option and check for any problems.
8. LTE should be Minimized.
LTE stands for Long-Term Evolution, which is why you have high-speed internet. As a result, disable it to scale back the speed of your network connection. Please carefully follow the steps below.
- The first step is to go to settings and select the cellular option.
- Make sure to select cellular data options in the cellular menu.
- Now, attend Voice and 3G and select the 3G option.
9. Update your iOS
If you are experiencing this “cannot activate cellular data network” issue on your iPhone, you ought to update your iOS to the most recent version. Please carefully follow the steps below.
- The first thing you should do is go to settings and select “general.”
- Make sure to check for updates by clicking on “software update.”
- If there are any updates, download and install them.
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10. Contact Apple Customer Service.
Finally, if none of the above methods work, there might be internal damage or a hardware problem.
As a final resort, you’ll contact Apple’s support team and explain your situation. They are going to offer you a solution.
Bottom Line
There are some things you can try to fix the “Could Not Activate Cellular Data Network” error on your iPhone. To begin, make sure that your cellular data is enabled in Settings. If that is not the case, try resetting your network settings. If that fails, you can try restoring your iPhone from a backup. If everything else fails, you’ll need to contact your carrier for assistance.
We hope you can now resolve your problem because we covered every aspect of this error. If the problem persists, try each of the methods listed separately. You can also contact Apple customer service, but we recommend you first try to recover your device.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are unable to activate your mobile data, ensure that you turn on and off your airplane mode.
If you would like to fix an iPhone that won’t activate cellular data, you can use any of the methods listed above.
Yes, if you are unable to update your cellular network, simply re-insert your SIM card and check for errors.
To do so, go to settings>General>About to update your carrier settings. You’ll now apply the carrier settings update.
The SIM card is going to be activated if you activate a cellular data plan with your local carrier. Simply open the SIM-card tray and insert your carrier’s SIM card. If you are unable to connect to cellular data, go to Settings > Cellular Data and turn it on.
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