It’s very common to get weak cellular reception or not getting any network at all but what if it’s happening too frequently? Should you be worried? This is regarded as a weak signal or lost network issue which is one of the most observed issues with Android smartphones such as Nokia, Sony, etc. Note that we are concentrating on Sony weak signal or lost network issue but that doesn’t mean that other smartphone users cannot follow this explicit guide on how to fix these issues. Go, gear up and check out the possible reasons and the potential methods that will help fix the issues for which, the reasons are still unknown.
Page Contents
- What causes the weak signal or lost network issue?
- Method 01: Simply reboot the phone
- Method 02: Go to Airplane Mode
- Method 03: Change Network Preference
- Method 04: Change Automatic to Manual & vice versa
- Method 05: Check if the SIM card is inserted properly
- Method 06: Check if IMEI is null
- Method 07: Remove any object interfering with the reception
- Method 08: Use Signal Booster
- Method 09: Update the Android OS
- Method 10: Factory Data Reset
- What if the antenna or network IC is damaged?
What causes the weak signal or lost network issue?
It is actually complicated to address all the reasons why your phone is observing a no signal or weak signal issue as it could be due to software conflict or any software-related issue or any feature is creating conflict between the phone’s capability to intercept cellular network or it could be due to hardware issue where any one or multiple components that are attuned to provide cellular reception are causing the issue. In this extract, we have provided a generalized list of methods that are helpful in pretty much every situation in which your phone is showing such an error.
Method 01: Simply reboot the phone
Suppose you just show that there is no network available or if the network is too weak to make calls or send messages assuming that you aren’t traveling out of the network circle like Mumbai circle, restart the phone. This will put an end to all ongoing processes and services on the system and also the temporary bug or error that caused temporary network issue.
Method 02: Go to Airplane Mode
It may sound ironic that you aren’t getting cellular reception or the phone is having a weak network and we are asking you to disable the network by turning on the airplane mode but this method is very helpful in fixing these minor issues. Pull down the notification tray and tap on the Airplane mode icon to turn it on. Once it is ON, waits for few seconds by turning it OFF and check if the network is restored or not. This is also a popular troubleshooting method to restore weak signal.
Method 03: Change Network Preference
Even though most of the smartphone now have 4G, it is quite possible that a region in your city or if you are traveling somewhere out of the city, there is no 4G network available. In such cases, you can downgrade to 3G as lower bands of networks are easily available throughout the country. This will allow you to make calls, messages and also access the internet, though not too fast.
To change network preference, go to Settings.
Open Mobile Network and click on Settings.
Now, tap on Network Mode or Network Preference or otherwise and tap on preference network.
Method 04: Change Automatic to Manual & vice versa
The default network selection mode is Automatic. When you are at home or office or traveling within the same city, you don’t need to search and select for the available network since the phone automatically registers with the available network. But when you are traveling out of the city, the network may wobble and at times, remain unavailable. In such cases, you can tweak the network selection mode to Manual where the user will be responsible to search for available networks and register on their network.
This method is quite useful as it gives the user chance to search for available networks rather than waiting for the phone to automatically registered itself that could take a second or forever based on the availability.
Method 05: Check if the SIM card is inserted properly
If there is no signal, check if the SIM card is inserted properly or not. Also, check if the SIM Card is not damaged or any damage to the chip mount on SIM cards can make it useless. If that’s the case, verify it by switching the SIM with another and check if that’s working on your phone. If yes, walk into the carrier outlet and get it replaced.
Method 06: Check if IMEI is null
For those who aren’t aware of what’s IMEI, its an International Mobile Equipment Identity that keeps track of each model produced by every smartphone manufacturer. When you purchase a phone, it must have a valid IMEI number so that all other operations such as SIM card can work on it. But what if the IMEI number is nulled or the system deems it unknown, then it is possible that the phone will ‘No Service’ or ‘No Signal’ until you fix it. Here’s what you must do.
- First, open the dialer and press the code (*#06#) as it is. This will show IMEI number on the screen.
- If it shows ‘Null’, then the number must have corrupted or unknown and here’s how you can fix it.
- Open the dialer and type the code (*#197328640#) or (*#*#197328640#*#*) that will take your phone into command mode.
- Select Common and then, tap on Field Test Mode (FTM).
- This particular step will restore the IMEI number on your phone after which, press the Menu key to save the changes made.
- Now, press Key input and turn off the FTM.
- Next step is to remove the SIM Card, Battery and wait for few minutes before re-inserting it.
- Now, press the code (*#197328640#) and go to Debug Screen >> Phone Control >> Nas Control >> RRC and revise it that will automatically resolve null or unknown/unregistered IMEI.
- The last step is to switch off the phone and then, insert the SIM card to check if the phone is still showing ‘No Signal’ or not.
Method 07: Remove any object interfering with the reception
Your phone is constantly in contact with a nearby cell tower through radio waves. Although these waves travel long-range, the easily get weakened with every progressing obstruction which could be a wall, window, and even a phone cover made up of a certain type of material or an accessory mounted on it. If you are observing weak signal issue on your phone, it may be because the obstruction is causing the signal to weaken. Therefore, check if there is any obstruction, you can experiment with removing the phone cover and going towards the window to check if the strength of the signal grows.
Method 08: Use Signal Booster
If you think that there is more obstruction between you and the cell tower such as buildings or walls, you can try to boost the signal using Signal booster which is an instrument that takes an available signal from outside and broadcast it inside the office or home or a particular region. This equipment amplifies the signal so that you can have a strong network with ease.
Method 09: Update the Android OS
As an Android user, you will be delighted to know that Android receives an update every now and then. These updates are available because it blocks or cut off or fixes the bugs and errors that were discovered by users and developers in its previous version. That means with every progressing update, your firmware is actually bringing more features and fixing more bugs than its previous version. Bugs could intercept the system and cause weak signal or lost network issue which can be fixed simply by updating the OS.
Method 10: Factory Data Reset
If updating the OS didn’t help you, think about resetting the device. It will erase all the data stored on the phone but it will fix all the software-related glitches that you have been observing off late. It includes plenty of performance issues and more.
To perform FDR on Sony smartphone, turn it off and wait for some time.
Next is to press and hold both power button and volume up button for some time until the phone vibrates or displays an Android logo.
Once you enter the recovery mode, choose the option called ‘wipe data/factory reset’. On the next page, choose the option ‘Yes — delete all user data’.
Once it is done, reboot the phone and you will notice the difference by yourself. Note that if this method doesn’t help, it might be a hardware issue which you can read ahead.
What if the antenna or network IC is damaged?
If the network isn’t restored even after you applied multiple methods from the above given explicit list, it is possible that the error is caused due to a damaged antenna or network IC which is built-in your phone. These two components can be replaced or fixed based on the severity of the issue for which, you’ll have to report it to a technician or an authorized service center.
Read More:
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- Guide To Fix Nokia Weak Signal Or Lost Network Issue
- Methods To Fix Sony Restarting And Freezing Problem
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- How to improve GPS signal on your Android device