Android mobile data not working? 8 fixes to try

2 min read · 8 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

When apps load on Wi-Fi and stop as soon as you leave the house, mobile data is switched off, used up, blocked by a setting, or the phone has lost its connection settings.

Menu names below are from Google Pixel phones on a recent Android version. Samsung, Xiaomi and other brands rename some of them. The pictures are simplified diagrams of the screen, not screenshots.

Step by step

1. Switch mobile data off and on

   Open Settings, tap Network & internet or Connections, then SIMs or Mobile network. Switch Mobile data on. If it is already on, switch it off and on again.

   Done

2. Look for the data symbol

   Turn Wi-Fi off. At the top of the screen, next to the signal bars, a symbol such as 4G, LTE or 5G should appear. No bars means no reception: move to a window or go outside.

   Done

3. Use Airplane mode as a reset

   Turn Airplane mode on, wait 10 seconds and turn it off. The phone then registers with the network again.

   Done

4. Restart the phone

   A restart clears a stuck connection. The steps are in how to restart or force restart an Android phone.

   Done

5. Check your allowance and your limit

   If your monthly data is used up, the provider slows or stops the connection. Check the provider's app. Then look at Settings, Network & internet, SIMs, Data warning & limit: a data limit set on the phone switches mobile data off when it is reached.

   Done

6. Check Data Saver and roaming

   Data Saver under Network & internet stops apps from using data in the background. Abroad, mobile data only works when Roaming is switched on for the SIM, and that can cost extra.

   Done

7. Check the access point (APN)

   Under the SIM settings, tap Access point names. The entry of your provider should be selected. After changing provider or with a new SIM, tap the menu and choose Reset to default.

   Done

8. Reset the network settings

   Open Settings, System, Reset options and choose Reset mobile network settings (on some phones: Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth). Saved Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth pairings may be removed. Nothing else is deleted.

   Done

Good to know

With two SIMs, check which one is set for mobile data under Settings, Network & internet, SIMs.

If calls fail as well, the problem is the SIM or the network: Android phone says no service or SIM not detected: 8 fixes.

How to keep within your allowance: how to set data limits and save mobile data on Android.

In short: Mobile data off and on, data symbol, Airplane mode for 10 seconds, restart, allowance and limit, Data Saver and roaming, APN, reset network settings.