Why is My LTE Not Working? 8 Proven Ways to Fix It

LTE offers a reliable Internet connection when you are out of the Wi-Fi zone. But sometimes it stops working and fails to turn on. It mostly happens when the service provider is down, or you have incorrect APN settings.

There are several scenarios when LTE stops working. If you are trying to make a call and use the data service simultaneously, it may not be available, depending upon your carrier. Or, sometimes, the SIM card itself may be problematic.

The problem sorts out often with a simple phone restart. But the scenario is not always the same, and you need to dig more.

How to Fix if LTE is Not Working

Before you jump to the fixes section, you should make sure you have an LTE-compatible phone and SIM card. If you have recently purchased a SIM card, the service provider may not have activated LTE service. Please wait sometime before it gets activated. If not, you need to request the APN settings manually. Or, if you have an old SIM card, ensure you have subscribed to the LTE service.

This is what the LTE (Long Term Evolution) symbol looks like on your status bar once it is turned on.

Meanwhile, turn off Wi-Fi or Bluetooth when turning on the LTE feature since they can interfere with the LTE connections. Moreover, sometimes, turning on airplane mode and turning it back off again also solves the issue.

If you have gone through all these primary fixes, now is the time to move toward the other fixes.

Check if The Service Is Down

You should first check if your telecommunication service provider is down for maintenance. There may be an outage in your area, and you may be facing problems using the LTE on your phone.

Similarly, if you are in the out-of-coverage area, probably in the remote part of your country, you may not get the carrier signal enough to use the LTE feature. You can verify it by placing a phone call. Generally, you can not place calls also if your carrier is down. Moreover, if you are out of your country, check if data roaming is turned off.

You can contact your network operator and seek help. Service providers like AT & T and Verizon have a separate customer care department to look into your issues.

Check the Remaining Data

If you use mobile data, you may have subscribed to the data package or directly use data from the main balance of your SIM card. Please verify if you have sufficient data or balance remaining on your phone.

You can use the respective operator’s USSD code to check the balance or data remaining on your SIM. Some operators even have a mobile application available for that purpose.

Switch the SIM Cards

If your phone supports dual SIM cards, and you have two SIM cards inserted, you can try changing the SIM through which you use the Internet. If LTE is working on another SIM card, there might be some settings misconfiguration on that particular SIM. If LTE does not work with either of them, there is probably an issue with your phone settings.

Follow the steps below to switch SIM cards for mobile data:

1. Open Settings on your phone.
2. Tap Connections > SIM card manager.
   
3. Choose Mobile data.
   
4. Select your preferred SIM card for mobile data.
   

Enable LTE in Network Mode

In your phone’s network settings, you can choose which mode to use for the Internet over your SIM card. There are options like 2G only, 3G only, and LTE. You need to activate LTE there before you can start using it.

On Android

1. Open Settings on your phone.
2. Then choose Connections > Mobile networks.
   
3. Tap Network mode.
4. Choose LTE or LTE/3G/2G, and you are done.
   

On iOS

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Cellular.
   
3. Select Cellular Data Options.
   
4. Tap Voice & Data.
   
5. Select LTE.

Reset the Access Point Profile

The access point on your phone is used to establish a gateway between the Internet and your carrier network. APNs are generally installed on your phone when you first activate the SIM card. If you have installed APN by yourself, it may be misconfigured and prevent LTE from working.

Resetting the APN helps to remove the customized APN profiles and reset your carrier APN settings to default.

Follow the steps below:

On Android

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Connections.
3. Then tap Mobile networks.
   
4. Select Access Point Names.
   
5. Tap the three dots button in the top right of your screen and tap Reset to default.
   
6. Choose Reset.
   

On iOS

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Cellular.
   
3. Tap Cellular Data Options.
   
4. Tap Reset settings.

Reset Network

You can also try resetting the network settings. If you have messed up with network settings and encountered an LTE not working issue after that, it will help solve the problem. It will reinitialize the network settings, and you should be able to use LTE back again.

Here’s how to perform a network reset:

On Android

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap General management > Reset.
   
3. On the Reset screen, tap Reset network settings.
   
4. Choose the SIM card whose network settings you want to reset.
5. Click Reset settings.
   

On iOS

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap General.
   
3. Select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
4. Tap Reset.
5. Then select Reset Network Settings.
   

Re-insert SIM Cards

Re-inserting SIM cards when LTE is not working is generally not necessary. But, it may sometimes fix the problem. If you recently installed the SIM card, there is a chance that it might have been misplaced. Or, if you dropped your phone, the SIM may get mispositioned in the slot.

You can easily remove the SIM and insert it again. Depending upon where your SIM card resides, you may need to remove the phone cover or simply use the SIM ejector pin to remove the SIM card.

Take Your Phone to the Repair Center

In the worst-case scenario, the network chips on your phone may get damaged. This generally does not happen, but if your phone has recently fallen or you accidentally splashed water over your phone, it might be the culprit. You can take your phone to the repair center and get it repaired by a professional.