Ever got stuck at a cafe trying to make a payment, but your Samsung phone refuses to connect to mobile data? On checking, you realize that you’ve missed several messages and notifications. That can mostly happen due to poor network connectivity issue or something tweaked in your phone’s settings. Here’s how to troubleshoot your mobile data not working on Samsung Galaxy phones.
Table of Contents
Before You Start
We’re addressing mostly the Samsung Galaxy phones running One UI version with Android. Before we start tweaking the settings, try these basic fixes:
- Restart your phone: This can often resolve temporary glitches.
- Update to the latest software: Outdated software can sometimes cause connectivity issues.
- Toggle Airplane Mode On and Off: This will refresh the connection between your phone and the cellular network.
- Disable VPN: If you’re using a Virtual Private Network, turn it off temporarily to see if it’s interfering with your mobile data connection.
- Test Your Internet Speed: Using a speed test app can help identify whether you are not getting internet or is it just slow. You can use Speedtest by Ookla app or search Speedtest on Google.
- Clean and reinsert SIM card: Dust or improper placement can affect connectivity.
- Try a different SIM card: Borrow a friend’s SIM card to check if the issue is with your SIM card or your phone.
Often the above troubleshooting tricks will solve the issue on your Galaxy phone. If they don’t help, follow the steps below.
1. Check Which SIM is Enabled for Data (For Dual SIM Phones)
If you are using a phone with multiple SIMs, there is a chance that you have turned on the mobile data for the wrong SIM. Don’t rely solely on the quick settings panel, as it might not reflect the individual SIM data settings. Instead, open Settings > Connections > SIM manager and select the Mobile data option. In the pop-up, you can choose the SIM card meant for mobile data access.
2. Check the Data Limits
Samsung offers a data limit option that blocks your mobile data to a specified number. Mostly, so you do not exceed the data plan limit and end up paying more.
For that, open Settings > Connections > Data usage > Billing cycle and data warning and tap on Data limit to check whether you have reached your data limit. If you have, increase the data limit or disable it.
3. Verify Your Data Limit With Your Carrier
If you suspect you’ve used up your data allowance for the billing cycle, then check with the help of the carrier app or contact your carrier.
To check your data usage, open Settings > Connections > Data usage and select Mobile data usage.
4. Review Data Saver and Ultra Data Saver Options
Data Saver options on Samsung phones block background apps from using the internet. In case, you can access the internet, but can’t download anything, take backups, etc. then the Data Saver option could be the reason.
Open Settings > Connections > Data usage. Next, select Data saver and turn off the toggle. Then, select Ultra data saver and turn off its toggle.
5. Enable Roaming When Traveling
Another common reason your mobile data won’t work on your Samsung phone is that you are traveling outside your state or country. Your phone blocks the mobile data to prevent additional roaming charges for using data outside. If you want to use data while traveling, you need to enable the Roaming option.
Open Settings > Connections > Mobile network and enable the toggle beside Data roaming.
6. Manually Select Your Network Operator
In some cases, your phone might not automatically connect to the optimal network provider. You can manually scan for available networks and choose the one with the strongest signal strength or preferred network provider.
This option can be found in Settings > Connections > Mobile networks and select Network operators. On the next screen, disable the toggle beside Select automatically and select the preferred operator manually.
7. Switch to 4G LTE Temporarily
If you’re experiencing issues with a 5G connection, switch to 4G LTE temporarily. While 5G offers faster speeds, it might not have the same range or network stability as 4G LTE in certain areas. You can find this option in Settings > Connections > Mobile networks > Network mode.
8. Reset Access Point Names (APNs)
Access Point Names (APNs) are configurations that connect your phone to your carrier’s network. If these settings are outdated, it can lead to mobile data connectivity problems. Resetting the APNs to the default settings provided by your carrier can often resolve these issues.
To reset, open Settings > Connections > Mobile networks and select Access Point Names. Over here, tap on three vertical dots in the top-right corner and select Reset to default.
9. Set the Correct APN Protocol
When you use mobile data on your Galaxy phone, APN configuration defines how your phone connects to your carrier’s network. This includes specifying the type of IP address (IPv4 or IPv6) used for communication. In case your APN protocol is set to an older version IPv4, you can switch to IPv6 or even better, leave the option to the carrier.
To do that, open Settings > Connections > Mobile networks > Access Point Names and select the access point that is already selected. Scroll down to the APN protocol option. Then, select IPv4/IPv6 option in the pop-up menu.
10. Reset Network Settings
If none of the above steps resolve your mobile data issue, you may reset your phone’s network settings as a last resort. This will remove details of your Wi-Fi connections, Bluetooth pairings, and other network settings. Before you proceed, note down important Wi-Fi passwords you might need to re-enter afterward.
The option to reset network settings appears in Settings > General management > Reset > Reset mobile network settings. Follow the on-screen steps to reset network settings.
If your Galaxy phone still can’t use data after trying all the solutions above, it’s a good idea to get it checked at a Samsung service center. If you are facing issues with Wi-Fi, read our post on how to fix Android connected to Wi-Fi, but no Internet error.
Get Mobile Data Working
Hopefully, you can use mobile data on your Samsung Galaxy phone after the solutions mentioned above. Also, you may call the mobile service provider’s customer care to check if the issue is from their end. In rare cases, it is a hardware issue. However, the solutions above will mostly get mobile data working on your Galaxy phone again.
