There is an Australian adage that talks about using 4G in your own home because the WiFi is terrible. But what happens when even your 4G fails you? Mobile data not working can feel like being stranded out at sea. What has happened on TikTok while I was stranded?
If your mobile data isn’t working there are a few quick ways to fix it. Follow our quick steps first to get yourself back online, and read on to find out why your data isn’t working.
- Check that you have reception
- Turn aeroplane mode off and on again
- Turn your phone off and take out your SIM card (and put it back in) before turning it back on
- Check that you haven’t run out of data
Telstra customers looking for a stopgap connectivity solution with an eSIM-compatible device could sign up for a prepaid plan from an Optus network or Vodafone network provider with eSIM. Here are some popular prepaid plans from providers that offer eSIM:
Why is my mobile data not working?
There is no single reason why your mobile data isn’t working, but there aren’t a lot to choose from. Most of these issues would have been solved by any of our quick fixes, but here is the reasoning behind them in a bit more detail.
You’ve run out of data
Running out of data, and not realising it is near impossible to do these days - but hey stranger things have happened.
On prepaid plans, you won't be able to access the internet if you've run out of data, but you'll still be able to make phone calls and send text messages. If this happens regularly, you may need a larger plan. We recommend plans with at least 30GB, but it's always best to look at your actual usage to get an idea of what data allowance you need.
Here's a look at the most popular plans right now with at least 30GB of data:
If you’re with a provider with unlimited data (either at capped or uncapped speeds), then you’ll never need to worry about this happening. Your connection may be slowed to under 1Mbps, but it will never be cut off.
On the other hand, if you’re with a smaller provider that doesn’t offer unlimited data (or doesn't automatically bill you for excess usage), then you have a few choices. You may need to recharge your prepaid plan sooner than you’d planned, or buy additional data from your provider, or you could just wait it out until your billing cycle is over.
Use the WhistleOut search engine to compare mobile deals from 28 providers.
You don’t have reception
Sometimes the simplest answer is the correct one, and it is entirely possible that you might just not have reception. It's very obvious if your phone is showing zero bars or "SOS only", but a single bar of reception can make your overall mobile experience much worse. If you only have a single bar of 4G, your mobile data might not work at all.
Fixing coverage isn’t something you can do yourself, short of moving, but you can prevent these issues by checking where coverage is available on different mobile networks. Use our coverage checker below and locate the places you tend to frequent. This can give you a good indication of whether you should have reception there.
Aeroplane mode is on or your mobile data is turned off
We know that this one sounds dumb, but it is worth checking that aeroplane mode isn’t switched on and that mobile data is.
Aeroplane mode turns off your mobile network connection temporarily, so if you’ve accidentally toggled it off, then that would be the problem. The opposite is true for your mobile data settings - if it’s off, it won’t work. You can check both of these in the Settings app on all devices.
Sometimes turning aeroplane mode on and off works to fix connection issues because it forces your phone to find refreshed information. Consider it a soft reset.
Your APN settings may be out of whack
If you’ve just got a new SIM card or you have randomly started having problems with your mobile data, then there may be a problem with the configuration of your internet settings.
Usually, if you have an active mobile plan, the settings should automatically be sent to your phone by your carrier, but there are cases when this might not happen. If you find yourself in this situation, then you’ll need to make some changes to the Access Point Name (APN) in your Settings app.
Note that most of the time, all you’ll need to do is turn off your phone, remove your SIM card, pop it back in and turn your phone back on to reconfigure these settings. If that doesn't work, read more about fixing APN settings here.
Why is my mobile network not available?
If your mobile network isn’t available, then it is probably due to one of the aforementioned issues, but you might also be stung by an outage, or scheduled or emergency maintenance on the network.
Vodafone, Optus, and Telstra provide additional troubleshooting for network connectivity issues as well, which we have outlined below. These steps should also apply to any smaller mobile providers powered by their networks.
Vodafone mobile data not working
For those on the Vodafone network, you can check for scheduled network maintenance and upgrades that might cause an outage. Use the outage checker to see if you are affected.
Optus mobile data not working
Along with the usual solutions, Optus suggests updating your phone’s software if you’re experiencing problems with mobile data. You can also perform a network reset - you’ll find this in the settings section of any device. You'll want to look for Reset Network Settings in your phone's Settings app. You can also look at Optus' outage checker here.
Telstra mobile data not working
Telstra also suggests using Reset Network Settings in your phone's Settings app if mobile data isn’t working. You can also find Telstra's outage checker here.
Anula Wiwatowska
Offsite Editorial Lead | Instagram
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