why isn't my data working?

Arguably everything we do on our smartphones today requires an internet connection. And while mobile networks have gotten better and better over the years, it can be frustrating when yours is not working. My mobile data is on but not working; what can I do? Check out our tested solutions to restore your lost mobile connection.

What to do when my mobile data is on but not working:

Sometimes, all you need to do when mobile data is on but no internet connection is to turn on and off Airplane mode. Doing so will cut off your phone from the mobile network and can fix the problem alongside it.

On most Android devices, you’ll find the Airplane mode toggle in the Quick Settings. Otherwise, you can go to Settings → Network & Internet → Airplane mode to do the trick.

Simply turn on the Airplane mode for a minute, then turn it off again. Check if your mobile data is working now or try the next solution.

Aside from toggling on/off Airplane mode, restarting mobile devices has been a one-click solution to various problems. “My mobile data is on but not working” could be caused by a minor system glitch or an error from your mobile operator that can be fixed by rebooting your phone.

In that case, just reboot your phone to see if the trick works:

Try turning on your mobile data again to see if you can browse the internet now.

Eight out of ten times, choosing the wrong mobile network mode can hamper your browsing experience. Or at worse, slower the internet speed and convince you to say my mobile data is on but not working.

Most devices come with a 4G mobile network and some recent ones with 5G networks. The better the network type, the faster your internet connection. However, if you’ve chosen the wrong one, you might face problems connecting to the internet.

Follow the steps below to choose the appropriate network mode for your device.

Note: ensure you do not select 4G only to ensure you can make/receive calls on the mobile network. Mobile data is working but call is not working could occur if your device is set to 4G only.

Access Point Name, also known as APN is the gateway that connects your mobile network to the internet. Without it, you won't be able to connect to the internet via mobile data, even if your SIM card is loaded with a data subscription.

It is usually provided by your carrier when you insert a new SIM card into your phone. However, things may go wrong sometimes when the APN is changed manually or after a system upgrade.

The easiest way to fix that and resolve “my mobile data is on but not working” is to reset the APNs. Kindly do so by following the steps below.

Doing so should reconfigure your APN, and your device should be ready to browse. You can toggle on/off Airplane mode once again to refresh the network, then turn on your mobile data.

If that didn’t do the trick, you may contact your network provider and ask for the right APN settings for your device.  After that, add a new APN address by tapping the + icon on the APN settings page.

Though not that effective on all Android devices, leaving your APN protocol to IPv4 only could hinder your mobile network from connecting to the internet, even if you have an active subscription. That's why many people say "I have data but no internet connection on my device."

While IPv4 is the fundamental protocol for many internet communications, some advanced servers may require IPv6 to work correctly. Follow the steps below to set the APN protocol on your device to IPv4/IPv6.

Sometimes the cached data accumulated in the Android cache partition may course serious problems on your device, such as the one you’re currently facing. Clearing the cache partition via the recovery menu may fix that.

Here’s how:

If none of the solutions above has worked for you so far, you might need to reset the network settings on your phone. Probably, it could be some underlying errors hindering your mobile network from communicating with the internet. On the flip side, resetting network settings will reset everything related to mobile data, WiFi, and Bluetooth on your device. So, it’s worth giving your shot:

If the network problem is specific to certain apps, like Netflix not working on WiFi but working on mobile data, something might be wrong with the app itself. In that case, we recommend you reset the app to see if it works things out.

Here’s the trick:

While there is no magic trick to get your mobile data up and running for sure, here are certain tips that you can try out. Of course, ‘trying to turn it off and on again’ is one of the first things that we do but in case this good old mantra fails, here are some tips that might be useful.

In the good old days, we could take out the batteries of the phone and put them back on again in case of any network issue and that did the trick for fixing mobile connectivity, phone hangups, and whatnot. While it is no longer possible to take out a phone’s battery, what you can do is turn on the airplane mode for a few minutes and then turn it off again. In most cases, toggling the airplane mode works as a quick trick for fixing mobile data networks.

If, however, the airplane mode trick doesn’t work for you, try switching off your phone and turning it back on after a few minutes.

If you use a physical SIM card, removing it from your device and inserting it back in might just be what works best and solve your problem instantaneously.

If you use two SIM cards, it is a good idea to enable the option on your phone to choose from the best available network. Here’s how to do it:

For iPhone users-

For Android users

Sometimes, when you use up a lot of your mobile data, the daily limit gets exhausted and it results in the mobile data not working. Almost all service providers send a text alert when your mobile data limit for the day is about to end or has ended. Keep an eye out for such messages and choose a plan that suits your needs the best.

In most cases, toggling the airplane mode works as a quick trick for fixing mobile data networks. If, however, the airplane mode trick doesn't work for you, try switching off your phone and turning it back on after a few minutes.

• Restart your smartphone.
• Turn off your mobile device.
• Turn off Airplane Mode.
• Disable Wi-Fi.
• Disable Bluetooth.
• Check your network provider.
• Turn on your mobile data.
• Install the latest system update.