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Solved: Phone Doesn’t Work Without Wi-Fi
Do you have cell coverage in your area?
4 min. read
Updated onNovember 28, 2023
updated onNovember 28, 2023
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If your phone doesn’t work without Wi-Fi, that means there’s a problem with your cellular connection or the mobile data. All Windows Report editors have had this problem, and here we’re bringing all the solutions to fix it.
Why is my phone not working unless connected to Wi-Fi? The phone doesn’t work without Wi-Fi because you either have bad cellular coverage, the mobile data is not turned on or not working, or the SIM card is not connected correctly or is damaged.
What do I do if the phone doesn’t work without Wi-Fi?
There are a few workarounds you should try first:
1. Check if Mobile Data is turned on
1.1 On Android
Of course, if you have 2 SIM cards, check if the right one is selected.
1.2 On iPhone
On older iPhones, you will see Cellular Data instead of Mobile Data. Usually, this will fix the problem if the mobile data is not working.
2. Reset the APNs
2.1 On Android phones
2.2 On iPhone
3. Clear the cache on Google Play services
If only the apps on your phone are not using the mobile data, clearing the cache of Google Play services can fix the problem. If this doesn’t fix the issue, you may also remove the Google account and add it again.
Other tips to fix the phone if it doesn’t work without Wi-Fi:
Do mobile phones work without Wi-Fi?
Of course, mobile phones work without Wi-Fi. You can use the mobile data connection and evenset up a hotspotfor other devices.
However, you won’t be able to use the mobile data if you have a poor cellular connection or GSM signal.
That’s it! To summarize, check if you have a stable cellular connection, turn on the mobile data, and reset or reconfigure your APNs. If only the apps can’t connect to mobile data, clear the cache for the Google Play services.
The last resort is to reset your phone to factory settings, but before that, make sure you back up your data on your Google account or by using dedicatedmobile backup software.
You might also be interested in how toenable the eSIM on Windows 11and restore your connection. If you are using a Giffgaff mobile operator and facing issues whilesending messages with error code 38, check out the guide to find the solutions.
If you have questions or suggestions on fixing this issue, leave us a note in the comments section below.
More about the topics:Device Connection Error,Wi-Fi
Claudiu Andone
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Oldtimer in the tech and science press, Claudiu is focused on whatever comes new from Microsoft.
His abrupt interest in computers started when he saw the first Home Computer as a kid. However, his passion for Windows and everything related became obvious when he became a sys admin in a computer science high school.
With 14 years of experience in writing about everything there is to know about science and technology, Claudiu also likes rock music, chilling in the garden, and Star Wars. May the force be with you, always!
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Claudiu Andone
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Oldtimer in the tech and science press, with 14 years of experience in writing on everything there is to know about science, technology, and Microsoft
