iPhone 13 Showing No Service? Get Signal Back Quickly!

Part I: Why Does iPhone Say "No Service"?

When your iPhone 13 shows no service, it is natural to think of the worst such as hardware failure. It is natural to think that something is wrong with the iPhone 13. However, that is least likely to be the case. An iPhone no service status means that the iPhone is not able to connect to the cellular/ mobile service provider. In less menacing words, it is just that your network provider's reception is unable to reach the iPhone, and the iPhone is merely notifying you of it by giving the No Service status. This is not something you need to worry about just yet because there are ways to help you how to fix the iPhone 13 no service issue.

Part II: 9 Methods to Fix iPhone 13 No Service Problem

Sometimes, the iPhone no service issue also presents itself just by not connecting to the cellular/ mobile network provider, without explicitly showing a No Service status. That's because there might be something else going on that is keeping your iPhone disconnected from the network. As you can see, there are factors you need to be on the lookout for, and the below methods will help you go through some methods to fix the iPhone 13 no service issue in a step-by-step way.

Method 1: Check for Airplane Mode

This might sound silly, but sometimes the device is inadvertently put in Airplane Mode, resulting in no service on iPhone 13. This can be resolved easily just by turning Airplane Mode off and the iPhone 13 no service issue will be resolved.

If you see an airplane icon on your iPhone beside the battery symbol like this:

This represents that the iPhone is in Airplane Mode. In other words, Airplane Mode is active on your iPhone and that's why it is disconnected from your network provider.

Steps to disable Airplane Mode on iPhone 13:

Step 1: Unlock your iPhone 13 using your passcode or Face ID

Step 2: Swipe down from the Airplane and Battery symbol side to launch Control Centre

Step 3: Tap the Airplane toggle off. In the image below, Airplane Mode is now Off, Wi-Fi is On, Bluetooth is On and Mobile Data is On.

Your iPhone will latch on to your network provider and the signal will be represented:

Method 2: Toggle Cellular Data Off And On

If you are not seeing a No Service status but the iPhone does not have service, it may be that your data connection is disconnected or is not working properly for any reason. Sometimes, on 4G VoLTE (as well as 5G) networks, it helps to toggle cellular data off and back to get the iPhone to register on the network again since LTE works on data packets. Here is how to switch your cellular data off and back on your iPhone 13:

Step 1: Launch Control Centre by swiping down from the top right corner on your iPhone (right side of the notch).

Step 2: The first quadrant on the left contains your network controls.

In this quadrant, the symbol that looks like a stick emitting something is your toggle for Cellular Data. In the image, it is On. Tap it to turn off Cellular Data. After toggling it off, it will look hollowed out/ greyed out like this:

Step 3: Wait about 15 seconds, then toggle it back to On.

Method 3: Restart iPhone 13

Do you know how that good old restart seems to magically make everything alright on computers? Well, it turns out, this holds true for smartphones, too. If your iPhone 13 shows No Service, a restart may help the phone reconnect to the network. Here's how to restart your iPhone 13:

Step 1: Launch the Settings app on the iPhone and then go to General. Scroll down till the end and tap Shut Down

Step 2: You will now see the screen change to this:

Step 3: Drag the slider to shut down the phone.

Step 4: After a few seconds, press and hold the Side Button until the Apple logo appears. Your phone will restart and latch on to the network.

Method 4: Clean The SIM And SIM Card Slot

In case you are using a physical SIM that goes in the slot, you can take the SIM card out, clean the card, blow air gently into the slot to dust off anything inside the slot and put the card back, and see if that helps you connect back to the network.

Method 5: Update Carrier Settings

It is possible that the carrier settings on your iPhone are out-of-date and require new settings to properly connect to the network to resolve your iPhone 13 no service issue. These settings generally update on their own without user intervention, but you can trigger them manually as well, and if there are settings available to download, you will get a prompt to download them. If you do not get a prompt, this means that your settings are up-to-date and there is nothing to do here.

This is how to check for carrier settings update on the iPhone 13:

Step 1: Launch Settings and go to General > About

Step 2: Scroll down to find your SIM or eSIM (as the case may be) and where your Network, Network Provider, IMEI, etc. are listed.

Step 3: Tap Network Provider a few times. If new settings are available, you will get a prompt:

If no prompt, this means settings are up to date already.

Method 6: Try Another SIM Card

This method is used to check three things:

1. If the network is down
2. If the SIM is faulty
3. If the iPhone SIM slot has developed a fault.

In case you have another line on the same network, you can insert that SIM into your iPhone 13 and if it does not work either, you may think the network is down. But, right now, this does not prove anything. You need to check with another provider's SIM card, too.

If another provider's SIM card works fine, but your primary provider's SIMs do not, then it means two things: either the network is down, or the SIMs or network is not compatible with the iPhone. What was that? Yeah.

Now, if the SIM slot would have developed a fault, it would usually just stop recognizing SIMs at all, and inserting or not inserting any SIM would simply keep showing No SIM on the iPhone. When you are seeing No Service, it means the SIM slot is working fine.

Method 7: Contact The Network Provider

If nothing seems to resolve the iPhone no service issue, if multiple SIMs on the same network do not work but other networks work, then your next step is to contact the carrier. You cannot do that over the phone, obviously. Visit the Store or their website and initiate a conversation with them.

It is possible the network is down, and that can be checked easily if you have another line on the same network and it works. If that line also does not work, it may mean that the network is somehow down in the area. Any which way, a conversation with the network provider will be helpful. They may also replace your SIM card to be sure.

It is also entirely possible that the iPhone and the network are incompatible because the network in your area is on a frequency that your iPhone model does not work with.

Method 8: Switch The Network Provider

iPhones support a crazy number of frequencies to allow consumers to experience a seamless cellular reception. However, to have a balance of production cost and consumer experience, Apple creates iPhones for regions and supports certain frequencies in some regions and certain others in other regions, where networks use those frequencies. It does not make sense to support all frequencies in the world.

Now, if you purchased your iPhone in another region, it is possible that the network you are trying to make it work with uses a different frequency. In that case, all you need to do is switch to a provider that uses a frequency that your iPhone purchased in another region also uses.

900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz are commonly supported frequencies for 4G VoLTE. For 5G, for example, the mmWave frequency is not provided on iPhones in all regions of the world because only a handful of networks around the world plan to use that frequency. So, if you are now in a region where networks use mmWave and you happened to get a SIM from that operator, it is possible it might not be completely compatible with your iPhone if you purchased it in a different region. It is best to then switch to a compatible network in such cases.

Method 9: Contact Apple

This is usually the last resort since if all the above has failed, it means there is likely something wrong with the iPhone even if everything seems okay. There are several ways to contact Apple.

One of the ways is to visit their website and initiate a chat with an executive. Another is to call Apple Support.

If you do not have any other phone line available, it might be that you are also unable to make calls. In that case, connect with the executive online through the Apple website.

Conclusion

iPhone 13 no service issue is a very annoying issue indeed. It can make you feel disconnected, and you would want to get this sorted quickly as possible. There is no magic fix or secret hack to this. There are only logical steps you can take to eliminate potential faults that could be causing this issue, such as dirt in the SIM slot, something stuck in software that was reset during a restart or re-establishing a connection to the network so that the handshake between your device and the network is made afresh, changing the SIM card to another, then of another provider as well, etc. With these gradual methods, you can eliminate potential faults and arrive at the one fault that might be causing the iPhone 13 no service problem. Then, you can take steps to fix it. If nothing works, you can always contact both your network provider and Apple.