If you just spent several hundred dollars on a new iPhone 12, at the very least you’d want it to be able to maintain a signal. But some people are reporting that it’s having trouble doing just that.
At least 500 people have reported issues with their iPhone 12 dropping 5G and LTE signals unexpectedly. And as you can imagine they’re not pleased about it.
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It’s not clear how widespread the problem is, but according to 9to5Mac the problem goes back over a month. Apple forum user joxesCA posted about their issues back at the end of October, and it sounds like the problem stems from switching between cell towers.
joxesCA was forced to switch Airplane Mode on and off to regain their connection, and discovered that the problem still occurred after switching from 5G Auto down to LTE. The problem continued even after resetting network settings, then again after restoring the phone to factory settings and reinstalling everything from scratch.
iPhone 12 owners take to RedditA Reddit thread discussing the issue also confirms that this isn’t a carrier-specific problem, since users on Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T have experienced this frustration first hand. The fact that the issue generally seems to occur while traveling or driving suggests that the cell tower switching theory is correct.
"So this probably isn’t a Verizon issue and runs a bit deeper I expect. I first noticed this problem today, probably because of tower handoff because I was working in an areas where reception is known to be extremely flaky at work. I’ve also been independently trying to work out why my Google location timeline wasn’t working in Google maps," explained Reddit user ender89.
"I noticed two things here: first, flipping airplane mode on and off reconnects to the network. Secondly, flipping airplane mode on and off makes location history work. Thirdly, location history can and will stop working again, probably after a tower handoff or two. Lastly, cell reception can continue while location history fails (and the new Google home feature for using a phone as a 'presence sensor' doesn’t work). Toggling airplane mode immediately fixed location history."
Apple hasn’t said anything official about the problem, though Reddit OP Professional_Title posted that Apple customer service would investigate the issue. Shortly afterwards their phone stopped randomly disconnecting, but the absence of a software update is “frustrating” because the problem — and its seemingly random nature — is still unexplained.
The iPhone 12 cellular signal problem is hopefully a software issue which could be solved with an update, though when that might be isn’t clear. After all, it relies on Apple investigating and confirming what the cause of the problem is.
In the meantime if you’re having trouble with your own iPhone 12 randomly disconnecting, make sure to get in touch with support at both Apple and your carrier. More people complaining could help expedite a fix, as should increased pressure from carriers.
Until then, if you are struggling with random disconnections, switching Airplane Mode on and off should provide a short term fix. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than no service at all.
iPhone 12 losing service
Received my iPhone 12 Pro on Friday. Activated it on Saturday. Sunday I drove for 10 mns and when I arrive to my destination I saw no reception bars and No Service. And in the middle of the screen in a grey box: Your iPhone is not Activated.
The only way to get the connection back was to toggle Airplane mode to ON then OFF.
The iPhone had the cellular mode to 5G Auto. I switched it to LTE to test. And it was the same.
So I resetted the network settings: same issue and I resetted the iPhone as a new iPhone and reinstalled everything from scratch (not from a saved backup): same issue.
I drove my car and found the exact location where the phone lost the network. If the phone lost the network it means I reach the end of the coverage area from a certain antenna. It looks like something happened with the phone when I reach a zone covered by a new antenna.
I called my operator and they told me that everything is good on their end and I have the right SIM card for a 5G device.
I called the Apple Tech Support and they remotely installed on my phone two profiles:
Baseband and Telephony Logging
CFNetwork Diagnostics
I was able to replicate the issue after talking to the Apple Tech and I was able to submit the report.
I pushed a little bit the research and I found on Reddit a lot of people talking about the same issue not only on Verizon (my carrier) but also on AT&T. Just use the title I typed and you will find the article.
I never had such issue with the 11pro.
My iPhone 12 has no signal: how to fix it
True, the bare minimum issue of having no signal just after setting up your new iPhone 12 couldn’t be more frustrating. It’s an absolute issue that needs to be addressed straight away or else everything else fails. An iPhone that displays ‘No Service’ in the status bar means that no voice call or messages can be sent or received.
So, what should you do when your phone shows ‘Searching’ or ‘Without Service’ prompt? Here’s a quick fix to that.
Enable/Disable Airplane Mode
Go to Control Centre
Enable Airplane Mode for few seconds, then disable it.
Check the status bar, the signal should be back.
Restart
Press and hold either volume button and the side button until the slider for power off appears.
Turn off your iPhone 12
To turn you iPhone 12 back on, press and hold the side button (on the right side of your iPhone) until you see the Apple logo.
Check/Dust-Proof SIM Card
Turn off your iPhone 12
Eject the SIM card and dust-off/clean it gently
Insert the SIM card back and connectivity should be back
Disable 5G
Go to Settings
Scroll down to Cellular and tap cellular Data Options
Open Voice & Data and select LTE
Disable Data Roaming
Go to Settings
Scroll down to Cellular and tap cellular Data Options
Disable Data Roaming
Erase and Restore iPhone 12 with iCloud
Backup iPhone 12 with iCloud
Go to Settings > Open [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup
Turn on the iCloud Backup button > Click Back Up Now
Erase and Restore iPhone 12 with iCloud
Go to Settings > General > Reset
Click on Erase All Content and Settings option.
You will be prompted to either updated iCloud Backup or directly start the erasing process. If you had done the backup, click Erase Now.
Update to the latest version of iOS (iOS 14.2)
Go to Settings
Click General
Click Software Update
Click Download and Install (Choose iOS 14.2
Does the above hacks solved the issue? These have been tried and tested so hopefully they can be useful to you.
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