One of the most common problems smartphone users experience is getting a “cellular network not available for voice calls” error. This error impedes a user’s ability to make calls, send messages, and perform other functions related to their mobile carrier. But worry no more! In this article, we will go over why you can get such an error message and what you can do to resolve it.
It is our aim that by the end of this article, you will never have to miss your most important and urgent phone calls to your friends, family, or to your workplace again. Follow the simple and quick fixes we have provided in this article to eliminate such messages.
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Inside This Article
The ‘Cellular Network Not Available for Voice Calls’ Error
The Mobile network not available message can be caused by a hardware issue or software issue. Nevertheless, in a lot of instances, these are simple issues with quick fixes that can get you back into a functional network in no time. We’ve covered all you can do here whether you are using T-mobile, AT&T, Verizon, or even Sprint. Once you know what’s causing the problem and how to fix it, you can easily stop it from reoccurring.
These quick fixes work as a solution when getting a “cellular network not available for voice calls” on Android phones, iPhones, Samsung, and Feature Phones. It applies to all brands and models of mobile phones including but not limited to Nokia, Samsung, iPhone, Motorola, HTC, Xiaomi, Sony, Blackberry, Apple, Audiovox, LG, Panasonic, Huawei, Sony Ericsson, and other Chinese Tecno phones.
Need to make a phone call but your phone is experiencing problems? Maybe you need to buy a decent-budget smartphone to make calls without any problems, right?
4 Types of Mobile Networks
All mobile phone comes with a mobile network connection that allows owners to make calls to anyone not located outside their network coverage; these mobile phones operate through various types of technologies. Different network service providers often do not make use of the same mobile network technology, and this is why a phone that is on a particular network is unsuited for another network. By so doing, the different service providers make their exclusive offers to customers.
Below are the four mobile network types smartphone developers and carriers commonly use today:
| GSM | GSM stands for Global System for Mobile network. It is the most frequently used mobile network globally. As we have mentioned above, AT&T and T-Mobile function on the GSM network. A few more technologies that are incorporated into the GSM standard include GPRS and EDGE. These provide faster transfer of data on 2G GSM networks known as High-Speed Downlink Packet Access abbreviated as HSDPA. |
| CDMA | CDMA stands for Code Division Multiple Access. It is a more recent mobile network technology that comes with a greater capacity for data transmission. Providers that operate on CDMA networks are Verizon and Sprint Nextel. For the 3G CDMA standard, the incorporated technology is the Evolution-Data Optimized or EV-DO. |
| LTE | LTE stands for Long Term Evolution. It is the most recent generation of cellular technology referred to as 4G. |
| WiMAX | WiMAX is another new entrant in the mobile technology world. It is a close competitor of LTE and the first 4G network developed by Sprint. The HTC Evo was the first 4G phone they developed. |
You won’t normally use a phone made on the GSM network or one that was designed for the CDMA network and vice versa. In the USA for instance, Sprint and Verizon operate through the CDMA networks whereas AT&T and T-Mobile operate through the GSM network. Ting, on the other hand, runs on a hybrid model. It can work on the GSM network or on the CDMA network.
Mobile Network Not Available: Easy Fixes
Here are easy ways for you to immediately resolve the “cellular network not available for voice calls” error message on your phone.
1. Remove the SIM Card
A mobile network should not be confused with a wireless network. On one hand, a mobile network pertains to a communications network spread out over an area and is connected wirelessly by transceivers like cell sites. Cellular carriers have cell sites everywhere, enabling them to deliver mobile carrier signals and mobile networks. Herein lies our first fix — your mobile phone can send/receive messages and calls if it’s connected to a mobile network through a SIM card.
Hence, if you are getting the “cellular network not available for voice calls” error message, one good place to start looking into is whether you were able to insert and position your SIM card properly into its slot. Modern smartphones now use a SIM tray that can be accessed by pushing a small hole with a pin to eject the tray. Make sure the SIM card is placed well within the tray before pushing it back inside.
2. Restart Your Mobile Phone
Once you have re-inserted your SIM card, perform a quick restart just to make sure you eliminated faulty background operations which could impede you from making or receiving calls and texts.
For iPhone, simply long press the lock button on the right-hand side of the device and slide the power slider to the right when it appears.
For Samsung phones, long press the lock button on the right side of the device then tap on Restart.
Once your device reboots, try to see whether you are still getting the “cellular network not available for voice calls” error message. If so, you can follow the next steps we have.
3. Set Network Selection to Automatic
Sometimes, due to glitches or weird happenstance, your phone’s network selection gets it wrong. This means while you have, for example, an AT&T sim yet your selection is set to Verizon. The best way to fix this is by setting your network selection to automatic to start using your carrier’s services again.
| Android | iPhone |
| 1. Open the Settings app then select Connections.
2. Tap on Mobile Networks then select Network Operators. 3. Make sure the switch for Select Automatically is on (in blue). |
1. Open the Settings app then tap Mobile.
2. Select Network Selection. 3. Make sure the switch for Automatic is on (in color green). If not, go ahead and tap it. |
4. Update Your Device’s OS
It is common knowledge that bugs can actually cause havoc on how your phone functions. Sometimes, bugs can also cause why you may be getting the “cellular network not available for voice calls” error message. Fortunately, both iOS and Android developers aren’t tone-deaf when users report issues such as this. As a result, developers roll out updates immediately to address this and other glaring issues.
For iPhone, simply open the Settings app and then tap on General. Next, select Software Update. If an update is available, tap on Download and Install.
For Samsung/Android devices, the same thing; open your Settings app. Scroll to the very bottom of the window and then select Software Update. Tap on Download and Install. The device will scan for any available updates.
5. Check for SIM Card Damages
Faulty SIM cards could also be the culprit when getting a cell network not available error message, which results in your inability to make or receive voice calls. Damaged SIM cards are easy to spot; you’ll know your SIM is no longer up to scratch when checking your phone’s status bar and it would indicate No SIM Card despite having one in the tray.
To isolate the problem, simply remove the SIM card from your SIM tray and try inserting a different SIM. When that fixes the problem, then it’s time to make a switch to fix the problem.
6. Check for Mobile Network Maintenance
More rarely but not impossible, carriers perform maintenance that renders their services temporarily unavailable. This could very much be the reason why, at the moment, you were getting the “cellular network not available for voice calls” error message and you are not able to make or receive calls.
Fortunately, there is an easy way to check whether your carrier is performing system maintenance. Simply go to their social media accounts — it is best to go to their Twitter or Facebook pages — and check whether they have an update on their pages. Usually, they do this to reach their customers easily and avoid irate customers.
‘Mobile Network Not Available’ Hardware Solutions
One major reason why you might be getting a “mobile network not available for calls” is due to hardware issues. Below is a list of these hardware issues and how you can fix them in a jiffy:
- When you get the error message of the mobile network not available, do a manual search of a network. If you still can detect any network, the issue could be your Antenna Switch. You can fix this issue by either replacing or repairing the Antenna Switch.
- If after conducting a manual search, you could detect a network but you could not detect the Home Network, the issue is from the PFO. To solve a mobile network not found error, replace or repair the PFO.
- If the Network disconnects when you are making phone calls, then repair or replace the Network IC and clean the tips and point of the antenna on the phone.
- Should you continue getting the message mobile network is not available, you can either heat or replace the 26 MHz Crystal Oscillator to fix the problem.
- If you continue to get the error message, you can replace the Antenna Switch. Alternatively, you can put in a jumper if the phone’s Antenna Switch is not accessible.
- If that doesn’t resolve the issue, you can heat, change, or put the PFO into a jumper.
- The next thing you can do is to heat, re-ball, or replace the Network IC.
- You can also heat, re-ball, or replace the Power IC.
- You can equally heat, re-ball, or replace the CPU.
Cellular Network Not Available for Voice Calls Fixed
Now, you can bid goodbye to the error message issue through the tips we have provided in this article. So, whether you are looking for how to resolve the issue on your Samsung galaxy s4, Huawei, Tt&t, Verizon, or even sprint Sony Xperia, Lenovo, Verizon and T-mobile, Motorola, HTC, Xiaomi, Sony, Blackberry, Apple, and more, these tips are all you need to get your phone back to fully functional network.
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