Is your iPhone 12 Pro cellular data not working? Here’s how to fix mobile data connection.
Our iPhones are essential little pocket computers, but they’ve become so convenient we almost can’t live without them anymore. An internet connection is the backbone of the iPhone experience, so whenever data stops working, the world seems to come to a halt. What do you do to get back in the grid? If Wi-Fi is working, then you know it’s a cellular network issue.
See also: iPhone 12 Pro Wi-Fi Not Working, Slow, or Dropping Out? Fix
In most cases, Cellular data issues are just temporary, caused by location or network congestion. Other times, it can persist for hours or even days. Before you call your mobile carrier’s technical support, try these simple steps first to see if they fix your iPhone 12 Pro mobile data issues.
Fix Cellular data not working on iPhone 12 Pro
Turn On Cellular Data
Now that we’re sure Airplane Mode is off, let’s make sure cellular data is on. Go to Settings -> Cellular and turn on the switch next to Cellular Data at the top of screen. You’ll know Cellular Data in on when the switch is green.
make sure cellular data switch is turned on
The first thing you need to do when you find data not working on your iPhone 12 Pro is check if the cellular data indicator in the Control Center is on. try toggling the switch off and back on. This will give Cellular Data a fresh start, just in case it’s not working because of a minor software glitch. Go to Settings and then check Cellular to see if your cellular data is on. It’s an obvious move, but better to look into it before trying more complicated fixes.
Turn Airplane mode on and off
Airplane mode turns off all wireless antennas, including mobile data, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Sometimes simply turning airplane mode on and off can reset settings and bring everything back to normal. Go to Settings > Airplane mode.
Also, check if your iPhone happens to be on airplane mode! It might seem like a silly suggestion to the well-versed tech enthusiasts, but many of us have accidentally turned airplane mode on before. Restoring your Cellular data might be as simple as turning airplane mode off!
Check for Any Carrier Updates
A carrier update might help restore iPhone 12 Pro cellular data functioning if you’re dealing with a bug from a shaky iOS update. This doesn’t happen very often, but it’s still possible.
Start the Settings app.
Scroll down and then tap on “General”.
Tap on “About”.
Wait for a few seconds, and see if a “Carrier Settings Update” option appears. If it does, install it, and then see if you’re getting cellular data again.
See if there are Any iOS Updates
Much like carrier updates, an iOS update might get your iPhone 12 Pro cellular data working again.
Start the Settings app.
Go to “General”.
Under “General,” tap on “Software Update” and see if there are any results.
If there’s an update available, tap download and install.
Have you tried rebooting?
This seems like a cliché fix, but it often works. Restarting your device should fix iPhone 12 Pro cellular data issues, especially if you haven’t turned it off in a while.
Restarting your iPhone is simple:
Press and hold the side button and either volume up or volume down until Slide to Power Off appears. Once you power off your iPhone, hold the side button again to turn it back on.
Change Locations
Many factors can cause iPhone 12 Pro cellular data to stop working. These include weather, network congestion, and even solar activity. But chief among these are geography and buildings.
If you’re in a remote area, or there are a lot of natural barriers around you (such as hills, mountains, and valleys), they can affect your signal. The same goes for buildings. You could be in the middle of a heavily populated urban area with full bars, then wonder why your Cellular data is not working when you enter certain structures.
If you’re having iPhone 12 Pro cellular data problems that might have started in a certain location, try moving somewhere else. You may need to leave the building you’re in or drive a few miles away. While this may not be convenient, it’s a good way to troubleshoot your Cellular data issue.
This step is likely something tech support will ask you to do anyway if you call for help.
Check your plan?
Some cellular data plans have limitations and throttles. Look into your plan’s terms and see if you’ve used more data than you should. You might be capped or throttled. Also, consider the fact you may be late on your payment. Even the best of us forget about bills sometimes.
Re-insert your SIM card
If you are still experiencing cellular data issues on your iPhone 12 Pro, you can try to pull and reinsert your SIM card. This can clear up any underlying issues affecting your phone’s connection to your carrier.
On iPhones, the SIM card slot is always located on the right edge of the phone, below the side button. The SIM sits in a small tray that will pop out. Use a SIM injector tool, usually provided in the iPhone box. If you don’t have this handy, you can bend a paper clip or use the back of an earring.
When pulling your SIM card, you should ideally power the iPhone off first. It’s not a huge deal, but will prevent any potential damage. Also, make sure you pull your SIM while sitting at a table or flat surface, since it’s tiny and easy to lose.
If pulling the SIM card doesn’t fix iPhone 12 Pro cellular data problems, you can try replacing it. This will require going into one of your carrier’s store locations, so you should call first if your issue still isn’t resolved at this point. Your carrier may send you a new SIM anyway.
Disconnect From Your VPN
VPNs provide anonymity and privacy, but they can also cause Cellular data issues when using remote servers. Thus, if your iPhone is connected to a VPN, try disconnecting and try again. Open the VPN app and turn it off. Alternatively, just launch the Settings app and tap on the VPN toggle to figure out if it resolves the Cellular data problem on your iPhone 12 Pro.
Check for Network Outages
Though mobile carriers love to tout their reliability, outages happen all the time. These outages often account for reduced speeds or even lost connections. If you’re still experiencing Cellular Data issues at this point, it’s a good idea to check for outages with your carrier before calling in.
If you can connect to Wi-Fi, it’s easy to do some investigating. Try checking a website such as Downdetector. Quite often, if your issue is widespread, other people will have already reported it.
You can also hop onto social media. Twitter is a good place to research connection issues because people will often tweet about their connection problems. If you contact your mobile carrier’s support Twitter account, you’re likely to get a response quickly.
This also lets you do something else while you wait, instead of wasting time on hold.
Reset network settings
If none of the options above fixed iPhone 12 Pro cellular data problems, it may mean some extraneous setting was changed along the way. Resetting your network settings, like restarting your phone, often fixes mobile data connection issues. The problem is that doing so also resets your Wi-Fi access points and Bluetooth devices. This isn’t the end of the world, but you will have to reconnect to saved Wi-Fi networks and re-pair your Bluetooth devices later.
To reset network settings on your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset network Settings.
Factory reset your iPhone
If all else fails to fix iPhone Cellular data issues, go ahead and perform a factory reset. This will erase everything on your iPhone and bring all settings to factory defaults. This means your iPhone will be left like the first time you turned it on (software-wise).
This fixes pretty much any software issue you may encounter. It is the best solution to many issues, but it should be used as a last resort due to the inconveniences deleting all data entails. Go to Settings > General > Reset > Erase all content and Settings.
See also: 3G, 4G & 5G Not Working on iPhone 12 / 12 Pro? Fix
Call tech support
If none of these steps fix your iPhone 12 Pro Cellular data problems, then it’s time to call tech support. It could be a hardware problem at this point. The technician may have you repeat some of these steps. You might be inclined to refuse because you’re already done them, but it’s the representative’s job to go through a list of troubleshooting steps to see what works and what doesn’t.
Hopefully, it doesn’t come to that. If it does, the issue could something on your provider’s end that you can’t fix.
I trust the problem is finally behind you. May I know the tricks that clicked for you? Drop us a comment and let us know.