iPhone says No Service or SOS? 8 ways to fix it

2 min read · 8 steps · Updated 2 October 2026

Short answer

Turn Airplane Mode on and off, restart the iPhone, check for a carrier settings update under Settings, General, About, and reseat the SIM card. If you see "SOS" in the status bar, the phone can only make emergency calls until it finds your network again.

"No Service", "Searching" or "SOS" at the top of the screen means the iPhone cannot connect to your mobile network. Often it is just poor coverage where you are standing. If it continues in a place where you normally have signal, try these fixes in order.

Step by step

  1. Move and wait a minute

    Go near a window or outside. Lifts, basements and thick walls block signal. Check whether other people on the same network have service.

  2. Turn Airplane Mode on and off

    Open Control Centre, tap the aeroplane, wait ten seconds and tap it again. The phone searches for the network from scratch.

  3. Restart the iPhone

    Hold the side button and a volume button, slide to power off, wait 30 seconds and turn it back on.

  4. Check that the line is on

    Open Settings, Mobile Service. Make sure your line is switched on and Mobile Data is on. With two lines, check that the right one is selected.

  5. Update carrier settings

    Connect to Wi-Fi and open Settings, General, About. If an update from your network is available, a message appears within a few seconds. Tap Update.

  6. Take the SIM card out and put it back

    If you have a physical SIM, open the tray with a paperclip, check the card for damage and reinsert it. With an eSIM, skip this step and do not delete the eSIM.

  7. Turn on roaming when abroad

    Open Settings, Mobile Service, your line, Data Roaming. Check your plan first, because roaming outside your home region can be expensive.

  8. Reset network settings

    Open Settings, General, Transfer or Reset iPhone, Reset, Reset Network Settings. This also deletes saved Wi-Fi passwords.

Good to know

Call your mobile network from another phone if none of this helps. The account may be suspended for an unpaid bill, the SIM may be faulty, or there may be an outage in your area.

A phone bought abroad or second-hand may be locked to another network or blocked. Your network can check this with the IMEI number, found under Settings, General, About.

New to eSIM? See what an eSIM is and how it works.

In short: Airplane Mode on and off, restart, carrier settings update, reseat the SIM, then call the network.

Sources
  • Apple Support: If you see No Service, Searching or SOS on your iPhone

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