Symptoms
- No signal or data immediately after crossing into a new region or country
- Phone shows the wrong or no carrier name
- Calls and texts work but data doesn't, or vice versa
- Signal returns after manually selecting a network
Likely causes
- CommonData roaming turned offThis setting must be manually enabled to use data outside your home carrier's coverage area.
- CommonPhone hasn't automatically selected the best available networkSometimes manual network selection is needed when automatic selection fails to find a partner network.
- PossibleInternational roaming not enabled on the accountSome plans require roaming to be added before traveling internationally.
- PossiblePhone not compatible with the local network's frequency bandsCertain phones sold for specific regions lack support for all frequency bands used elsewhere.
- Less commonSIM restrictionsA carrier-locked phone may not roam properly onto certain partner networks.
What to do
- Go to Settings > Cellular > Data Roaming and turn it on before or upon arrival at your destination.
- Check with your carrier before traveling to confirm international roaming is enabled on your plan.
- Manually select a network in Settings > Cellular > Network Selection by turning off Automatic and choosing an available network.
- Restart the phone after enabling roaming to force a fresh network search.
- Check your phone model's supported bands against the destination country's network frequencies online.
- Toggle Airplane Mode on and off after landing to refresh the search for local networks.
- Confirm the phone isn't carrier-locked if using a local SIM instead of roaming.
- If no network is found after manual selection, contact your carrier for roaming partner details in that region.
When to call a pro
If no roaming network is found after manual selection, contact your carrier to confirm their roaming partners in that specific region.
Safety
Generally low risk
Generally low risk for a careful person. Stop if anything looks different from what this guide describes.