Easy Ways to Turn On Mobile Data on Android & Troubleshooting

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Using your mobile data plan to browse the web on the go
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Most cellular plans these days come with mobile data, transferred through your cellular signal. This allows you to surf the web, download music, stream video, and do anything else that would normally require an internet connection. Mobile data can be turned on and off to prevent you from going over your monthly limit. Read on to learn how to turn this on and some troubleshooting steps if your mobile data won't connect.

Enable Cellular/Mobile Data on Android

Use the Quick panel by swiping down from the top of your screen and tapping the Mobile data icon or use Settings and navigate to Connections (Samsung) or Network & internet (Pixel & others) > SIMs (Pixel)/ Data Usage (Samsung)/ Internet (other Androids) and tap the toggle next to "Mobile Data" to turn it on.

Section 1 of 3:

Using the Quick Settings Panel

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  1. 1
    Swipe down from the top of your screen twice. Unlock your phone if it's locked so you can access it. Swipe down from the top of your phone twice or use two fingers to swipe down once. If you don't see a long list of icons, swipe down again.
    • The mobile data icon should be on one of the pages in the Quick panel. If not, use the Settings method.
  2. 2
    Tap the "Mobile Data" icon. It looks like two arrows: one pointing up and the other pointing down. The icon will be colored when the feature is enabled and grey when it's disabled. [1]
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Section 2 of 3:

Using Settings

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  1. You can find this in your App Drawer or on your Home screen. The icon looks like a gear.
  2. 2
    Tap Connections or Network & internet . The wording here varies depending on the model of Android you have.
    • For example, Samsung phones will see "Connections," and Google Pixel, as well as other Android phones, will see "Network & internet."
  3. 3
    Tap SIMs and select your SIM (Google Pixel only). If you have a different Android or Samsung, you can skip this step.
  4. 4
    Tap Data Usage (Samsung only). If you have a Google Pixel or another Android, skip this step. [2]
  5. 5
    Tap Internet and select your carrier(other Androids only). If you don't have a Pixel or Samsung, this is what you'll select.
    • Click the gear icon next to your carrier's name.
  6. 6
    Tap the toggle next to "Mobile data" to enable it. The switch will be colored when mobile data is turned on. [3]
    • If this is enabled, you can browse the internet even when you're not on Wi-Fi.
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Section 3 of 3:

Troubleshooting

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  1. 1
    Make sure that Airplane Mode is disabled. Airplane Mode will turn off your mobile data connection. You can toggle Airplane Mode from the Settings menu or by tapping the airplane icon in the Quick panel. [4]
    • If it's off, turn it on for 10 seconds, then turn it back off and see if the connection issue has been fixed. [5]
  2. 2
    Check your signal strength. If you're in a hilly area or inside a building, your mobile data may not work. You can look in the top right corner of your screen to see if you have a signal. If the bars are empty or not appearing, you don't have access to mobile data. You can try moving from the hilly area or stepping outside the building to get mobile data again.
    • Many large buildings, like inside office buildings or Walmart, interrupt your carrier's signals, making mobile data hard, if not impossible, to use inside. To counteract this, they offer Wi-Fi so you can get online.
  3. 3
    Check to see if you're roaming. Most devices will disable data by default if you are roaming outside of your network. This is because roaming data is typically much more expensive than in-network data. If you need your data connection while you're roaming, you can enable it. [6]
    • Open the Settings app and return to the "Data Usage" area (Network & internet/Connections > SIMs/Internet/Data Usage)
    • Tap "International Data Roaming."
    • Tap the "International Data Roaming" toggle.
      • You can also search for "roaming data" when you open the Settings menu to find this section easily.
      • You might not have this option depending on your carrier and the type of plan you have.
  4. 4
    Turn off Wi-Fi. Normally, when your phone is connected to Wi-Fi, it does not use cellular data. This can be a problem when your phone fails to switch over to cellular, such as when you are just barely in range of your Wi-Fi network and unable to get a strong signal. Turning off Wi-Fi ensures that your phone connects to cellular data instead of Wi-Fi.
    • To turn off Wi-Fi, swipe down from the top of the screen, then tap the icon that resembles arching lines over a dot to toggle Wi-Fi on and off.
  5. 5
    Remove and reinsert your SIM card. According to phone repair specialist James Bell, you can often fix network connection issues by resetting your SIM card. "You don't even have to take out the SIM card," he says, "just hit the eject button with the provided SIM ejector that came with it." [7] Ejecting your SIM card and reinserting it forces your phone to synchronize with your phone. The SIM card tray is usually on the side, top, or bottom of your phone, and it generally has a pinhole in it. Insert a paperclip or the SIM removal tool that came with your device to eject the SIM card tray, inspect the SIM card to make sure it's not dirty or damaged, and then reinsert it.
    • This won't work if you have an eSIM.
    • If the SIM seems dirty, you can clean the SIM with a pencil eraser, cotton swab, or a lint-free cloth.
    • If your SIM card is damaged, you will need to get a new one from your wireless carrier.
  6. 6
    Ensure you haven't exceeded your carrier limit for data. Depending on your mobile plan, you may have a hard limit for data per billing cycle. If you exceed this limit, you may be throttled or cut off completely from your mobile data connection. [8]
    • You can see your mobile data usage in the "Data usage" menu, but it won't display your carrier limit.
  7. If you've checked everything but still can't get a data connection, a quick reboot will usually fix the problem. Make sure to power the device off completely, and then start it back up again. [9]
  8. 8
    Update your network settings. Outdated network settings can affect cellular data. Just like your phone's operating system needs to be updated, your carrier's network settings must also be updated occasionally. Usually, this happens automatically. However, if you don't have automatic updates enabled or the update fails for whatever reason, you may need to do it manually.
    • Swipe down from the top of the menu and tap the Gear/Settings icon in the upper-right corner. Tap Connection (Samsung Galaxy) or Network & internet (stock Android). Tap Internet (stock Android) or More Connection Settings (Samsung Galaxy). Tap Carrier settings if available. Then tap Update Profile.
  9. 9
    Reset your network settings. Resetting your network settings will revert your network settings to their default, but will also clear any glitches preventing you from connecting to the internet. Your phone will reconnect to your cellular network automatically. However, be aware that this will also erase your Wi-Fi connection, Bluetooth pairings, and any saved Wi-Fi passwords. Use the following steps to reset your network settings:
    • Open Settings . Tap System (stock Android) or General Management (Samsung Galaxy). Tap Reset or Reset options . Tap Reset Wi-Fi, Mobile, & Bluetooth (Stock Android) or Reset mobile network settings (Samsung Galaxy).
  10. 10
    Update your phone. Keeping your phone up-to-date ensures that all the latest patches are installed and your device runs smoothly.
    • Open Settings . Tap Software Update (it may be under System). Tap Download and install if an update is available.
  11. Your device connects to Access Point Names (APNs) when it gets a data signal. If these APNs have changed somehow, you won't be able to connect to your network. You'll need to contact your carrier's customer service department to get the proper APN settings.
    • You can adjust your APN settings by opening the Settings app, selecting "Mobile networks", and then tapping "Access Point Names". On older phones, "Mobile networks" may be located under "More..." within the Settings menu.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I avoid mobile charges?
    Community Answer
    Mobile charges will come in after you have used all your monthly data on your mobile plan. These charges are unavoidable if you go over your allotted amount of data.
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    Not Helpful 5 Helpful 13
  • Question
    Where can l find a data app?
    Moiz Rajput
    Community Answer
    If you are asking how you can see your data usage, download the official app provided by your Sim/Telecom service provider to see about data usage.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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    Not Helpful 0 Helpful 2
  • Question
    What does it mean to download over a cellular network?
    Moiz Rajput
    Community Answer
    It means that anything you're downloading is being downloaded on a cellular network. This notification appears as a warning for users who want to limit the cellular data and prefer wifi data, which is often unlimited.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/mobile-devices/how-do-i-enable-or-disable-mobile-data/
      2. ↑ https://www.samsung.com/uk/support/mobile-devices/how-do-i-enable-or-disable-mobile-data/
      3. ↑ https://support.google.com/fi/answer/9458407?hl=en#zippy=,turn-mobile-data-on-or-off
      4. ↑ https://support.google.com/pixelphone/answer/12639358?hl=en
      5. ↑ https://support.google.com/android/thread/179641914/the-mobile-data-is-not-working-on-my-phone?hl=en
      6. ↑ https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00079018/
      7. ↑ James Bell. Phone Repair Specialist. Expert Interview
      8. ↑ https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00079018/
      9. ↑ https://support.google.com/googleplay/answer/2651367?hl=en

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