No network, "No service" or "Emergency calls only"

First find out whether the fault is the place, the SIM or the phone. Putting the SIM in another phone answers that in two minutes.

What you seeNo service / Emergency calls only / Not registered on network / SOS only

1. Quick checks

1. Flight mode on, wait ten seconds, off. This makes the phone search for the network afresh.
2. Restart the phone.
3. Move. Basements, lifts, thick-walled rooms and some rural stretches have no coverage. Step outside or to a window. Ask someone nearby on the same operator whether they have signal: if not, it is an outage or a coverage gap, and only waiting or moving helps.
4. Is the SIM active? A number that has not been recharged within its validity, or a postpaid bill long unpaid, loses outgoing and then incoming service. Check your plan in the operator's app (on Wi-Fi) or from another phone.

2. Reseat the SIM

1. Switch the phone off.
2. Push the pin into the tray's hole and pull the tray out.
3. Wipe the SIM's gold contacts gently with a dry soft cloth. Check that the card sits flat in the tray, the right way round.
4. Push the tray in fully and switch on.

On a dual-SIM phone, try the SIM in the other slot.

3. Check the SIM is switched on in settings

• Android: Settings › Network & internet › SIMs › the SIM › Use SIM on. (Samsung: Settings › Connections › SIM manager.)
• iPhone: Settings › Mobile Service › the line › Turn On This Line.

4. Choose the network by hand

• Android: Settings › Network & internet › SIMs › the SIM › turn off Automatically select network, wait for the list, pick your operator, then turn automatic back on.
• iPhone: Settings › Mobile Service › Network Selection › turn Automatic off, choose your operator, then on again.

"Not registered on network" often clears with this.

5. Preferred network type

A phone forced to "5G only" or "LTE only" shows no service where that kind of signal is absent.

• Android: Settings › Network & internet › SIMs › Preferred network type: choose the automatic option that includes 5G/4G/3G/2G.
• iPhone: Settings › Mobile Service › Mobile Data Options › Voice & Data: 5G Auto or LTE.

6. The swap test

• Put your SIM in another phone. No service there too: the SIM or the account is at fault. Visit the operator's store with identity proof for a replacement SIM with the same number.
• Put another working SIM in your phone. No service with that either: the phone is at fault. Go on to step 7.

7. Reset network settings

This clears mobile, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth settings (saved Wi-Fi passwords are forgotten) and nothing else.

• Android: Settings › System › Reset options › Reset mobile network settings (or "Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth"). Samsung: Settings › General management › Reset › Reset mobile network settings.
• iPhone: Settings › General › Transfer or Reset iPhone › Reset › Reset Network Settings.

Then install any system update and, on iPhone, any "Carrier Settings Update" that pops up under Settings › General › About.

8. Check the IMEI

Dial *#06#. The phone should show its IMEI number(s). If it shows nothing or "null", the phone's radio identity is damaged: service centre. A phone bought second-hand that has been reported lost or stolen may be blocked from all networks in India; the government's Sanchar Saathi portal has a service to check a handset's IMEI.

9. If you lost service suddenly while others have it

Sudden "No service" that does not return after a restart, especially with messages about a SIM change you did not ask for, can mean someone has had your number moved to another SIM. Call your operator from another phone at once. See our sister site's page on SIM swap fraud.

Hardware faults

After a drop or water, the antenna connection or SIM reader may be damaged. Signs: no service with any SIM, IMEI shown but zero bars everywhere, or service that comes and goes when the phone is pressed. That is a repair.

For Android phones and iPhones. Written in November 2026 for Android 13 to 15 and iOS 17 and 18. Phone makers rename menus; use the search box in Settings if a name differs. Back up before any reset. This is an independent guide, not connected with Google, Apple, Samsung or any phone maker or operator.