Mobile data not working on Android

• Estimated time: 3 min
• Easy
• Low risk

Identify scope and line without erasing settings or wasting data.

1. If your plan permits data use without unexpected charges, temporarily turn off Wi-Fi and open two familiar pages or apps. Record signal, indicator and whether both fail. Restore Wi-Fi afterward. Do not use a large download as a test.

2. If one works, follow the app branch. If neither works, check cellular service and the selected SIM. To compare calls/SMS, use recent results or a normal test permitted by your plan; do not confuse Wi-Fi calling or an app message with cellular voice/SMS service.

• Estimated time: 5 min
• Easy
• Low risk

1. On Pixel, check Mobile data for the intended line. Other Android phones may use Connections or SIM manager. Confirm Airplane Mode is off; do not change several options at once.

   1. Settings
   2. ›Network & internet
   3. ›SIMs

2. Check phone limit notifications and plan usage through the carrier’s official channel. A local limit can turn data off while calls remain available. A usage warning is not always a block; the phone’s counter need not match billing either.

3. If a limit you configured stopped data, adjust it only after confirming allowance/balance and possible charges; on Pixel it is under SIMs > Data warning & limit. Test one page and stop if access returns. If the plan is depleted or suspended, resolve that with the carrier; editing APNs does not add allowance.

• Estimated time: 5 min
• Easy
• Low risk

1. Compare the same pages on authorized Wi-Fi. If they also fail there while others work, investigate that service. If all work over Wi-Fi and none over mobile data, focus on that line and configuration without deleting apps.

2. Outside an active call, transfer or tethering session, turn data off and on once and repeat the small test. This requests re-establishing the data connection; if it recovers, watch whether the pattern returns. If unchanged, check carrier status, limit and SIM before repeating cycles.

3. If a VPN, Private DNS or managed profile is present and the failure began with that change, keep that fact for its provider or IT. Do not disable corporate protection or install a VPN to try to bypass line restrictions.

• Estimated time: 5 min
• Easy
• Low risk
• Restart required

1. With Airplane Mode off, note No service, Emergency calls only or an unrecognized SIM. Try a nearby safe location with normally available coverage and check official notices over Wi-Fi. If other lines on the same carrier also fail there, do not reset the phone for a possible shared outage.

2. If this began when installing a SIM/eSIM, confirm with the carrier that the line is active and enabled for that device. If the SIM is absent, this is detection/activation rather than missing APN settings. Do not erase the eSIM or repeat activation without a recovery method.

3. If there is no outage or line change and only this phone loses service, save your work and restart it once. If unchanged, give the carrier/manufacturer the model, exact state and location comparison. Do not make test emergency calls.

• Estimated time: 5 min
• Easy
• Low risk

1. If other apps browse over mobile data, the line works at least for them. Open the affected app in the foreground and compare Wi-Fi: if it fails on both, follow the related Android app guide; if only on mobile data, check its network/download options.

2. On Pixel, Data Saver mainly restricts background traffic. If that matches the pattern, Settings > Network & internet > Data Saver > Unrestricted data lets you allow only the needed app. This can consume more data: enable it only if you accept that usage and check the result.

3. If it also fails while open, do not attribute everything to Data Saver. Keep the service message and contact its support without deleting local data or changing APNs for a single app.

• Estimated time: 5 min
• Easy
• Low risk

1. In SIM selection, check which line supplies data, not only which receives calls. If a second active line has known allowance and cost, you can temporarily select it for a small comparison; restore the preference afterward. Do not change a managed line without authorization.

2. If only one fails, prioritize its activation, plan and configuration; this does not prove the whole radio is damaged. If both fail, a shared phone or coverage factor is possible, but also compare carrier and location. If it fails only during calls on another SIM, record that pattern: data-during-call rules vary by model and carrier.

• Estimated time: 5 min
• Easy
• Low risk

1. If it fails only outside your carrier’s coverage area, ask whether the plan includes data at that location and requires roaming. Having calls or a registered network does not guarantee data roaming is enabled.

2. Only after confirming terms and charges, check Roaming in the SIM settings and enable it if appropriate. If excluded or the cost is unknown, stop and use an alternative authorized connection. If permitted but failing, report the network and location to the carrier before changing APNs.