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No service on cell phone

If you’re not getting a wireless signal on your cell phone, these steps can help.

Step 1: Check if other phones are having the same issue

If other phones in your home are having issues with their Fido service, there could be a network outage in your area. Visit Network Help & Outages to ask our virtual assistant ASKJACK if there are cellular service issues in your area. 

Step 2: Check our coverage map

You can use our coverage map to check the wireless signal in your area. 

Step 3: Restart your phone

Try turning your phone off and waiting for 30 seconds before turning it back on. Sometimes this can help.

For steps on how to restart an iPhone or Android phone, visit Restart your mobile phone.

Step 4: Check if your phone has been reported lost/stolen

Occasionally, no service might mean that your phone has been reported as lost or stolen. When a wireless provider adds a lost or stolen phone to a national blocked list, it cannot be used on any network in Canada.

How to check:

  1. On the phone without service, dial *#06#. Your phone’s IMEI number will be displayed.
  2. Search for your phone’s IMEI number on the Device Check Canada website.
  3. If your phone’s IMEI number is on the blocked list, contact the original owner and ask that they advise their wireless provider to remove the phone from the list. Only the original owner who reported the phone lost or stolen can have it removed.

Step 5: Reset your phone’s network settings

Sometimes a phone’s network settings can be corrupted, which can lead to service issues. Resetting your network settings might help.

IMPORTANT: The steps below will remove your saved WiFi, VPN and Bluetooth settings. For help with re-connecting to your WiFi network, visit How to connect a device to Wi-Fi network.


iPhone

  1. Select Settings.
  2. Select General.
  3. Select Reset.
  4. Select Reset Network Settings. If you use a passcode you’ll be asked to enter it.
  5. To confirm, select Reset Network Settings.
  6. Your iPhone will turn off and back on.

 

Android

There are many versions of Android, but these steps apply to most Android phones:

  1. Select Settings.
  2. Select General management (called System on some Android versions).
  3. Select Reset.
  4. Select Reset network settings.

Step 6: Manually search for Fido carrier

Sometimes cell phones don’t connect to their carrier’s wireless network as they should, which can lead to service issues. The steps below can help.

iPhone

  1. Select Settings.
  2. Select Cellular.
  3. Select Network Selection.
  4. Turn off Automatic. Different carriers will appear (this might take several minutes).  
  5. Select Fido.
  6. Confirm that your iPhone has service. If it does, turn Automatic back on.

 

Android

There are many versions of Android, but these steps apply to most Android phones:

  1. Select Settings.
  2. Select Connections (called Network and Internet on some Android versions).
  3. Select Mobile networks (on some Android versions you’ll first need to select More).
  4. Select Network operators.
  5. Turn off Select automatically (sometimes called Search networks). Different carriers will appear (this might take several minutes).  
  6. Select Fido.
  7. Confirm that your phone has service. If it does, turn Select automatically back on. 

Step 7: Check for signal outside

If you’re getting service outdoors, the issue could be that the signal indoors is obstructed by concrete, metal, or multiple walls.

If the issue is related to indoor interference, consider using Wi-Fi Calling. 

Step 8: Check for outages

Check out our Network Help & Outages page for support or connect with our virtual assistant ASKJACK.