5 ways to boost your phone signal

There’s nothing more frustrating than not having phone signal when you need it most. Whether you’re stuck for directions, in the middle of a call, or just need to remind your partner to pick up milk at the shops, phone signal is a vital part of our everyday.

What many people don’t know is that bad phone signal isn’t just about location. In fact, there are several nifty tricks that could help you find a nugget of signal just when you need it.

In this blog, we’ll take you through 5 tips and tricks to help boost your phone signal in the short and long term.

Toggle airplane mode

Technology has come a long way, but phones still get confused every now and then. Your phone isn’t constantly searching for the best signal; it would drain your battery too quickly.

Sometimes, especially if you’re on the move, your phone holds onto the signal from where you started and doesn’t search for a new one closer to you. To fix this, turn airplane mode on, wait 10 seconds, and turn it off again.

That will tell your phone that it needs to look for a network, and it will automatically search for the closest network with the strongest signal. If you’re crossing international borders, you will need to restart your phone to find a new network.

For more on this, check out our guide to using your mobile abroad.

Hold your phone differently

Unfortunately, the days of waving our phones around to find a signal are not quite over.

It could be that the way you’re holding your phone is blocking whichever antenna is receiving the signal from the nearest network tower. The direction you’re facing could also have an effect if your body is blocking the signal from the tower to your phone.

The best way to combat this is to hold your phone with two fingers, covering as little of the device as possible. Your phone case shouldn’t block the signal, but it won’t hurt to take it off if you’re stuck.

Check your SIM

If you’ve been with your network for a while, there’s a chance your SIM card might be a bit long in the tooth. An older SIM card might not contain the data it needs to connect to the latest network systems.

There’s also a chance that your SIM is simply worn or grubby, meaning it won’t function properly. To check this, simply pop your SIM card out of your phone and use a disinfectant wipe or some rubbing alcohol to clean it. If it looks worn, you should probably order a shiny new one.

Change your G

3G, 4G and 5G all have different properties, and sometimes come from different towers. Depending on the network you’re with, your phone could be trying to connect to a weaker signal.

To stop this from happening, you can toggle between different network modes to find the strongest one for your area. Here’s how:

iPhone

Go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Voice & Data and then you’ll be able to toggle between 5G On, 5G Auto and LTE (4G).

Android

Go to Settings > Connections/Wi-Fi & Internet > Mobile Network/SIM & Network and then you’ll be able to toggle between 5G, 4G, 3G and even 2G in some cases.

Switch mobile network

It could be that the mobile network you’re with doesn’t have great coverage in that area. If you think this might be the problem, check a coverage map or ask your network provider to find out how good the network coverage is in your area.

If your current network can’t provide coverage that meets your needs, switching to a new one might be the solution. Here at giffgaff, we’re powered by the O2 network. Check our coverage here.

If you’ve got any questions about your signal or network, our community helpers are always online and happy to help.