Follow these steps if your smartphone experiences issues connecting to mobile data, loses signal, or encounters network registration errors.

Check your software version

Make sure that your phone is up-to-date. Outdated software versions can cause unexpected data connection issues. 

Check your mobile network registration

Make sure your phone registers with the correct network provider to route mobile data properly.

1. Go to Settings → Network and internet.
2. Tap on SIMs and select the SIM card you are troubleshooting.
3. Make sure Mobile data is enabled. If you are traveling, you may need to enable Roaming (check with your operator first as this may incur additional costs).
4. Turn off Automatically select network.
5. Wait for the phone to finish scanning for all available operators.
6. Manually select your network operator. If your data connection begins working, your phone was previously registered on the wrong network.
7. Turn on Automatically select network to avoid issues while travelling or roaming. 

Reset your access point names (APN)

Resetting your APN configurations clears corrupt data settings and restores default network connections. You must perform these steps separately for each SIM card you use, including eSIMs.

1. Go to Settings → Network & Internet.
2. Tap on SIMs and select your troubleshooting SIM card.
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the menu and tap Access point names.
4. Tap the three vertical dots in the top-right corner and tap Reset to default.

If the Access Point Names menu is locked or missing, perform a global network reset instead.

How to perform a global network reset

1. Go to Settings → System → Reset options.
2. Tap Reset mobile network settings
3. Confirm if you want to delete your downloaded eSIM cards, then tap Reset settings again.

Manually set your APN parameters

Some newer Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) require manual APN entry. Contact your mobile network operator directly to obtain the correct values.

1. Go to Settings → Network & Internet.
2. Tap on SIMs and select the SIM card you are troubleshooting.
3. Scroll down and tap Access point names.
4. Tap the plus symbol + icon in the top-right corner.
5. Tap each field, enter the exact values from your operator, and tap OK.
6. Tap the three vertical dots in the top-right corner and tap Save.
7. Perform a restart on your Fairphone.

Select a specific preferred network type

Forcing your smartphone to use a specific network protocol can stabilize a weak mobile data connection.

1. Go to Settings → Network & Internet.
2. Tap on SIMs and select the SIM card you are troubleshooting.
3. Tap Preferred network type.
4. Select your preferred protocol.

Always enable the highest option supported by your phone for maximum performance:

• 5G: The Fairphone (Gen. 6), Fairphone 5, and Fairphone 4.
• 4G: Fairphone 3(+) and Fairphone 2.

Check for SIM card faults

An old, damaged, or poorly fitted physical SIM card can cause serious system instability, disrupt network connections, or cause your phone to spontaneously disconnect from the network, freeze, or experience a random restart. Physical scratches and corrosion on the metal contacts are frequent causes of network drops.

If your contract includes mobile data and you suspect a hardware issue, perform these tests:

• Test the hardware: Remove the physical SIM card completely and use the phone exclusively on a Wi-Fi network for a few hours. If the random restart or network drop behavior stops while the card is missing, the card itself is faulty.
• Replace the SIM card: Contact your mobile network operator directly to request a brand-new replacement SIM card.
• Verify contract options: If you use an eSIM or your card is intact, your phone might be trying to connect via an unsupported network protocol. Contact your provider to verify that your contract supports your preferred data speeds.

We also recommend checking the public forum of your provider to see if similar network problems are mentioned.

Perform a factory reset

If your data connection still fails after following all the steps above, persistent software formatting errors may be blocking the connection. You can perform a factory reset to clear out deep software glitch traces and restore your phone to its original system state.

1. Go to Settings → System → Reset options.
2. Tap on Erase all data (factory reset).
3. Confirm your security code or pattern to proceed, then wait for the device cleanup profile to finish and restart.

Still need help?

If your issues persist, first try our self-service portal and then reach out to our customer support team. You can also open a support request directly through the My Fairphone app pre-installed on your device.