How to boost mobile data speeds and signal strength

Waiting for a website to load? WhatsApp messages stuck? Photos on Instagram not loading quickly? We’ve all been there. It gets frustrating and makes you wonder if your smartphone is too old for these things, even if you had purchased it only a week back.

The truth is, often it’s your mobile network to blame and not you or your phone. If your mobile network is slowing you down, you can give a boost to your mobile data speeds and signal strength with these simple tricks.

Toggle Airplane mode

The easiest way to boost your mobile speeds and signal strength is toggling airplane mode. When you turn on Airplane mode, your smartphone kills all wireless signals from your device.

On Android, simply open quick settings and tap on the airplane icon. On iPhones, open Control Center and tap on the airplane mode icon.

Restart your phone

Restarting your phone is another common method to solve a variety of problems, including mobile data and network issues. This method is also useful when simply toggling airplane mode does not work.

Check network settings

Despite carriers like Jio and Airtel offering pan-India 4G LTE coverage, some areas may still have spotty coverage. This might result in slow mobile data and weak signal strength issues.

To resolve this, you can try checking your phone’s network settings.

• Open Settings -> Wi-Fi & Internet -> SIM & network.
  
• Here, check the Preferred Network Type option.
  

It is recommended to keep this setting at “2G/3G/4G”. If it does not help, try selecting “2G/3G” if your service provider supports it.

Reset network settings

Another new solution to network issues is simply resetting network settings. I had this issue recently and a simple reset of network settings solved the problem.

• Open Settings -> System -> Reset options.
  
• Tap on Reset Wi-Fi, mobile and Bluetooth.
  
• Tap on Reset Settings and confirm it.
  

Check SIM card for damage

A partially damaged SIM card could also be the reason behind your network issues.

Open the SIM card tray by using the SIM ejector tool which is included in your phone’s box.

Check if there are any dust particles on the SIM card or the SIM card tray. Clean them both and insert the SIM card back in the phone.

If you notice any broken lines or rust on the metal strip, you may have to replace your SIM card.

Contact your service provider

If nothing helps, you will have to contact your service provider. The issue could be due to a fault with the local mobile tower or cabling. Service providers generally send a technician to your place to diagnose the problem.

See also:

How to enable Jio Wi-Fi calling on OnePlus smartphones

Here’s how to enable Airtel Wi-Fi calling on your smartphone