Troubleshooting a device with no service

In this article

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Have no service errors? Let’s fix that.

Seeing “No Service” or “SOS” on your phone? Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Let’s get you connected again.

👋 First, is this a new activation?

Just activated with Ting? Head to Troubleshooting your Ting activation instead.
Had service on Ting before? You're in the right place. Keep reading.

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Do you really have no service?

Sometimes only one thing stops working, like texts or data. These quick checks tell you what’s actually going on.

📶 First, turn off Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Calling and iMessage can make it look like your service works when it doesn't. Turn off Wi-Fi so you're testing your Ting service only.

Make a call

Call a friend or family member. Does the call connect?

Send a text

Send a short text to someone. Does it go through?

Check your data

Open a website, like ting.com. Does the page load?

✓ Some of these worked Good news: your phone is connected to Ting. Try the guide for what isn't working:

✕ Nothing worked You likely have no service. Keep reading. The steps below will help you get connected again.

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Traveling outside the US?

✈️ Roaming internationally and have no service?

Service outside the US works a little differently. See our international roaming guide for help getting connected while you travel.

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Recently switched phones?

Make sure your Ting account is set up for your new phone.

Log in to your Ting account.
Go to Device settings and find your phone number.
Check that the IMEI matches your new phone. Need help finding your IMEI?
Using a physical SIM? Check that the ICCID matches your SIM card.

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Troubleshooting steps

Choose your SIM type and phone, then work through these in order.

Which SIM are you using?

Show steps for:

Quick fixes

Start here. These take just a minute or two.

iPhone

Swipe down from the top right corner to open the Control Center.
If the airplane icon is highlighted, tap it to turn Airplane mode off.

Android

Swipe down from the top of your screen to open Quick Settings.
If Airplane mode is highlighted, tap it to turn it off.

A quick restart refreshes your connection to the network and fixes a lot of issues.

Check your SIM

These steps are different for physical SIMs and eSIMs. Make sure the right one is selected above.

Turn off your phone.
Use a SIM tool or paperclip to pop out the SIM tray.
Take out your Ting SIM, then place it back in the tray, lined up with the notched corner.
Push the tray all the way back in.
Turn your phone back on.

Your SIM number (also called an ICCID) should match the one on your Ting account.

Find the ICCID printed on your SIM card. Need help finding it?
Log in to your Ting account.
Go to Device settings and find your phone number.
Check that the ICCID matches your SIM card.

iPhone

Go to Settings.
Tap Cellular.
Under SIMs, tap your Ting line.
Make sure Turn On This Line is on.

Android

Samsung Galaxy

Go to Settings.
Tap Connections.
Select SIM manager.
Make sure your Ting eSIM is listed and turned on.

Google Pixel and most other Android phones

Go to Settings.
Tap Network & internet.
Select SIMs.
Tap your Ting eSIM and turn on Use SIM.

An old physical SIM card in your phone can get in the way of your eSIM. Remove it from the SIM tray, then restart your phone.

📌 Note: A deleted eSIM can't be restored. Only delete ones you're sure you don't need, and don't delete your Ting eSIM.

iPhone

Go to Settings.
Tap Cellular.
Tap the old eSIM you want to remove.
Tap Delete eSIM.

Android

Samsung Galaxy

Go to Settings.
Tap Connections.
Select SIM manager.
Tap the old eSIM.
Tap Remove.

Google Pixel and most other Android phones

Go to Settings.
Tap Network & internet.
Select SIMs.
Tap the old eSIM.
Tap Erase SIM.

Have more than one SIM in your phone? Make sure Ting is the one your phone uses for calls, texts, and data.

iPhone

Go to Settings.
Tap Cellular.
Tap Cellular Data and choose Ting.
Go back and tap Default Voice Line, then choose Ting.

Android

Samsung Galaxy

Go to Settings.
Tap Connections.
Select SIM manager.
Under Primary SIM, choose Ting for calls, messages, and mobile data.

Google Pixel and most other Android phones

Go to Settings.
Tap Network & internet.
Select SIMs.
Tap Calls & SMS and Mobile data, and choose Ting for each.

Check your settings

Still no service? Check these next.

Your iPhone needs Ting's carrier settings to connect to our network.

Check your carrier settings

Go to Settings.
Tap General.
Select About.
Find Carrier. It should say Ting with a version number next to it.

Not seeing Ting? Update your carrier settings

Connect to Wi-Fi.
Go to Settings.
Tap General.
Select About.
Stay on this screen for a minute. If an update is available, a pop-up will ask you to update.
Tap Update.

Your phone should find the right network on its own.

Android

Samsung Galaxy

Go to Settings.
Tap Connections.
Select Mobile networks.
Tap Network operators.
Tap Select automatically.

Google Pixel and most other Android phones

Go to Settings.
Tap Network & internet.
Select SIMs.
Turn on Automatically select network.

Make sure your phone is set to use 5G or LTE.

Android

Samsung Galaxy

Go to Settings.
Tap Connections.
Select Mobile networks.
Tap Network mode.
Choose an option with 5G or LTE.

Google Pixel and most other Android phones

Go to Settings.
Tap Network & internet.
Select SIMs.
Tap Preferred network type.
Choose 5G or LTE.

Make sure your phone is set up to use Ting's network. See our data setup guide

Your phone needs to be unlocked from your old carrier to work with Ting. Not sure? Contact your old carrier to check. Learn about unlocking your phone

Bigger fixes

These take a little longer, but they often fix stubborn issues.

iPhone

Go to Settings.
Tap General.
Select Software Update.
Tap Update Now if an update is available.

Android

Samsung Galaxy

Go to Settings.
Tap Software update.
Tap Download and install.

Google Pixel and most other Android phones

Go to Settings.
Tap System.
Select Software updates.
Tap System update.

📌 Note: This will erase your saved Wi-Fi networks, passwords, and Bluetooth connections.

iPhone

Go to Settings.
Tap General.
Select Transfer or Reset iPhone.
Tap Reset.
Choose Reset Network Settings.

Android

Samsung Galaxy

Go to Settings.
Tap General management.
Select Reset.
Tap Reset network settings.
Tap Reset settings to confirm.

Google Pixel and most other Android phones

Go to Settings.
Tap System.
Select Reset options.
Tap Reset Mobile Network Settings and confirm.
Go back and tap Reset Bluetooth & Wi-Fi and confirm.

⚠️ A factory reset erases everything on your phone

That includes your photos, contacts, texts, voicemails, apps, and settings. Once it's done, it can't be undone. Only try this if nothing else has worked.

Before you reset, save what matters

Back up your phone. This saves most of your photos, contacts, apps, and settings. See the backup guides below.
Save your voicemails. Using visual voicemail? Your voicemails are stored on your phone and will be erased. Open each one you want to keep and use Share to save or send the audio file.
Save your texts. Make sure your messages are included in your backup, or saved to iCloud or Google.
Back up chat apps. Apps like WhatsApp have their own backup setting. Turn it on and run a backup first.
Move your sign-in codes. Use an authenticator app for two-step sign-in? Move your accounts to another device first, or you could get locked out of them.
Know your passwords. After a reset, you'll need your Apple ID or Google account password to set up your phone again. It's also a good idea to write down your Wi-Fi password.
Using eSIM? Keep it during the reset. On iPhone, choose Keep eSIM and Erase Data when asked. On Android, look for an option to keep or erase eSIMs and make sure it's set to keep. If your eSIM does get erased, you may need to set up your eSIM again after the reset.

How to back up and reset your phone

Start with our guides to backing up your phone and doing a factory reset. Need more detail? These guides come straight from your phone's maker:

iPhone

Android

Samsung Galaxy

Google Pixel

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