10 Easy Fixes To Improve Weak Cell Phone Signal

#1: Remove The Objects That Interfere With The Cellular Reception.

Here's what you should understand about how cell phones work. If you want your phone to receive signals from the cell tower constantly, it should be in line with the tower at all times. Minimize any objects standing between them. If the signals from the cell phone towers have to pass through a lot of obstructions such as walls, window glass, etc., they can get considerably weakened.

What can you do to reduce, if not eliminate the interference between the cell phone and the nearest cell tower? Well, you can move closer to an open window for one, or go upstairs to the terrace, when you are using the phone. This is something you do anyway, without anyone telling you about it.

There are other obstructions you can do nothing about, such as trees, mountains, hills, tall buildings, metal structures or any thick walls or building material, whether it is made from metal or concrete.

The weather is another thing you can do nothing about. The weather can get bad all of a sudden. Sometimes there are storms and hurricanes. The weather can drastically interfere and block the cell phone reception, but you can’t possibly wish away the weather.

You could do something about some of the internal interference such as electronics, metal objects, or for that matter anything that sends magnetic or electronic signals and interferes with the cell waves. So get rid of the internal clutter as much as possible.

See to it that there aren’t too many things standing between your phone and the cell tower – get a clear line of view, talk from the second floor or third floor if you want to make an important call.

#2: Avoid Cell Phone Battery Status From Reaching Critically Low.

When the phone tries to connect to the nearest cell tower, it sucks up power from the battery. When the phone is running low on battery, then it finds it much more difficult to locate the signal because phones are programmed to use less power for that process to conserve power as much as possible. This results in poor cell phone signal reception.

That is why it is important to do everything possible to conserve battery power of the phone. You can start by turning off the Bluetooth and NFC to begin with. Use these features only when you need to.

Lower the screen brightness and make sure there aren't any apps or software running on the phone in the background that you don't need to run. Make sure that the phone is updated to the latest firmware and keep all push notifications turned off.

Finally, there are going to be occasions when the battery power goes low, such as when you are travelling. In that case make sure to get a portable battery charger.

#3: Identify The Closest Cell Tower From Wherever You Are Located.

The biggest reason for your weak cell phone signal reception is the distance from the closest cell tower. Is the tower too far from where you are located? It would really help to know where the nearest cell towers are, no matter where you are.

So it would really help to be as close to the cell tower as possible. This will get you the best possible signal, under the circumstances.

There are many websites and apps that help you detect the nearest cell tower and the distance between yourself and the tower.

Among the websites we like are Antenna Search, Cell Reception and Open Signal. All you need to do is to enter your zip code and you will gain access to information on all the cell towers that are close to where you are. You can also compare your cell signal strength with that in other areas in the country.

Some apps we like best are OpenSignal [For iPhone | For Android] and RootMetrics [For iPhone | For Android]. These apps help you find the nearest cell tower, so that you can get a signal of a much better quality.

Another way to detect a cell tower is to use your smartphone. You can use your phone to detect where the signal strength is the strongest. You know how this is done already – just pay attention to the bars on the phone – do you get the full 5 bars? In that case you are getting a signal of full strength. But those bars aren't always accurate so we suggest checking signal strength in decibels (dBm).

The signal is usually at -50 dB when you get full 5 bars. If you don’t get any bars at all, then the signal is at -120 dB – in which case your cell phone is useless to you. That is what we call, a "dead zone".

To be sure, look for the dB readings on your phone, don’t just look at the number of bars. The bars mean different things depending on which cell phone service you are using.

You can find out about the dB signal reading on iPhone by going to the phone mode and dialing *3001#12345#*

If you're using an Android phone, then go to Settings, then General, and then About Phone. Then go to Network or Status. Here you will see the dB value.

#4: Take Advantage Of The Wi-Fi Network.

Most of the carriers in USA and Canada offer a feature called Wi-Fi Calling. This allows you to use your broadband internet connection to make phone calls and to surf Internet as well. AT&T and Verizon offer this feature only to iPhone, LG and Samsung Galaxy users. If you have subscribed to T-Mobile and Sprint, you can use Wi-Fi Calling with most models.

#5: Femtocells.

Femtocell is similar to the option discussed earlier, Wi-Fi Calling. Femtocells are based on a broadband internet connection and they function by converting an internet connection into cell phone signals.

Most of the major carriers have their own Femtocells – you may have heard of names such as Verizon Network Extender, AT&T Microcell, Sprint Airave and T-mobile Personal CellSpot.

These devices are not cheap and can cost $300 or more and they work only with the respective single cellular service provider. Another disadvantage is that you will need to pay for a monthly broadband internet bill if you don't have one already, because it requires Internet to function.

#6: Hold The Cell Phone Properly So That Its Antenna Is Not Blocked In Any Way.

Do you remember the cell phones of the late 1990s and early 2000s? Most of the phones from back then used to have external antennas. They were highly visible and very useful too – these external antennas used to communicate with the cell tower to send and receive signals from it.

Since the iPhone was launched with an internal antenna ten years ago, that has changed. The external antenna has become a relic of the past. The phones of today come with an antenna that is tucked inside them.

From the design point of view, an internal antenna looks very appealing. It makes the smartphone look so much more stylish and easy to carry. But there are serious issues with internal antennas, such as when you hold the phone in a sideways angle. Your hands would be blocking the antenna is this case (metallic rim on the side), which makes communication with the cell tower really very difficult.

This is not a major issue with some of the new smartphone models where the antenna has been positioned strategically to prevent any blocking of this type. But if your smartphone is in a rugged case, and you happen to hold it with both hands, this could affect the signal strength.

So, to be safe, hold the phone in an upright position so that the antenna is not blocked in any way. If bad cell phone signal reception persists, hold it or basically lift it from bottom using the tips of your five fingers (like a butler would carry a tray on one hand). This will do wonders for the cell phone reception. You can also first start by not grabbing the phone too hard and not pressing it closely into your head. Keep your grip light, and this will help you get a much better connection.

Here's another thing you could do – try this simple trick and go hands free with the phone. Place the phone on a table in a vertical position and use the speaker to communicate. When your phone is free in the air, it picks up signals more effectively.

#7: Try To Move Away From Highly Populated Areas.

Do you remember the last time you had a dropped call on your phone? Chances are that it happened at a rock concert or a football match, where you were surrounded by thousands of other people, with everyone using their cell phone at the same time.

When that happens, when too many people use their smartphones and tablets at once, the nearest cell tower gets overwhelmed with all the traffic. This leads to dropped calls, slow upload and download speeds, low quality calls, spotty reception, slow and unreliable internet and inability to send text messages.

So, if you find yourself in the middle of such a crowd, avoid using the cell phone. Get out of there, find a quiet area where you are all alone and then make a call. Simple!

#8: Easy Fixes For "No Service" On IPhone.

Let us quickly talk about some of the easy fixes for your iPhone if you're not able to do any of the basic things like texting, calling or using the internet. But first, make sure that the SIM card is not damaged in any way; and that there is no software bug. There could also be an issue with the iOS upgrade. If there is no problem with the SIM card or the iOS and you still get the message, "searching for service" on the iPhone, then use some of the fixes described below.

8A: Toggle Airplane Mode.

If you are getting a "no service" on your iPhone, then you can just try turning the Airplane mode on/off. For this, go to Settings -> General -> Airplane Mode. Turn the Airplane Mode on, wait for 5 seconds and turn it off again. This should get your cell phone service back by reconnecting to a closer cell tower.

8B: Make Sure The Cellular Data Is On.

So you have tried the previous option of turning the Toggle Airplane Mode on and off, and it still has not worked for you? In that case, make sure that the Cellular Data is on. Go to Settings -> Cellular -> Cellular Data and make sure it is on. What if you are travelling? Switch Data Roaming on in case you're travelling abroad. Go to Settings -> Cellular -> Data Roaming.

8C: Make Sure The Date And Time Are Accurate.

Interestingly, we found that the reason for "no service" on iPhone sometimes is because the date and time are not the same as your current time zone. Set this right by first connecting the iPhone to Wi-Fi. Go to Settings -> General -> Data and Time. Here you will see the option “Set Automatically”. Set this on.

8D: Restart The IPhone.

If you have tried all of the fixes described above then restart the iPhone. Perhaps that is all that needs to be done to get your service back because it clears glitches that occur in programming software when antenna signal hops from one tower to another closer one. We don't need to tell you how to restart your iPhone, that should be easy enough!

8E: Change “Voice & Data”.

One of the easiest fixes for your iPhone is to change the option “Voice & Data” from 3G to 4G or from 4G to 3G depending on what works. The reason for this is that some areas have a stronger 3G signal and some areas have a stronger 4G or LTE network signal due to proximity of respective technology cellular tower. This should be easy enough. Go to Settings -> Cellular -> Cellular Data Option -> Voice & Data. Here you can choose 4G or 3G, based on what works best at your particular location.

8F: Update IPhone Carrier Settings.

It is possible that your carrier has sent certain updates to your iPhone which haven’t been installed as yet, because of which you are not getting good service. Simply go to Settings >> General >> About. Here you will have received a notification on whether there is an update is available or not. If there is one, make sure to install it on your iPhone.

8G: Remove And Reinsert The SIM Card.

If none of the measures described above work, please remove the SIM card. Then gently wipe it with a dry piece of cloth and reinsert it. Sometimes dust and grime accumulates on the metallic surfaces causing a bad connection. Then restart the iPhone. Do this very carefully and make sure that the SIM card is not damaged in any way.

8H: Update The IOS.

Apple is always tweaking its software to be as compatible as possible with cell service provider network settings for best network connectivity. Therefore, always make sure that you have the most updated version of the iOS. Connect to your Wi-Fi network, go to Settings -> General -> Software Update to see if there is an update available. If so, download and install the update.

8I: Reset The Network Settings.

The next step is to manually reset the Network Settings option if nothing else has worked thus far. For this, go to Settings -> General -> Reset. Here choose  Reset Network Settings and enter the passcode and tap Reset Network Settings.

8J: Reset All Settings.

If nothing listed above works, you can try resetting all settings without losing any data on the iPhone. Go to Settings -> General -> Reset All Settings. Enter the passcode and confirm by tapping Reset All Settings.

#9: Easy Fixes For "No Service" On Samsung Galaxy And Other Android Phones.

Easy fixes for “no service” in case of Android phones such as Samsung Galaxy are very similar to those suggested for iPhone. If you have an Android device, let us quickly go through some of the most useful methods for this.

9A: Restart the phone. This is the first thing you should do. If the problem is a minor one, then this should be enough to get the service back. Restarting clears most software glitches that prevent a good cell phone signal connection.

9B: If the restart did not work for you, then put the phone in the Airplane mode. Leave it on for about 30 seconds and tap again to turn Airplane mode off. This can do the trick. It will automatically reconnect to a closer mobile tower or a less busy mobile tower to provide a stronger cellular connectivity.

9C: If the previous method does not work, then select the network operator manually. Go to Settings -> Find Mobile networks -> Network operators. Then Android will start scanning for all the networks available in your area. Once you find your network, click on it manually. Sometimes due to roaming, low battery, or other software error or glitch, it does not find the correct network provider automatically. This may help get you connected propertly to make and receive calls or use mobile internet fast.

9D: It is possible that the SIM card may have been damaged in some way or not positioned correctly. That could be the reason why you're not getting a service. Remove the battery, and then remove the SIM card. Wipe SIM card with soft dry paper towel to remove dust and/or grime. Then put the SIM Card back in position correctly. Then place the battery in position and restart the phone – you may get the service back. If you don't get the service the first time you do this, repeat this process once more to make sure. If you still don't get the service, then the problem may be more serious than you thought.

9E: The next step is to see if the Radio is turned on or not. Go to the dialer and enter the code *#*#4636#*#*. Go to the Service mode and click on Phone information. Here you will find an option, Run Ping test. Just below the screen, you will find the Radio option. Tap on it to turn it on and reboot the device. This may solve the problem.

And that brings us to the guaranteed fix for weak cell phone signals due to bad indoor and in-vehicle cell phone reception.

#10: Cell Phone Signal Boosters For Home, Office And Car.

The easiest way to improve your weak cell phone signal is to buy a cell phone signal booster. Home cell signal boosters consist of an exterior antenna that picks up available cell signal outside (stronger the signal outside, larger the boosted area indoors).

That signal is channeled to amplifier installed inside the house or building. The signal amplifier then amplifies the signal by up to 32 times and broadcasts the much strengthened reception inside the house or building. This provides the powerful signal on your cell phone, which is of the maximum possible strength.

Yes, you can get the full five bars on your phone as long as there's some signal outside where exterior antenna is placed. A weak signal outside provides boost over smaller coverage space inside. A strong signal outside provides cell boost over larger areas indoors. Upon purchase of appropriate cell phone signal booster, carry your smartphone around the house without having to worry about any dead zones. You won’t have to worry about dropped calls or slow internet speeds either.

Cell phone signal amplifiers are affordably priced and you won’t have to pay a monthly fee to use them. It is a one-time purchase only - unlike in the case of Femtocells where you pay a monthly fee.

Conclusion.

You know how it is like when your cell phone reception sucks. You may have the latest iPhone model with you. You may have subscribed to a top cellular service provider, such as Verizon, AT&T or Bell Canada. And yet, the problems are many – dropped calls, missed calls, poor voice quality, poor connectivity, slow and unreliable internet, text messages and emails that don’t go through, inability to use Facebook, Twitter or Instagram... Heck, you can't even see the cute cat video on YouTube that a friend shared with you.

You know why it is so important to get a fast and reliable cell phone connection. We are in the Age of the iPhone and the Android – over 80 percent of adults in the United States and Canada have smartphones and at least 95 percent have some type of cell phone.

We are all used to the mobile lifestyle and couldn’t imagine life without the smart phone. We surf Internet, text, play Pokemon Go, use the apps, take photos and do so many things with our smart phones.

What if the cellular service was to be spotty, like it is in many places in Canada and United States? We wouldn’t be able to do so many of the things that we take for granted. So, have you been in situations where you had just one bar of service at best? You know how it feels like – you need to talk to someone really desperately and the phone hardly gives you any signal, if at all.

Is there a way to fix the cell phone reception, so that it goes back to 5 signal strength or something close to 100%? Is there really a way to fix your weak cellular reception? Yes, there are many, and we went through them all above. If troubleshooting the phone, its settings, and its software does not help, the best and the easiest fix for a weak cell phone signal is a cell phone signal booster for home, office or car.

These are really amazing devices, which we discussed above. But imagine not getting a quality cell phone signal – without a cellular service your phone is essentially useless. Just a thing you use for taking photographs, or as a torch and a calculator.

Heck, even if you were able to take photographs with your phone, without a cellular service, you wouldn’t be able to share it with your friends – so of what good is that! That is why we brainstormed to find reasons for bad cell connections. Consider the many easy fixes for weak cell phone reception listed above. Hopefully you won't need to buy a cellular signal amplifier.

However, if you do need one, know that we sell, market and install cell signal boosters for homes, cars and commercial enterprises made by top-rated and popular brands such as weBoost (Wilson Electronics), SureCall, Cel-Fi, SmoothTalker, HiBoost among others.