No Service or Searching on iPhone 18 Pro? What to Do

This article explains how you can troubleshoot cellular network signal issues on iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. If you see No Service or Searching on your iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max, this means that cellular data and cellular connectivity failed and you are having issues that prevent you from connecting to a cellular network or cellular data. This is an important problem because you will not be able to make or receive phone calls, send text messages, or connect to the internet until you fix this problem. We are going to share some of the most effective solutions.

The ‘No Service’ or ‘Searching’ messages appear in the status bar. If you see SOS or SOS only there instead, your iPhone isn’t connected to your cellular network, but you can still make emergency calls through other carrier networks. Apple says this is available in Australia, Canada, and the United States.

This can be a big problem for you especially when cellular coverage is available.

Please try each step until your issue is resolved:

The first things you should do are to try the following basic tips, and if they do not help you then you may troubleshoot further:

If your cellular network is available, you might be able to reconnect by turning Airplane Mode on and off.
1. Open the Settings app.
2. Turn on Airplane Mode for at least 15 seconds.
3. Turn off Airplane Mode.
Restart your iPhone.
1. Press and hold either volume button and the side button until the power-off slider appears.
2. Drag the slider, then wait 30 seconds for your iPhone to turn off.
3. To turn your iPhone back on, press and hold the side button (on the right side of your iPhone) until you see the Apple logo.
After restarting your phone, wait at least 5 minutes. And if this does not solve your problem, complete these steps a little differently this time. This is a little different type of restarting. First, enable Airplane Mode on your phone and then restart your phone. When you turn on your phone, now you can turn off Airplane Mode (Settings > Airplane Mode).
On your iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > Wi-Fi Calling and turn this off if it is already enabled.
On your iPhone, tap Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options and try changing what is set there. Under Data Mode, check whether Low Data Mode is on — Apple says it pauses automatic updates and background tasks when your iPhone is not connected to Wi-Fi. Depending on your carrier and region, this screen may also let you turn off 4G/LTE or choose between Voice & Data and Data Only. With a 5G data plan, your iPhone 18 Pro has two more options here: tap Voice & Data and choose 5G Auto, which switches to LTE when 5G speeds don’t give noticeably better performance, or choose LTE to turn 5G off. Under Data Mode you can also choose Allow More Data on 5G.

Check your settings

Let’s check basic settings. The following settings will disable cellular and Wi-Fi service if they are enabled.

Make sure that Airplane Mode is not enabled. (Settings > Airplane Mode)
Make sure that Cellular Data is not disabled. (Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data)
Are you traveling internationally? You may see this message if Data Roaming is disabled.
1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Cellular or Cellular Data.
  - If your iPhone has a single SIM card or eSIM, turn on Cellular Data, then tap Cellular Data Options.
  - If your iPhone uses Dual SIM or Dual eSIM, turn on Cellular Data, tap the number you want to modify, then tap Cellular Data Options.
3. Turn on Data Roaming.
If you have an iPhone with Dual SIM, check your cellular lines and eSIM/SIM.
1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap Cellular.
  1. Tap the cellular line you’d like to review.
  2. Check to see if it’s turned on.
  3. If the cellular line is off, tap Turn On This Line. Then, check to see if you have service.
If you don’t see your cellular line, contact your carrier to set up an eSIM or insert a physical SIM card.

Check in with your carrier

Contact your carrier (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile etc). Perhaps they are experiencing a temporary outage that may be affecting your iPhone 18 Pro services. When you call them, if this is the issue, they may provide an estimated time of repair completion.

Contact your carrier to:

Verify that your account is active and in good standing.
Make sure that you’re in an area with cellular network coverage and there are no outages in your area.
Check that your iPhone isn’t blocked or barred from receiving cellular services and is set up with the right data plan.
Ask if your local government requires IMEI registration to use an iPhone that you originally purchased outside your country or region.

Furthermore, even if your carrier is not experiencing outages, it is possible that your wireless service is suspended or even canceled. Contact your current cellular network provider.

Update your iPhone and carrier settings

Your problem that causes the no service problem on iPhone 18 Pro could be a common problem affecting a lot of users, due to iOS software bugs. If this is the case, Apple fixes these bugs quickly. So simply update your iPhone 18 Pro to the latest version of iOS. Here is how:

You can update wirelessly by going to Settings > General > Software Update. And if there is an update available, update your phone.

Also, check for a carrier settings update. Here is how:

Make sure that your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi.
Open the Settings app.
Tap General.
Tap About. If an update is available, you’ll see an option to update your carrier settings.

Check your SIM card

Is your SIM card placed properly? It may be out of place. Perhaps it is damaged? You may want to remove your SIM card and place it back. Here is how:

If you’re using a physical SIM card, remove the SIM card and put it back in.
To pop open the SIM tray, insert a paper clip or a SIM-eject tool into the hole beside the tray.
Push in, towards your iPhone, but don’t force it.
If you’re having difficulty ejecting the SIM tray, take your iPhone to your carrier or an Apple Store for help.
Then insert the tray into your iPhone completely and in the same orientation that you removed it.
The tray also fits only one way.

If your SIM card is damaged, doesn’t fit in the SIM tray, or you transferred your physical SIM card from another device, ask your carrier for a new SIM card.

Reset network settings

Reset your network settings. Please note that this will erase all of your network settings, for example, your Wi-Fi passwords will be deleted, etc. Here is how:

Tap Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.

Before you contact Apple, you can download the latest version of the Apple Support app on your iPhone 18 Pro and run additional diagnostics, which might help determine the source of the issue. And if you see an alert next to No Service, Apple has a separate article on what it means.

If you are still having this issue, it is time to contact Apple. Apple offers live chat support. It is also possible that your iPhone 18 Pro may have hardware issues. You may want to reserve a Genius Bar appointment.