Your phone is not connecting because something is blocking the path between your device and your internet provider
When your phone cannot reach the internet, one of four things is happening: your phone's wireless radio is off, you are out of range of a network, the network itself is down, or something is blocking the signal between you and the router or cell tower. Most of the time it is the first or second. The fix depends on which one it is, and you can narrow it down in about two minutes by checking a few specific things in order.
The internet does not magically appear on your phone. Your phone has to connect to either a WiFi network (which runs through a router in your home or a public location) or a cellular network (which your phone company provides through towers). If either connection is broken, your phone has no path to the internet, even if the internet itself is working fine everywhere else.
Key Takeaways
- Check whether WiFi or cellular is actually turned on in your phone's settings — this is the most common reason for no connection.
- If WiFi is on, look at the signal strength icon and move closer to the router if the signal is weak or absent.
- Restart your phone and your router in that order, waiting 30 seconds between each restart.
- If only one network type is broken (WiFi works but cellular does not, or vice versa), the problem is usually with that specific network, not your phone.
- If nothing works after restarting both devices, contact your internet provider or phone company to check whether their network is down in your area.
Check whether WiFi or cellular is actually turned on
On most phones, you can turn off WiFi and cellular separately without turning off the phone itself. If either one is off, your phone cannot use that network even if it is available.
On an iPhone, swipe down from the top right corner to open Control Center. Look for the WiFi icon (it looks like a fan or curved lines) and the cellular icon (it looks like bars stacked diagonally). If either one is grayed out or has a line through it, tap it to turn it back on. On an Android phone, swipe down twice from the top to open Quick Settings, then look for WiFi and Mobile Data (or Cellular). Tap each one to make sure it is on.
If both are on and you still have no connection, move to the next step. If only one is on, try using that network first — if it works, you know the other network has a separate problem.
Check your signal strength and move closer to the router or tower
Even if WiFi or cellular is turned on, your phone needs to be close enough to actually receive the signal. Look at the signal strength icon in the top corner of your screen. On WiFi, the icon shows curved lines or a fan shape — the more lines showing, the stronger the signal. On cellular, the icon shows stacked bars — again, more bars means stronger signal.
If you see only one bar or no bars at all, move closer to the router (if using WiFi) or toward a window or open area (if using cellular). Walls, metal, and water all block wireless signals, so moving even 10 feet can make a difference. Try moving to a different room or going outside for a moment to test.
If the signal is weak everywhere in your home, the router may be too far away or blocked by obstacles. Moving the router to a central location, higher up on a shelf, and away from metal objects can improve coverage. For cellular, weak signal everywhere usually means you are in an area with poor coverage from your phone company.
Restart your phone, then restart your router
Restarting clears temporary problems that prevent your phone or router from connecting properly. Do this in order: phone first, then router.
To restart your iPhone, press and hold the power button and one of the volume buttons until the power-off slider appears. Drag the slider to turn off the phone, wait 30 seconds, then press the power button again to turn it back on. On Android, press and hold the power button until a menu appears, tap Power Off or Restart, wait 30 seconds, then press the power button to turn it back on.
Once your phone is back on and fully loaded, restart your router. Unplug the power cable from the back of the router, wait 30 seconds, then plug it back in. The router will take one to three minutes to fully restart — you will see lights on the front blinking and then settling into a steady pattern. Do not unplug your phone or move away during this time. Once the lights are steady, try connecting again.
Forget the network and reconnect to it
Sometimes your phone remembers incorrect information about a network and cannot reconnect even though the network is working. Forgetting the network and reconnecting forces your phone to start fresh.
On iPhone, go to Settings, tap WiFi, find the network name in the list, tap the information icon (a circle with an i), and tap Forget This Network. Then go back to the WiFi list, tap the network name again, enter the password if prompted, and wait for it to connect. On Android, go to Settings, tap WiFi, long-press the network name, tap Forget, then tap the network name again and enter the password.
For cellular networks, this is harder to do yourself because your phone company controls the connection. If forgetting and reconnecting to WiFi does not work, move to the next step.
Check whether the problem is with one network type or both
If WiFi is not working but cellular is, or cellular is not working but WiFi is, the problem is with that specific network, not your phone. This tells you who to contact for help.
If WiFi is broken but cellular works, the problem is with your router or your internet provider's network. Restart the router again (following the steps above), and if that does not fix it, contact your internet provider. If cellular is broken but WiFi works, the problem is with your phone company's network. Contact them to report the outage.
If both WiFi and cellular are broken at the same time, the problem is more likely with your phone itself. Try the restart steps again, and if they do not work, contact your phone company or visit a store to have the phone checked.
Contact your internet provider or phone company if nothing works
If you have restarted both your phone and router, checked signal strength, and forgotten and reconnected to the network, but still have no connection, the problem is likely on your provider's side. Your internet provider or phone company can check whether their network is down in your area and whether there is a problem with your account.
Before you call, have ready: your account number (usually on your bill), the type of phone you have, and which network is not working (WiFi, cellular, or both). If you are calling about WiFi, also note the router model (usually printed on the back or bottom of the device). The provider can often fix the problem remotely or send a technician if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my WiFi work on my laptop but not on my phone?
Your phone and laptop may be connecting to different networks with the same name, or your phone may have an older WiFi standard that the router does not support. Try forgetting the network on your phone and reconnecting. If that does not work, restart both your phone and router. If only your phone still cannot connect, the problem is with your phone's WiFi radio, not the network.
My phone says it is connected to WiFi but I still cannot load websites
Your phone is connected to the router but the router itself has no internet. Restart the router and wait three minutes for it to fully restart. If websites still do not load, contact your internet provider — their network may be down. You can also try switching to cellular to confirm the internet is working elsewhere.
Why does my phone keep disconnecting and reconnecting?
Your phone is at the edge of the network's range and keeps losing and regaining signal. Move closer to the router or toward a window. If this happens everywhere, the router may need to be repositioned or your phone's WiFi radio may be failing. Try restarting both devices first.
Can I fix my phone's internet connection without restarting?
You can try turning WiFi or cellular off and back on, forgetting and reconnecting to the network, or moving closer to the router. These steps work sometimes without a full restart. But a full restart clears more problems, so if quick fixes do not work, restart both your phone and router.
What if I am in an airplane or a place where cellular is blocked?
Airplanes, hospitals, and some buildings block cellular signals intentionally. In these places, you can only use WiFi if it is available. Turn on airplane mode to save your battery, then turn WiFi back on separately to use the available network. Your phone will not try to find cellular signal while airplane mode is on.