10 ways to boost your cellular signal and stay connected to your network

Publish date: 2024-07-28

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You probably hear the question, "How many bars do you have?" pretty often. Cell phone signals are an essential commodity these days, since it affects not just your ability to make phone calls, but also send text messages and even connect to the internet when you're away from Wi-Fi. 

How to boost your cell signal

Any number of factors can affect how well you can keep your phone connected, so here are 10 things you can do to troubleshoot and improve your cell signal.  

Get out from behind materials that block your signal

Cell signals are easily blocked, and so if you find your signal is weak, solving the problem might be as simple as moving outdoors.

Reboot your cellular radio 

Sometimes your phone can get confused and fail to lock onto the best cell tower. If you suspect a problem, turn your phone's Airplane Mode on and off, or just restart the phone entirely. 

Turn Airplane Mode on and off again, or just reboot your phone. Dave Johnson/Business Insider

Change your location 

Even if you're outdoors, tall buildings and large bodies of water can block signals, so move to a different spot or go to higher ground.

Remove the case 

While unlikely, it's possible your phone's case can be interfering with your cellular signal. If you recently got a new case and noticed a drop in cellular signal, take it out of the case and see if that improves your phone's signal. 

Check a coverage map 

All the major carriers publish coverage maps you can check to see if you are in an area with limited or no coverage. You can zoom in on your location on T-Mobile's coverage map, for example, or if you can look at AT&T's coverage map if you are a customer there. Verizon also publishes a coverage map. 

All major carriers have maps you can use to assess your coverage area. Dave Johnson/Business Insider

Update your carrier settings 

If you have an iPhone, it's possible that your cell service provider has updated its settings, and you need to update your phone's carrier settings to take advantage of them. To check, make sure you have a good connection (cellular or Wi-Fi) and then start the Settings app. Tap "General" and then "About." If there's an update available, install it. 

Don't let your battery get too low

If your battery gets critically low, your phone automatically enters low power mode, which may dedicate less power to the cellular radio. If you're having trouble connecting, charge your phone – and you can do things like lower screen brightness and make the screen sleep faster to extend the battery life through the day. 

Install a signal booster

If you live in an area with poor service coverage, you might need to install a signal booster, sometimes called a repeater, in your home. These devices boost the cellular signal and give you a usable signal. Unfortunately, they're often expensive, costing hundreds of dollars. If you think you need one, call your cellular provider – most offer boosters you can purchase, though you can also buy one on your own. 

You can install a signal booster at home if you like in an extremely poor service area. Surecall

Change carriers 

If you live or work in an area with especially bad cellular coverage, you might not need to tolerate it. Competing cellular providers might have better coverage where you need it most, so check coverage maps (see the "check a coverage map" tip) to see if another provider is better.

Use Wi-Fi instead

While this doesn't technically boost your cell signal, it can accomplish the same thing: Whenever possible, use Wi-Fi. Make sure your Wi-Fi is turned on and you join trustworthy Wi-Fi networks when they're available, since that can avoid the need to use spotty or slow cellular.

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Dave Johnson Freelance Writer Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider. Read more Read less

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