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User profile for user: joxesCA
joxesCA Author
User level: Level 1
93 points

iPhone 12 losing service

Received my iPhone 12 Pro on Friday. Activated it on Saturday. Sunday I drove for 10 mns and when I arrive to my destination I saw no reception bars and No Service. And in the middle of the screen in a grey box: Your iPhone is not Activated.


The only way to get the connection back was to toggle Airplane mode to ON then OFF.


The iPhone had the cellular mode to 5G Auto. I switched it to LTE to test. And it was the same.


So I resetted the network settings: same issue and I resetted the iPhone as a new iPhone and reinstalled everything from scratch (not from a saved backup): same issue.


I drove my car and found the exact location where the phone lost the network. If the phone lost the network it means I reach the end of the coverage area from a certain antenna. It looks like something happened with the phone when I reach a zone covered by a new antenna.


I called my operator and they told me that everything is good on their end and I have the right SIM card for a 5G device.


I called the Apple Tech Support and they remotely installed on my phone two profiles:

  • Baseband and Telephony Logging
  • CFNetwork Diagnostics


I was able to replicate the issue after talking to the Apple Tech and I was able to submit the report.


I pushed a little bit the research and I found on Reddit a lot of people talking about the same issue not only on Verizon (my carrier) but also on AT&T. Just use the title I typed and you will find the article.


I never had such issue with the 11pro.



[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Oct 28, 2020 11:31 AM

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956 replies
User profile for user: Dogcow-Moof
Dogcow-Moof
User level: Level 8
36,515 points

Dec 3, 2020 1:33 AM in response to victuals

victuals wrote:

Keep up the reports here and on Apple Support. Eventually they should respond. I just don’t think they know the solution yet.


Note that Apple Support will never respond here.


While some have been contacted based on posts here, it is because of individual employee initiative, not because of corporate process.


To lodge official reports, to which Apple Support may respond, please do so by contacting Apple Support directly.


Contact - Official Apple Support

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User profile for user: machado22
machado22
User level: Level 1
32 points

Feb 9, 2021 5:49 PM in response to pvelten

I am surprised this situation has not been addressed properly by the carriers or Apple. They each seem to be ignoring and hoping the problem will go away. Which it will NOT!

Imagine paying hard earned money for a product that only works, "part-time"? Clearly that would be frustrating for all consumers. Nobody likes to waste money.

I was already given a replacement phone and SIM cards and guess what-neither of them corrected the issue. Once again today I have 1 bar, 1 bar of signal strength at home. My phone is resting on the table and only has 1 bar. No reason for that. Unacceptable. Then when I left the house for a short drive, I lost all signal strength for about 4 minutes, had to go in and out of airplane mode for the signal strength to reset. UNACCEPTABLE!

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User profile for user: Dogcow-Moof
Dogcow-Moof
User level: Level 8
36,515 points

Sep 15, 2021 1:54 AM in response to hflhdfcrvztpv

If you want to use 5G, on many carriers that needs to be part of your cellular plan.


For example, AT&T customers grandfathered into the original "unlimited data" plan offered with the original iPhone in 2007 are not allowed to connect to 5G; you have to change to a plan with data limits to be allowed to connect to 5G service, and then your local cell tower has to provide actual 5G service (denoted on AT&T with "5G+", on other networks with "5GUW." The "5GE" noted by many phones on AT&T is just a slightly faster version of LTE that they call "5G Evolution" for marketing reasons.)


So there are two parts to 5G service:


  • Your cellular plan must allow it
  • Your tower must provide it


If your issue is with LTE service, I've explained before what is likely occurring.


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User profile for user: pvelten
pvelten
User level: Level 1
14 points

Oct 29, 2020 6:52 AM in response to joxesCA

Same issue here, i contacted Verizon tech support, they told me the 5G sim's that came with the pre orders from Apple are defective not allowing 5G service. I have ordered a new SIM and it should be here today. I will update this once i install it. Best of luck on this issue because it is annoying to have a brand new phone, with no service.....

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User profile for user: 8mmac
8mmac
User level: Level 1
9 points

Nov 5, 2020 8:16 AM in response to joxesCA

I have the same issues with my new Verizon iPhone 12. I drop service randomly in areas that should have the strongest signal (driving through a big city). I always had service in these areas with my iphone XR. It's very frustrating and I usually have to turn the phone off and back on to get it to recover the service. I did have an issue with my XR where it wouldn't recover signal after losing it, but I was in a bad service area. This is way worse.

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User profile for user: JCM78
JCM78
User level: Level 1
9 points

Nov 6, 2020 6:17 AM in response to joxesCA

This issue has nothing to do with Verizon, ATT, 5G, which antenna you're connected to... It's an Apple issue. Don't know if software or hardware but definitely an Apple problem.

I know because I've got the same issue with my 12Pro and I'm in Europe, dual SIM so no 5G possible. Traveled to Dubai and Kenya with it. Had same issues there. And with Covid confinement, I've been stuck at home for days now, so safe to assume I'm on the same antenna all this time, and still, the issue is there.

I'd switch phone off, go airplane mode, clean the SIM, etc... nothing does it. Phone goes on No Service after a random amount of time - usually an hour or so.

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User profile for user: Dogcow-Moof
Dogcow-Moof
User level: Level 8
36,515 points

Dec 24, 2020 6:59 AM in response to Dunhill421

If it were a hardware issue alone it would affect everyone, but it does not.


It's most likely to be an interaction between the hardware and a certain revision of software at the cell tower or a certain brand of cell tower software/hardware.


To bring this full circle, I recommend everyone who has this problem to bring it up to both your carrier and to Apple support directly.


Contact - Official Apple Support

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User profile for user: Dogcow-Moof
Dogcow-Moof
User level: Level 8
36,515 points

Jul 28, 2021 10:49 AM in response to hflhdfcrvztpv

Yes, you should contact your cellular provider.


They alone can solve this issue, and everyone who has had this issue solved for them has had it happen when their carrier made changes or via a carrier settings update, but never via an iOS upgrade.


It is of course possible it is a sample defect with your phone, but the checks done on yours would have found that.


Finally, comments are not removed for not being pro-Apple, but only for being against the ASC Terms of Use that you agreed to follow when creating an account here.

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User profile for user: joxesCA
joxesCA Author
User level: Level 1
93 points

Nov 16, 2020 7:00 AM in response to joxesCA

To summarize, Verizon network, based on what I saw with Spectrum and Verizon, I do not see any issues with them. It was a Sunday evening, the level of dedication received from Spectrum and Verizon was above my expectations. I never received this level of support anywhere else. The issue is mix bag of software and hardware issues. The biggest issue that we have is we cannot operate our phones. The battery drainage could be linked to the No service issue. When no service is active the phone will try to search for a network and use more power doing so. If you use more power toward the baseband at the end you drain your battery.


I'm like the gentleman who posted that he cannot work because he cannot use his phone. Same here, if I cannot use my phone to call my colleagues, my customers I will lose my job. I need a phone that works. And right now it is not the case.


So here is my solution:


  • Backup your phone in iCloud or on your computer
  • Turn off find my phone
  • Remove your iPhone from your iCloud device list and
  • Remove the Sim


 Option 1 (if you still have your previous iPhone)

  • Use your old iPhone for couple of months. If it is truly a baseband issue that cannot be fixed by a software update then you have to way for the 2021 iPhone release.
  • You may have to exchange your new 5G sim for a regular sim if you are switching to an old iPhone.


 Option 2 (if you sold your iPhone, like me)

  • Try to find a 11Pro or 11. They should be cheaper now and we never faced such issues.
  • Try you luck with a different brand


 What to do with your iPhone 12?

  • Return it to your carrier or iPhone is you have a 10, 15 or 30 days return policy
  • If you are out of the return policy window, contact Apple Support or your local Apple Store. Explain in details what happened. Apple will send you a replacement unit. As soon as you have the replacement unit, sell it on eBay. iPhone 12, 12 Pros are in demand so you won't have any issues selling it.
  • If Apple remote support does not do anything, go to an Apple Store and schedule time with the genius. You have to download the Apple Support app and you can quickly schedule an appointment. It is easier to get a replacement unit there. They do not want people to make scenes on site so they will be more willing to replace the device. Once you have a replacement, just sell it
  • In the case you cannot return it and Apple does not offer you a replacement, make sure to clean the phone, remove finger prints, reset the phone, remove find my phone and remove the phone from the iCloud device list and sell it on eBay and insist on the fact that the iPhone is under full manufacturer warranty. Go to the website where you check the Apple warranty status and add this screenshot to your eBay listing.


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iPhone 12 losing service

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