iPhone 8 model MQ6G2B/A had iOS 16.7.11 was offered update April 23 2025. Afterwards no data service or cell connection. Message said "Phone unable to access mobile data or make or receive mobile [cellular]call or messages" another said "An update is required to use mobile [cellular] data on this iPhone"
iPhone 6 Plus, iOS 12
Your carrier might want you to update your carrier settings. (These are separate from iOS.)
Manually update your carrier settings on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support
I had on-line chat with a person I believe was in Sub-continent [e.g. India] who had me try various things but eventually fixed for me to receive a phone call. That was a person from British Isles area and again he had me try things very like the other person - but again NO JOY. Both of those persons 'indicated' the "carrier" may have been doing something but I thought that was a highly unlikely situation and for sure 'Apple' had sent me the message about an upgrade.
So,I agreed with the person, who phoned me, to completely start from scratch, He was speaking with me whilst I connected the iPhone 8 to 'iTunes' and restored that iPhone.
I lost a year's worth of photos and some other bits and bobs BUT then the iPhone 8 was able to access mobile data and make or receive mobile [cellular]calls.
Why did 'Apple' send me that update which, I guess, was not suitable??
Dalmarnock wrote:
So,I agreed with the person, who phoned me, to completely start from scratch, He was speaking with me whilst I connected the iPhone 8 to 'iTunes' and restored that iPhone.
I lost a year's worth of photos and some other bits and bobs BUT then the iPhone 8 was able to access mobile data and make or receive mobile [cellular]calls.
Whoever told you to wipe and reset the phone without first backing up and/or synchronizing all of your data (so you could recover afterwards) did you no favor.
It sounds to me like it wasn't necessary to completely reset the phone. I would have tried
before even thinking about completely wiping the phone.
See the instructions in this Apple Support document. If you see a Cellular, Ultra Wideband, or Apple Pay Issue message after an iOS update or restart - Apple Support
Who’s your carrier? Have you contacted your carrier’s support team? They may need to reprovision the SIM card.
I don't believe the update was the problem. It was a lack of an update from your cellular carrier. If it is was necessary for you to restore the phone through iTunes, you should have at least had a backup, or your photos synced to iCloud. You should have been able to get them back. If you lost a year's worth, that means you had not backed up your phone in a year. If you used iCloud, then all you should need to do is sign back into iCloud and the photos would sync.
ChrisJ4203 wrote:
If you used iCloud [Photos], then all you should need to do is sign back into iCloud
… and make sure that iCloud Photos was enabled on the phone …
and the photos would sync.
Agreed, I just failed to mention turning photos on. My Bad.
iPhone 8 model MQ6G2B/A was offered update April 23 2025, afterwards no data service or cell connection
