Troubleshooting Your UNI-Mobile Connection

• Testing Signal Strength 
• Basic Troubleshooting 
• Selecting the Correct Network Operators
• Resetting the APN Registration 
• Deleting Redundant APN Configurations (Android) 
• Reinstalling the eSIM 
• Resetting Network Settings 

For instructions about setting up the service, eSIM installation, and unlocking and configuring mobile devices please refer to the main UNI-Mobile article. 

Testing Signal Strength

Before assuming there is a problem with the UNI-Mobile service or a phone configuration, you should check that there is actually an acceptable cellular reception. Slow internet and dropped calls are possible signs of bad cellular reception. 

Your phone's reception bars, displayed for each active SIM, show the signal strength from the nearest cell tower. However, they only provide a general measurement and do not include all the factors that could affect cell reception.

For more accurate measurements you can download a reputable signal strength measurement app. A network speed test tool can also help you estimate the strength and quality of the cellular signal (just make sure that the correct mobile data settings are applied to the relevant SIM and that Wi-Fi is switched off.) 

You can also use your phone's built-in signal testing tools by doing the following:

• Make sure the Wi-Fi connection is turned off.
  
  
• On iOS:
  
  
  • Open the phone app and dial *3001#12345#* to open the Field Test Mode.
    
    
  • There should be different sections for 5G and LTE.
    
    
  • Signal strength is indicated in the RSRP ( Reference Signal Received Power) field. If you see two RSRP fields then RSRP0 is the current tower you are connected to while RSRP1 is the nearest backup tower.
    
    
  • Depending on your iOS version this field can be found by –
    
    Tapping RsrpRsrqSinr, Reach Attempt, or NrReach Attempt.
    
    Or by tapping the menu and selecting Cell Info or Serving Cell Meas.
    
    
• On Android:
  
  
  • Go to the phone's settings and search for and select SIM card status (this is usually found under About Phone and Status Information or Network.)
    
    
  • Find the Signal Strength field.
    
    
• Signal strength is measured in negative dBm units. Anything over -99 dBm indicates acceptable cell reception and above -80 is good reception. Values between -100 and -120 indicate poor reception. Anything lower indicates very poor or no reception at all.
  
  If your cellular reception is -110 or below you should probably move to somewhere with better cellular coverage before trying further troubleshooting.

Basic Troubleshooting 

Here are some basic troubleshooting steps you should try first:

• For eSIM, remember to always keep your VPN off (using a VPN with a physical SIM is fine if you don't mind that it somewhat slows down your mobile data connection.)
  
  
• Enable and disable Airplane/Flight mode to refresh your connection with the cellular network. If this doesn't help, reboot your phone.
  
  
• Make sure your Android or iOS system is up to date and download and install the latest OS updates if available.
  
  
• If using a physical UNI-Mobile SIM, try turning off your phone and removing the SIM card. Clean the card with a soft cloth to remove any dust. Reinsert the card and make sure it is properly seated.
  
  If you have a dual SIM phone try removing the other SIM and inserting the UNI-Mobile SIM in its place.

Selecting the Correct Network Operator

The UNI-Mobile global service works with partner cellular operators (carriers) for each covered country or region and your phone should automatically select the correct operator when you install the SIM card. However, it is certainly possible the phone will select or switch to a wrong operator, especially while traveling, which will prevent the service from functioning properly.

You can solve this by manually selecting a network operator:

On Android:

• Go to your phone's settings and search for and select Network Operators, Mobile Networks, or a similar option.
  
  
• Toggle off the Select automatically option.
  
  
• Select the correct operator from the tables below.
  
  

On iOS: 

• Open your phone's settings and select Cellular or Mobile Data.
  
  
• Open the Network Selection or Carrier option.
  
  
• Toggle off the Automatic option.
  
  
• Select the correct carrier from the tables below.

Resetting the APN Registration

Each of your SIM cards should have a different APN configuration that can be reset separately. We still recommend you capture or note down the APN configurations for all of your SIMs before performing a reset just in case you need to reconfigure them.

• Follow the APN configuration instructions above to access the APN settings.
  
  
• On iOS, select the SIM for UNI-mobile (if you have multiple active SIMs).

  
  Go to the Cellular Data Network or Mobile Data Network where you will see the APN configuration, tap Reset Settings, and select Reset when prompted to approve your choice.
  
  

• On Android, make sure you are on the Access Point Names screen and have selected the correct SIM tab for UNI-Mobile.
  
  

  Tap the menu button, select Reset to default, and select Reset when prompted to approve your choice.
  
  

  
  
  
• Restart your phone. On supported devices, the configuration will be reapplied automatically, but on other models you may have to manually reenter it.
  
  

Deleting Redundant APN Configurations (Android)

(On iOS you do not need to be concerned with redundant APN configurations since you cannot add new APNs but only modify the existing one. If you think there is an APN issue with the UNI-Mobile service on your iPhone, just reset the APN configuration.)

When you install the UNI-Mobile SIM your phone (even if not a supported model) may automatically configure it with potentially redundant APN settings from the local carrier. We suggest that you initially keep these and just add a new UNI-Mobile configuration. But if after resetting the UNI-Mobile APN you are still having issues you can go ahead and delete these. 

To delete an APN configuration tap it to open it. If you have not already done so, you should capture or note down the APN settings, just in case. Select Delete APN from the menu and confirm the deletion. 

Reinstalling the eSIM

Reinstalling the UNI-Mobile eSIM, especially if you have traveled to a different region or country, could establish the correct connection settings. To reinstall the eSIM make sure you have access to a stable Wi-Fi connection and the eSIM's QR code.

To reinstall the eSIM you first need to remove it:

• On Android:
  
  
  • Open your phone's settings and search for and select SIMs, SIM manager, SIM cards, or any similar option.
    
    (These are generally found under the Connections or Network & Internet settings.)
    
    
  • Tap the UNI-Mobie eSIM and select Remove.
    
    
  • At the prompt confirm the removal.
    
    
  • Reinstall the eSIM using its QR code (see instructions above.)

• On iOS: 
  • Open your phone's settings and select Cellular or Mobile Data.
    
    
  • Select the UNI-Mobile plan or SIM card (it may be labeled as Primary, Secondary, or any other name you assigned to it during installation.)
    
    
  • Select the Remove or Delete button and confirm the removal.
    
    
  • Reinstall the eSIM using the QR code (see instructions above.)

Resetting Network Settings

If resetting the APN and removing redundant APN configurations doesn't help you can consider a full network reset.

On some devices you are able to reset only the mobile network, but otherwise be aware that on most devices this will reset all Wi-Fi, cellular, Bluetooth, VPN, and APN settings including their passwords and all configurations. You will need to manually reconnect and reconfigure these connections, hence you should note down or capture all their passwords, details, and preferences.

• On Android:
  
  
  • Go to your phone's settings and search for and for Reset.
    
    From the search results, select Reset Network Settings or Reset Wi-Fi, Mobile networks, and Bluetooth.
    
    (If you prefer to navigate rather than search, these options are usually found under Connections, System>Reset, or General Managment>Reset.)
    
    
  • On some phones, you will see an option to only Reset mobile networks and you will also be able to select the SIM card for which to reset the network. Try this first. If it doesn't help you can also try resetting Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
    
    
  • Make sure not to select any other reset option like "Reset all settings" or "Factory data reset"!!!
    
    
  • Select Reset Settings to proceed.
    
    

• On iOS:
  
  
  • Open your phone's settings and select General.
    
    
  • Select Reset. 
    
    (On the later iOS versions you will need to first select Transfer or Reset iPhone).
    
    
  • Select Reset Network Settings.
    
    
  • If prompted, enter your phone's passcode or just confirm the reset.