Android 'Mobile Network Not Available' — Fix Guide

What it means

'Mobile network not available' (or 'Not registered on network', 'Emergency calls only') means the phone has a SIM but can't latch onto your carrier's cellular signal.
The usual reasons are airplane mode left on, a network setting set to a band the carrier doesn't use, a SIM that's worked loose, the wrong APN, or the carrier itself being down where you are.
Wi-Fi calling and data still work over Wi-Fi while this is happening; only mobile calls and mobile data are blocked.

Affected Models

All Android phones with cellular service
Common when travelling, after a carrier change, or after a SIM swap
Frequent on dual-SIM phones where the wrong SIM is set for data or calls

Common Causes

Airplane mode is on
Network mode set to a band your carrier doesn't use (5G-only on a 4G network, LTE-only somewhere with no LTE)
Mobile data turned off, or roaming off while abroad
SIM not seated properly, or carrier has deactivated it
Wrong APN (Access Point Name) for the carrier
Carrier outage in your area
Phone is carrier-locked to a different network
Out-of-date carrier settings after a system update

How to Fix It

Toggle airplane mode on and off.

Swipe down quick settings, tap Airplane mode on, wait 10–15 seconds, tap it off.
This forces the phone to re-scan all available bands.
Many 'Mobile network not available' messages clear right here, especially after travelling between cell sites.
Check airplane mode and mobile data are off / on correctly.

Make sure Airplane mode is off (no plane icon).
Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > make sure 'Mobile data' is on for the right SIM, and 'Roaming' is on if you're outside your home country.
Restart the phone.

Hold the power button and choose Restart.
A proper restart clears stuck modem state and re-reads the SIM.
It's the fix for most one-off cases after the airplane mode toggle didn't do it.
Set network mode to Automatic.

Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > [your SIM] > Preferred network type.
Pick the most permissive — 5G/LTE/3G/2G (Automatic) — rather than 5G-only or LTE-only.
If you're in an area with weak 5G, a 5G-only setting reports 'No network'; Automatic falls back gracefully.
Reseat the SIM.

Power off, pop the SIM tray out with the eject tool, look at the SIM (clean any dirt off the gold contacts with a soft cloth), put it back flat in the tray, push the tray firmly home, power on.
For eSIM, check the profile is downloaded and enabled in SIM settings.
Reset or set the right APN.

Settings > Network & internet > SIMs > [your SIM] > Access Point Names > the three-dot menu > Reset to default.
Pick the APN that matches your carrier.
The carrier's website lists the right APN values if you need to add one by hand; a wrong APN is a common cause when moving to a new prepaid carrier.
Check for an outage and contact the carrier.

Look up downdetector for your carrier on Wi-Fi or another device.
If many users in your area are reporting an outage, wait for it to clear.
Otherwise call the carrier from another phone — they can confirm the SIM is active, push a network refresh, or send a replacement SIM if needed.
If a known-good SIM from another carrier works in this phone but yours doesn't on multiple phones, it's a carrier issue; if no SIM works in this phone, it's the phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my Android say 'Mobile network not available' even though the SIM is in?

Having a SIM physically inserted isn't enough — Android also needs the carrier's network to accept the SIM, and the phone needs to be on a band the carrier uses.
Three things cause most of these errors: airplane mode left on (toggle it off), the network type set to a band your carrier doesn't have at your location (set it to Automatic), or the SIM not seated properly (power off, reseat).
If those don't help and the SIM works in another phone, the carrier may have a network problem in your area, or your account may have a suspension that needs sorting with them.