Quick fixes for when your mobile data isn't working

Contents

In this guide:

Why is my mobile data not working?
Why is my mobile network not available?

There is an Australian adage that talks about using 4G in your own home because the WiFi is terrible. But what happens when even your 4G fails you? Mobile data not working can feel like being stranded out at sea. What has happened on TikTok while I was stranded?

If your mobile data isn’t working there are a few quick ways to fix it. Follow our quick steps first to get yourself back online, and read on to find out why your data isn’t working.

Quick fixes when mobile data isn't working

Check that you have reception
Turn aeroplane mode off and on again
Turn your phone off and take out your SIM card (and put it back in) before turning it back on
Check that you haven’t run out of data

Need a new plan during an outage?

Telstra customers looking for a stopgap connectivity solution with an eSIM-compatible device could sign up for a prepaid plan from an Optus network or Vodafone network provider with eSIM. Here are some popular prepaid plans from providers that offer eSIM:

Kogan Mobile	Kogan Mobile Large Monthly Plan 120GB data Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Get 120GB for $20 (incl. $20 off for first 6 mths + 40GB bonus data for 6 mths), then 80GB for $40 thereafter, valid until 25.10.26 $20.00 Per 30 Day Renewal Go to Site	$20.00 Per 30 Day Renewal	Go to Site
Kogan Mobile	Kogan Mobile Small Monthly Plan 30GB data On the Vodafone 4G Mobile Network Deal: Get 25GB for $10 (incl. $13 off for first month + 5GB bonus data for first 3 months), then 25GB for $23 thereafter, valid until 25.10.26 $23.00 Per 30 Day Renewal Go to Site	$23.00 Per 30 Day Renewal	Go to Site
felix mobile	felix mobile felix 25GB Mobile Plan 25GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps On the Vodafone 5G/4G Mobile Network Deal: Get 50% off your first 3 mths when you switch to felix. $15/mth for first 3 mths, then $30/mth. Use promo code FELIX50. T+Cs apply $30.00 Per 1 Month Renewal Go to Site	$30.00 Per 1 Month Renewal	Go to Site
felix mobile	felix mobile felix Unlimited Mobile Plan Unlimited data at download speeds up to 40Mbps On the Vodafone 5G/4G Mobile Network Deal: Get 50% off your first 3 mths when you switch to felix. $20/mth for first 3 mths, then $40/mth. Use promo code FELIX50. T+Cs apply $40.00 Per 1 Month Renewal Go to Site	$40.00 Per 1 Month Renewal	Go to Site
amaysim	amaysim UNLIMITED 42GB Plan 75GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT Deal: Save $23 for first renewal & includes 33GB bonus data for first 3 renewals when you sign up by 15.11.26. Online only. T&Cs apply $35.00 Per 28 Day Renewal Go to Site	$35.00 Per 28 Day Renewal	Go to Site
Optus	Optus Optus Prepaid $40 SIM (AutoRecharge only) 100GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device Deal: $13 SIM deal - 1st 28 days only. Ends 3/11. Make the smart move to Optus. New services only. T&Cs apply. $40.00 Per 28 Day Renewal Go to Site	$40.00 Per 28 Day Renewal	Go to Site
amaysim	amaysim 7-day UNLIMITED 10GB Plan 10GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT $14.00 Per 7 Day Renewal Go to Site	$14.00 Per 7 Day Renewal	Go to Site
amaysim	amaysim UNLIMITED 15GB Plan 15GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT $30.00 Per 28 Day Renewal Go to Site	$30.00 Per 28 Day Renewal	Go to Site
felix mobile	felix mobile felix Unlimited+ Mobile Plan Unlimited data at download speeds up to 80Mbps On the Vodafone 5G/4G Mobile Network $50.00 Per 1 Month Renewal Go to Site	$50.00 Per 1 Month Renewal	Go to Site
amaysim	amaysim UNLIMITED 42GB Plan 75GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT Deal: Save $23 for first renewal & includes 33GB bonus data for first 3 renewals when you sign up by 15.11.26. Online only. T&Cs apply $12.00 Starter Pack 28 Day Expiry Go to Site	$12.00 Starter Pack 28 Day Expiry	Go to Site

Why is my mobile data not working?

There is no single reason why your mobile data isn’t working, but there aren’t a lot to choose from. Most of these issues would have been solved by any of our quick fixes, but here is the reasoning behind them in a bit more detail.

You’ve run out of data

Running out of data, and not realising it is near impossible to do these days - but hey stranger things have happened.

On prepaid plans, you won't be able to access the internet if you've run out of data, but you'll still be able to make phone calls and send text messages. If this happens regularly, you may need a larger plan. We recommend plans with at least 30GB, but it's always best to look at your actual usage to get an idea of what data allowance you need.

Here's a look at the most popular plans right now with at least 30GB of data:

#1	Tangerine Telecom	Tangerine Telecom 30GB 5G Mobile SIM 30GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Uses parts of Telstra’s 5G and 4G mobile networks Deal: 50% off plan fees for 4 months - $15/mth for 4 months then $30/mth. Offer available until withdrawn. $30.00/mth Min. cost $15 Go to Site	$30.00/mth Min. cost $15	Go to Site
#2	Optus	Optus $60 Optus Choice Plus Plan 100GB data Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device Deal: $39/mth and 100GB/mth for first 12 months, then 60GB/mth and $60/mth or as notified. New services. Ends 12.11.26. Terms apply. $39.00/mth Min. cost $39 Go to Site	$39.00/mth Min. cost $39	Go to Site
#3	Boost Mobile	Boost Mobile $39 Prepaid 60GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Telstra 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Get 60GB data on first 6 recharges, then 30GB from 7th recharge. New customers only. Activate by 02.11.26 $39.00 Per 28 Day Renewal Go to Site	$39.00 Per 28 Day Renewal	Go to Site
#4	Kogan Mobile	Kogan Mobile Small - 365 Day Flex Plan 220GB data On the Vodafone 4G Mobile Network Deal: Get 220GB data for only $149 (incl. $30.90 off + 80GB bonus data) on the Small 365 Day Flex Plan. Offer ends 18.10.26 $149.00 Per 365 Day Renewal Go to Site	$149.00 Per 365 Day Renewal	Go to Site
#5	Moose Mobile	Moose Mobile Moose 23 SIM Only 30GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps On the Vodafone 4G Mobile Network Deal: Get 30GB for $14 – Includes $9 off for first 6 months, then reverts to $23. Offer ends 30.06.27 $14.00/mth Min. cost $14 Go to Site	$14.00/mth Min. cost $14	Go to Site
#6	Swoop	Swoop 30GB SIM Only 5G 30GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Vodafone 5G Network in selected areas with 5G devices Deal: Includes $11 off for first 6 months - $14/mth for first 6 months then $25/mth after that. Offer ends 30.06.27 $14.00/mth Min. cost $14 Go to Site	$14.00/mth Min. cost $14	Go to Site
#7	Dodo	Dodo Medium Mobile Plan 40GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas (exc NT) with a 5G device Deal: 50% off for first 4 mths! Get the Medium Mobile Plan for $15/mth for first 4 mths. New and returning mobile customers only. Ends 27.10 $30.00/mth Min. cost $15 Go to Site	$30.00/mth Min. cost $15	Go to Site
#8	SpinTel	SpinTel $29 Mobile Plan 50GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT $29.00/mth Min. cost $29 Go to Site	$29.00/mth Min. cost $29	Go to Site
#9	amaysim	amaysim UNLIMITED 240GB Long Expiry 240GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Optus 5G in selected areas with 5G devices ex. NT Deal: Get 240GB for $199 (includes $121 off) on first renewal. Offer ends 31.10.26. New online services only. T&Cs apply. $199.00 Per 365 Day Renewal Go to Site	$199.00 Per 365 Day Renewal	Go to Site
#10	Exetel	Exetel Plus One eSIM Plan 130GB data at download speeds up to 150Mbps Uses parts of Telstra’s 5G and 4G mobile networks $40.00 Per 30 Day Renewal Go to Site	$40.00 Per 30 Day Renewal	Go to Site

If you’re with a provider with unlimited data (either at capped or uncapped speeds), then you’ll never need to worry about this happening. Your connection may be slowed to under 1Mbps, but it will never be cut off.

On the other hand, if you’re with a smaller provider that doesn’t offer unlimited data (or doesn't automatically bill you for excess usage), then you have a few choices. You may need to recharge your prepaid plan sooner than you’d planned, or buy additional data from your provider, or you could just wait it out until your billing cycle is over.

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You don’t have reception

Sometimes the simplest answer is the correct one, and it is entirely possible that you might just not have reception. It's very obvious if your phone is showing zero bars or "SOS only", but a single bar of reception can make your overall mobile experience much worse. If you only have a single bar of 4G, your mobile data might not work at all.

Fixing coverage isn’t something you can do yourself, short of moving, but you can prevent these issues by checking where coverage is available on different mobile networks. Use our coverage checker below and locate the places you tend to frequent. This can give you a good indication of whether you should have reception there.

Click to Activate Interactive Map

Coverage information is collected from carriers and other third party sources. This is approximate coverage only and does not include indoor coverage. Actual speed and performance depends on your location and device. Local conditions and things like natural and artificial physical features of an area all affect your reception. Coverage © Mosaik

Aeroplane mode is on or your mobile data is turned off

We know that this one sounds dumb, but it is worth checking that aeroplane mode isn’t switched on and that mobile data is.

Aeroplane mode turns off your mobile network connection temporarily, so if you’ve accidentally toggled it off, then that would be the problem. The opposite is true for your mobile data settings - if it’s off, it won’t work. You can check both of these in the Settings app on all devices.

Sometimes turning aeroplane mode on and off works to fix connection issues because it forces your phone to find refreshed information. Consider it a soft reset.

Your APN settings may be out of whack

If you’ve just got a new SIM card or you have randomly started having problems with your mobile data, then there may be a problem with the configuration of your internet settings.

Usually, if you have an active mobile plan, the settings should automatically be sent to your phone by your carrier, but there are cases when this might not happen. If you find yourself in this situation, then you’ll need to make some changes to the Access Point Name (APN) in your Settings app.

Note that most of the time, all you’ll need to do is turn off your phone, remove your SIM card, pop it back in and turn your phone back on to reconfigure these settings. If that doesn't work, read more about fixing APN settings here.

Why is my mobile network not available?

If your mobile network isn’t available, then it is probably due to one of the aforementioned issues, but you might also be stung by an outage, or scheduled or emergency maintenance on the network.

Vodafone, Optus, and Telstra provide additional troubleshooting for network connectivity issues as well, which we have outlined below. These steps should also apply to any smaller mobile providers powered by their networks.

Vodafone mobile data not working

For those on the Vodafone network, you can check for scheduled network maintenance and upgrades that might cause an outage. Use the outage checker to see if you are affected.

Optus mobile data not working

Along with the usual solutions, Optus suggests updating your phone’s software if you’re experiencing problems with mobile data. You can also perform a network reset - you’ll find this in the settings section of any device. You'll want to look for Reset Network Settings in your phone's Settings app. You can also look at Optus' outage checker here.

Telstra mobile data not working

Telstra also suggests using Reset Network Settings in your phone's Settings app if mobile data isn’t working. You can also find Telstra's outage checker here.

Anula Wiwatowska

Offsite Editorial Lead | Instagram

Anula is the Off-Site Editorial Lead for WhistleOut Australia, and an award winning tech journalist. She has been writing about the Australian telco industry, and consumer technology for over five years, and has been known to tell her Uber driver which phone they should upgrade to next.

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