Why is My Phone Roaming All of a Sudden [Answered]
Have you ever experienced the frustration of suddenly seeing your phone switch to roaming mode without any apparent reason?
Grabbing your phone just to detect you are roaming all of a sudden.
Apparently, this is a general issue faced by smartphone users which definitely causes an uproar due to high charges for utilizing nearby carrier provider service, and it can be a cause for concern.
Besides, roaming comes with additional charges most of the time which deem to be costly, and might probably result in heavy internet and voice bill at the end of the month if you’re not careful.
This makes the situation quite alarming, especially if you are on a limited voice and internet plan.
Has it ever crossed your mind why your phone suddenly starts roaming without exceeding your cell phone carrier’s operating area?
Initially, there could be several reasons for this, ranging from network coverage issues, access point name (APN) misconfiguration, outdated software or firmware, or device software glitches.
You must be here wondering why your phone suddenly switched to roaming mode automatically.
Apparently, it must have been a frustrating experience dealing with your phone that switches to roaming mode automatically in your cell phone carrier’s operating area.
Especially if you’re a heavy internet user that uses a smartphone for communication and internet access. Seeing that you are still in your phone network provider range, the sudden setback signifies something is definitely off somewhere, which needs attention to get it fixed.
In this article, we will explore the common causes of why your phone is roaming all of a sudden, and some working troubleshooting methods you can adapt to fix your phone that keep switching to roaming mode on its own.
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Moreover, we will also discuss the implications of roaming, such as increased data usage and potential charges.
So, if you are tired of dealing with the inconvenience of your phone suddenly roaming, keep reading to learn more about this common issue and how to resolve it.
Why Does Your Phone Switch to Roaming All of a Sudden
Basically, your smartphone tends to switch to roaming automatically when you are outside your phone network carrier coverage area, maybe while traveling or camping in the countryside.
When your phone is not able to connect to your regular network. This enables the device to conduct an automatic search of any other available networks it can reliably depend on.
Although the sudden switch to roaming on your phone can be a frustrating experience, especially when you’re not expecting it.
Initially, there are several reasons why your phone may switch to roaming all of a sudden, whether it is actually roaming or just indicates roaming as the option goes on automatically.
However, software or firmware glitch can be considered as the first cause of your phone roaming issue.
Almost always, software bugs and glitches are considered the main hitch in the operation of computer software that causes it to produce an incorrect or unexpected result.
It can relatively trigger errors that may have ripple effects and make it behave in unintended ways. This can definitely occur as a result of undefined or outdated programme packages.
In your case, your device may be acting up and keep detecting that it is roaming as a result of software glitch or bugs, which can probably be fixed after a software or firmware update.
Furthermore, misconfiguration in your device network settings can also be a misleading action causing your phone to keep switching to roaming automatically.
In such cases when your phone network settings is not properly configured, this can definitely make the phone keep switching over to other available networks due to unstable connection with your local network provider as a result of invalid network or APN configuration.
Damaged or mis-input SIM shouldn’t be left out. In some cases, there are chances that the issue is with the SIM card on your phone, whether its damaged or not properly inserted.
Roaming can definitely come on if your SIM can’t secure a proper connection with your local network carrier tower in order to transmit and receive required frequencies before it functions properly.
And also, a problem with your carrier’s network can probably mess up your device roaming settings and keep it on while not roaming.
Detecting this is becoming common, it’s important to keep an eye on your phone’s network settings and contact your network provider to report the problem if they could possibly get a fix.
How to Fix a Phone That’s Always on Roaming
Check the Roaming Settings of Your Device
Foremost, turning off all roaming functions of your device tends to be the first appropriate approach to take while fixing your phone that is always on roaming.
In such instances whereby the roaming option isn’t deactivated appropriately, your device may likely act up and switch to another available carrier whenever your local carrier is experiencing a low coverage or outage.
It’s advisable to take the necessary approach while deactivating the roaming option of your smartphone, especially if you make use of the option recently. Supposing you just returned from a foreign location that you roam on other network operators.
Turning off the roaming option of your smartphone isn’t a complex task, as you can easily do this in a few taps irrespective of your device platform.
In case you’re on Android. Navigate to your device Settings. Scroll a bit down to locate the SIM card and Mobile network option. Locate and tap on Mobile Networks.
Take a closer look to locate the roaming option. Toggle off the switch bar that adjacent the title Roaming to deactivate the function. If the function is already turned off, toggle it on and off again to reassure it has been deactivated manually.
Same steps apply for other platforms as well. In case you’re on an iOS device, you can simply access the roaming settings by navigating to your device Settings >> Cellular Data or Mobile Data >> Cellular Data option. Take a closer look to locate Data roaming. Tap on the toggle switch to deactivate the roaming option for your device.
Power Cycle Your Device
When the roaming option is affected and reacting to sort of glitch with your device software, restarting your smartphone may probably be of great help, as that will definitely give the device a fresh start.
Restarting your phone isn’t a great deal, you can simply put out your device by following the normal procedure to turn it off then wait for several minutes before turning it back on.
In case you can easily access your device SIM tray, it’s advisable to remove and reinsert the SIM card to ensure it’s properly placed.
Check for Software and Firmware Update
Since software and firmware updates are released periodically for rectifying any issue with the device program, running an outdated software or firmware can likely be the cause of your phone roaming option that keeps turning on itself.
Apple always ensures numbers of bug fixes updates are released after it drop a major release operating system for its devices.
According to a source, Apple issued a total number 11 updates to its iOS 10 released back on September 13, 2016, before releasing iOS 11.
The same goes for other recent versions such as the iOS 11 that receives 15 updates before getting its successor iOS 12. Shockingly, it was learned that the iOS 13.0 receives three different bug fixes updates barely six days after its major release.
Unknowing, your device may be missing out on some fixes updates that may likely rectify the roaming issue you’re facing.
Simply check out the updates page of your smartphone to see whether there’s an available update for your device or not.
On iPhone, open the Settings >> General then finally tap on Software Update to access the updates page. If there’s any, you’ll see the update details and the installation button.
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In case you’re on Android, access your device settings by tapping on the gear icon in your device menu. Scroll way down till you locate the System option, tap on it and check out System update from the list.
You’ll see two options; Online Update and Local Update. Tap on Online Update for the device to check for any recent software patches that are compatible for your device.
Select Mobile Network Manually
Try to search and connect to the mobile network manually, most of the time considered as a home network in your device network settings.
Access your device Settings and navigate to Wireless and Mobile network settings. Tap on Mobile Networks. Select your Network operator’s name from the list and tap on Advanced. Automatically select network switch to disable, then tap Network, and finally select a network.
Contact Your Network Provider
Lastly, connect with your network provider customer support to confirm if roaming is still active on your line.
This will probably help you in detecting the true source of the issue, as they may likely provide you with a reliable solution to the problem. Access your network carrier’s official website to utilize any available contact means provided for customers.
