How to Fix “Not registered on network” Bug on Android Device

“Not registered on network” is one of the common network problems in both Android and non-Android phones. In this short tutorial, we show you how to fix this problem on Android. Our suggestions are made generic in order to allow all Android users to understand the troubleshooting steps.

What causes “Not registered on network” bug

“Not registered on network” bug can be due to a number of factors. Below are the possible reasons for this problem:

  • New account or provisioning issue
  • SIM card issue
  • Unknown network issue
  • Device software bug
  • Bad third party app

How to fix “Not registered on network” bug

Fixing “Not registered on network” error is not direct. As stated above, there’s a number of potential causes for this problem so many troubleshooting steps are needed to be done to figure it out. Below is an exhaustive set of troubleshooting steps that you can do.

Method 1 : Force restart

Some network problems can be products of temporary bugs. These bugs can develop if a device has been left running for a long time, or if there are coding changes or errors that Android can’t resolve by itself. In many cases, bugs of these type go away on their own but they can also be fixed by simply restarting the phone. If your Android phone has a removable battery pack, simply take the battery out for a few seconds to refresh the system. If your Android is new and has a non-removable battery, then you need to simulate the effects of a “battery pull” instead. Doing this varies by phone models so what you can do is to do a quick Google search on how to soft reset it. For instance, doing a soft reset on a Samsung Galaxy S9 goes like this:

  1. Press and hold the Power + Volume Down buttons for approximately 10 seconds or until the device power cycles. Allow several seconds for the Maintenance Boot Mode screen to appear.
  2. From the Maintenance Boot Mode screen, select Normal Boot. You can use the volume buttons to cycle through the available options and the lower left button (below the volume buttons) to select. Wait for up to 90 seconds for the reset to complete.

It may be different for a non-Samsung device so make full use of Google to search the steps on how to do it on your own phone. If the phone is still says not registered on network, move on to the next method.

Method 2 : Verify account is active

In some cases, “Not registered on network” error can be a direct result of an account issue. This bug often shows for accounts that are not properly set up or provisioned from the carrier’s side. If you are a new user and just got into your current network, it’s possible that your carrier may still be in the process of activating your account. Make sure to call them and inquire if that’s the case. You may need to provide them with the IMEI number of your phone and the SIM card number, so make sure to have the information ready before contacting them. In that situation, all you need to do is wait until what they’re doing is finished.

If your phone still says not registered to network even after the activation has been completed, try the next tweak.

Method 3 : Reseat SIM card

Some Android users were able to fix “Not registered on network” error by simply turning off their device and disconnecting their SIM card. If you haven’t tried it yet, make sure that you do at this point. Before you remove the card and reinsert it, be sure that the phone is off to avoid corrupting data.

Method 4 : Install updates

Keeping Android and apps up-to-date is no-brainer. Not only does update bring cosmetic changes but also solutions to known problems. Frankly, there’s not enough convincing reasons to hold off updates. If you’ve been doing that though for whatever reason, be sure allow them to be installed this time. Some network issues like problems with modem firmware can only be sometimes resolved by updates.

If your phone is not set to auto-update, you can manually check for and install software update from the phone’s menu settings. Check for in-apps updates may also help eliminate this mobile network error. If the apps and software update fail to eliminate not registered to network error on your Android device, troubleshoot further.

Method 5 : Reset network settings

Clearing network configuration can sometimes help in fixing network problems. This reset will not cause a complete data loss, but all your saved WiFi passwords, Bluetooth connections, registered mobile networks, VPN and APN settings will be deleted after the process. Be sure to do it if none of the above suggestions has not helped so far. If you have a Samsung Galaxy device, you can reset network settings by heading to Settings > General management > Reset > Reset network settings > Reset settings, and then tap Reset to confirm. The steps may vary depending on your phone’s model so make use of Google if you don’t know how to do this troubleshooting step on your device.

Method 6 : Observe on Safe Mode

Unlike iOS devices, an Android device can be booted to safe mode if you suspect that an app is causing a problem. When on safe mode, your device will suspend all third party apps. All apps that are not part of the original software and those that you download are considered third party, even if they are from your phone manufacturer or Google. On Safe mode, these apps will be blocked from running. If “Not registered on network” error won’t show and only returns after restarting the device to normal mode, you can assume one of the apps is to blame.

Each Android device has its own steps to arrive at safe mode. Do some research on how to do it on your phone. Then, once the device is running on safe mode, see if the “Not registered on network” bug returns. If there’s no problem at all in this mode, you can then start to identify what app is causing the problem with these steps:

  1. Boot to safe mode.
  2. Check for the problem.
  3. If the bug is not present on safe mode, you can start uninstalling apps. Do it one at a time. Begin removing the most recent app you installed as that might be the reason for the problem.
  4. After you uninstall an app, restart the phone to normal mode and check for the problem.
  5. If your Android is still problematic, repeat steps 1-4.

However, if the not registered on network error is still not corrected after booting the phone in safe mode, you might try deleting your device. See the next solution.

Method 7 : Factory reset

A more drastic troubleshooting step that you can do is factory reset. This procedure will return all software settings to their defaults by deleting apps, personal data, among other things. Basically, your device’s software environment will be cleaned and restored to its known working factory state. If the cause of the problem is software-related a factory reset might help.

There are different ways to factory reset different Android devices. For Samsung Galaxy running with older android versions, you can follow either of these:

  • Apps > Settings > Backup and reset > Factory data reset.
  • Apps > Settings > Privacy > Factory data reset.

For Samsung Galaxy running Android Nougat, Oreo, Pie or 10, you can head to Settings > General management > Reset > Factory data reset, then tap Reset to confirm.

If your phone is not a Samsung Galaxy device, do some research on how to perform it. Don’t forget to check if the error message is already eliminated after restoring your device to factory default settings.

Last option : Contact your network operator

Many Android devices that show “Not registered on network” bug have mobile networks issues. If all the software solutions we’ve provided above won’t help at all, you should consider getting help from your network service provider or carrier.

I hope that we are able to help you fix this mobile network issue and be able to make a call from your device. If you find this information relevant, please help us spread the news. You can also show us your support by subscribing to our YouTube Channel . Thank you for reading!



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