How to Enable Cellular Data on an iPhone or iPad: Easy Steps & Fast Fixes

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Use your cellular data plan to access the internet from anywhere

Written by Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: October 23, 2024 Fact Checked

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Enabling in Settings

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Enabling in Control Center

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Troubleshooting

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Checking Data Usage

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Video

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Tips

To access the internet on your iPhone or iPad when no Wi-Fi is available, you'll need to turn on mobile (or cellular) data. This easy guide will teach you how to enable mobile data on any iPhone or iPad. If mobile data isn't working, we'll also help you troubleshoot and fix the issue.

Enabling Cellular Data on an iPhone or iPad

Open the Settings app and tap Mobile or Cellular. Slide the switch next to "Cellular Data" or "Mobile Data" to the On position. You can also toggle Mobile Data on and off in Control Center.

Section 1 of 4:

Turn On Mobile Data in Settings

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It’s the gear icon typically found on your home screen.
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Tap Mobile or Cellular. The option you see depends on your region, but you'll find either Mobile or Cellular in the first section of the menu.
- This option may be called Cellular Data on some iPad models.
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3
Slide the "Cellular Data" or "Mobile Data" switch to
. As long as this switch is on, mobile data is enabled, and your device should automatically switch to it whenever your saved Wi-Fi networks are unavailable.
- When your iPhone or iPad is connected to mobile data, you'll see an icon in the status bar at the top of the screen that says 5G, LTE, 4G, 3G, E, or G, depending on your mobile provider.^{[1]
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Section 2 of 4:

Turn On Mobile Data in Control Center

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1
Open the Control Center. You can quickly enable or disable mobile or cellular data from the Control Center. To open Control Center:
- iPhones with Face ID and iPads: Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen.^{[2]
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- iPhones with Touch ID: Swipe up from the bottom of the home screen.^{[3]
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Tap the tiny Mobile Data icon (iOS 18 and later). If you're using the latest version of iOS or iPadOS, the mobile data icon has moved—it's now a tiny icon of several vertical bars ascending, right next to the Bluetooth icon. Tapping this opens a menu with options.
- If you're using an earlier version of iOS, you can skip this step.
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Tap the mobile data icon. On iOS 18 or later, it's the tile labeled Mobile Data or Cellular Data, which has an icon of four ascending lines. On earlier versions, tap the icon of an antenna with rounded lines emanating from its top. The icon will turn green, which means mobile data is now on.
- Check the status bar at the top of your device to make sure you're connected. When your cellular data connection is available, you'll see an icon that says 5G, LTE, 4G, 3G, E, or G, depending on your mobile provider.
- Tap the icon again to turn data off.

Section 3 of 4:

Why isn't mobile data working?

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Not all iPads support mobile data. If your iPad isn't a "Wi-Fi + Cellular" model or doesn't have an active eSIM or physical SIM, you can only access the internet on Wi-Fi.
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Mobile/cellular data may be disabled for the app you're using. If you've turned on mobile data but can't access the internet, data may be disabled for the apps you're trying to use. Here's how to check which apps can use mobile data and enable the ones you've disabled:
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Mobile or Cellular.
- Scroll down to the list of apps.
- If an app you want to use with mobile data has a gray/Off switch, tap it to turn it on. You should then be able to use mobile data for that app.
If mobile data isn't working, your data plan may not be active. It's also possible that your carrier is limiting your mobile data use for some reason—you may have gone over the allotted amount, or there could be a billing issue.
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You may be roaming with data roaming disabled. If you're in a region that isn't supported by your carrier and you're roaming, you'll only have access to mobile or cellular data if you enable data roaming. Be aware that this feature can incur extra charges. Here's how to enable data roaming:
- Open your Settings.
- Tap Cellular or Mobile.
- Make sure the switch next to "Mobile Data" or "Cellular Data" is On.
- Tap Mobile Data Options or Cellular Data Options.
  - If your iPhone uses Dual SIM or Dual eSIM, select the number you want to edit first.^{[4]
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- Toggle the "Data Roaming" switch to On.
If your iPhone or iPad has a removable SIM, eject it, and check it for dirt or damage. You can clean a dirty SIM card with an eraser or cotton swab and some rubbing alcohol. Reinsert the SIM and see if cellular data is working.
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A carrier update might be needed. You may need to update the carrier settings on your iPhone or iPad to get mobile data working again. Here's how to check for and install carrier updates:
- Connect your iPhone or iPad to Wi-Fi.
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap General.
- Tap About.
- If new carrier settings are available, you'll be prompted to install them.
- If you just inserted a new SIM card or activated a new eSIM and mobile data isn't working, you'll probably have to contact your carrier to get the latest carrier update.^{[5]
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Sometimes installing certain VPN or antivirus apps on your iPhone or iPad can mess with your network settings and prevent mobile/cellular data from working properly. If you're using a VPN or real-time antivirus/antimalware protection, try disabling it to see if you can access mobile data.
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Your network settings could be incorrect. If you still can't connect to mobile data, resetting your network settings will usually fix the problem. Just keep in mind that this will erase any custom VPN settings and saved Wi-Fi passwords and access points.
- Open Settings.
- Tap General
- Tap Transfer or Reset
- Tap Reset
- Tap Reset Network Settings and follow the on-screen instructions.

Section 4 of 4:

Checking Your Data Usage

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Keep track of how much data your apps are using. If your mobile data plan isn't unlimited, it will be helpful to monitor how much data you're using. By checking your mobile data usage, you can also learn how much cellular data is used by the apps on your iPhone or iPad, and turn off mobile data for the ones you don't need.
- Open your iPhone or iPad's Settings.
- Tap Mobile or Cellular.
- Scroll down to "Cellular Data Usage" to see your data usage for the current period.
- Scroll down to the list of apps. Data usage for the current period appears below each app's name.
- To prevent an app from using cellular data, toggle its switch to the Off position.

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Tips

If your phone is set to auto-join a Wi-Fi network, it will automatically connect to that network when in range, even if cellular/mobile data is enabled and available. Tap the Wi-Fi icon in Control Center to disconnect if you want to use mobile data instead.

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