Some workarounds for Google Pixel network signal & Internet connectivity issues

It’s a fact that Google’s Pixel lineup has had a history of network signal and/or cellular connectivity complaints from users. If you Google a bit, you will find a lot of news articles, Reddit threads, and even Google forum discussion posts on this topic. Users – especially those with Pixel 6, Pixel 7, and now Pixel 8 also – have complained (sometimes furiously) about connectivity issues in one form or the other.

As a researcher & writer focused on helping users with their tech issues, I found it an apt topic to dig into. Of course, I can’t give you a magical solution – nobody can. However, what I can do is to save your hours and hours (maybe days, even) of effort aimed at finding that one bit of info (or a workaround) that works to resolve your problem. And that’s precisely what I have done here. I have collected a list of workarounds that have worked for people facing connectivity issues with their Pixel phones.

However, keep in mind that your problem could have a different root cause, and may require you to focus on your carrier or SIM. So, just don’t miss out on the last section of the article. For now, without further ado, let me present to you some of the quick fixes that I found.

Workarounds for network connectivity OR signal issues on Google Pixel phones

Worked for a lot of users:

• Try resetting your network. This is a workaround that I have observed worked for a lot of users (1, 2). Just head to Settings->Network & Internet -> Internet, and then click the refresh-type icon on the top right of the screen.
• For those using an eSIM, toggling the Airplane Mode on and off did the trick for a lot many. Some even confirm this trick works with Physical SIMs as well.
• If you have a physical SIM in your phone, try removing it and putting it back. Yes, this process may seem silly, but given the number of upvotes on this Reddit thread, it seems this workaround has worked for a lot of users. And, if you go by this post from a user who claims to be an ex employee at EE in the UK, this workaround also effectively does what the above mentioned two workarounds do.

Worked for a few:

1. Turning off 5G and restarting the device worked for some. For others, turning off 3G worked. (Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
2. Turning off Adaptive Connectivity worked for some (1, 2)
3. For a lot of users, the problem started with the Android 14 update on their device. Few of those said moving back to Android 13 fixed the issue for them. On the other hand, I also came across some reports wherein users said moving from Android 13 to Android 14 fixed their network issues.
4. Some say if you join the official beta group for the Carrier Services app, this solves the network issues on Pixels. In fact, this workaround has been in the news since Pixel 6 network complaints flared up.
5. Turn off WiFi Calling fixed the ‘No network’ or ‘No service’ issue for a few.
6. Factory reset is also being suggested by some.
7. Turn off “allow 2G” and and setting preferred network to 4G (Source)
8. Maybe try and get a replacement Pixel, as yours could be a faulty hardware.

Some useful videos I found

I am sharing a couple of videos that describe multiple workarounds (similar to the ones I have already shared in the section above). However, some users find video help easy, so I am including these videos. To be transparent, I have shared these videos based on the number of people who’ve said it helped fix the issue for them.

The following video is aimed at Pixel 7 series phones (but these workarounds can be applied to Pixel 8 series phones as well):

The following video is aimed at Pixel 6 series users:

Nothing helped? Here’re Some boring (but potentially useful) steps you shouldn’t miss

Lastly, keep in mind that the problem you are facing on your Pixel device MAY NOT be related to Google’s hardware or software at all. So, do try out these generic steps that users mostly frown upon when shared with them. However, mind you, these aren’t entirely useless, and may end up resolving your issue. So, do give them a try.

• Confirm that your Pixel phone has all the latest system updates installed.
• Confirm that you are using your Pixel in an officially supported country and are on an officially supported network provider or carrier.
• If your issue is related to 5G, then do checkout operator compatibility by heading to this official Google website.
• Reset your network settings by heading to: Settings > System > Reset > Reset Wi-Fi, mobile & Bluetooth , and then restart your device.
• Try a different SIM card (first from the same carrier as yours and then from a different carrier) to narrow down if this is a carrier issue.
• Regardless of the result you get in the previous step, do check with your mobile network operator or carrier (like T-Mobile, AT&T, etc) to understand if this could be an issue at their end. This comment from a Product Expert on Google Forum will give you more confidence as to why this step could be important. Similarly, this comment also.
• Get in touch with Google’s Support (through your device OR through Google’s online forums) to at least pass on your case to experts. Here’s a support link that you can use for this step.
• For what it’s worth, Google also has a dedicated support page on tips to Fix Mobile Connectivity issues. Do carefully check this page out as well.

As a Pixel 8 Pro user myself (who never faced any major network or connectivity issues so far), I really hope my research and hard work helps each and every user who lands on this article hoping to find a solution. If you felt this post helped you, do like it and also leave a comment. You are also highly encouraged to leave in comments any other workaround that may have helped you. Thanks in advance.