Why Is My Phone Not Working? 6 Common Issues and Fixes

Phones are complicated, and even the most reliable device will develop problems at some point. The good news is that the majority of common phone issues have straightforward fixes you can try yourself before resorting to a repair shop or a replacement.

This guide covers the most common smartphone problems and how to fix them, for both iPhone and Android. Start with the universal fixes below, then jump to the specific section that matches your problem.

The most common phone issues covered in this guide are:

• Slow performance
• Internet or Wi-Fi not working
• No service or no bars
• Screen not responding
• Battery draining too fast
• Phone not charging
• Apps crashing or not working
• Sound not working
• Phone not turning on

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Universal Fixes to Try First

Regardless of what your phone is doing, these steps resolve a surprisingly wide range of issues. Try them in order before diving into more specific troubleshooting.

Toggle airplane mode on and off. This forces your phone to re-establish connections to cellular and Wi-Fi networks and takes about five seconds.

Restart your phone. This clears temporary memory, stops background processes that may have gotten stuck, and resolves a large proportion of software-related issues without touching any settings.

Check for software updates. Go to your phone's settings and look for a software update. Many persistent bugs are fixed in updates, and running an outdated OS is a common underlying cause of issues that appear unrelated.

Free up storage space. A phone with very little available storage will perform poorly across the board—apps crash more frequently, performance slows, and some functions stop working entirely. Delete unused apps, clear old photos to cloud storage, and remove large files you no longer need.

Clear app caches. Cached data from apps can accumulate and cause problems over time. On Android, go to Settings, then Apps, select the relevant app, and tap Clear Cache. On iPhone, the equivalent is usually to offload and reinstall the app.

Factory reset as a last resort. If nothing else works and you've backed up your data, a factory reset restores your phone to its original state and resolves most persistent software issues. Find this option under Settings on both Android and iPhone. Make absolutely sure your data is backed up before proceeding, as a factory reset erases everything on the device.

Why Is My Internet Not Working on My Phone?

If web pages won't load, videos won't stream, or apps are showing offline errors, your phone's internet connection is the likely culprit. Work through these steps in order.

First, check whether you're actually connected to a network. Pull down your notification bar or check Control Center and confirm that either Wi-Fi or mobile data is active and showing a signal.

If you're on Wi-Fi, check that the network itself is working. Try loading a page on another device connected to the same network. If that device also has no internet, the problem is with your router or ISP rather than your phone. Rebooting your router—unplugging it for 30 seconds and plugging it back in — resolves most home network issues.

If your mobile data isn't working, make sure it's enabled in settings and that you haven't accidentally hit your plan's data cap for the month. Check your carrier's app or website to confirm your data status.

Toggle airplane mode on and off to force the phone to reconnect to available networks. This takes a few seconds and fixes connectivity issues more often than you'd expect.

If none of the above works, reset your network settings. On iPhone, go to Settings, then General, then Transfer or Reset iPhone, then Reset, then Reset Network Settings. On Android, go to Settings, then General Management, then Reset, then Reset Network Settings. Note that this will erase all saved Wi-Fi passwords, so have those ready before proceeding.

Why Is My Wi-Fi Not Working on My Phone?

If mobile data works fine but your phone won't connect to a specific Wi-Fi network, the issue is usually with the saved network profile rather than your phone itself.

Go to your Wi-Fi settings, find the network in question, and select Forget. Then reconnect by entering the password fresh. This clears any corrupted connection data and resolves most Wi-Fi connection failures.

If your phone connects to the network but still has no internet access, the issue is with the router rather than your phone. Reboot the router and try again.

If your phone can see the network but won't connect at all, check that the password you're entering is correct and that the network isn't set to restrict new devices by MAC address — some routers have this security setting enabled, which prevents new devices from connecting without being manually approved in the router settings.

For persistent Wi-Fi issues across multiple networks, the network settings reset described in the previous section is the most reliable fix.

Why Do I Have No Bars or No Service?

No bars means your phone can't make or receive calls and texts, even if mobile data appears to be working. The two connections are handled separately, so it's possible to have data without voice service and vice versa.

Start by checking airplane mode. It's easy to enable accidentally, and it cuts off all wireless connections simultaneously. Toggle it off if it's on.

Restart your phone. Phones can get locked onto a weak or distant cell tower and fail to switch to a closer one. A restart forces the device to search for the best available signal from scratch.

If you have a physical SIM card, eject it and reinsert it. Removing and reseating the SIM prompts your phone to re-register with the cellular network and search for the best available signal. It can also prompt the phone to pull down any updated carrier settings it may have missed.

Check whether the issue is with your carrier rather than your device. Visit your carrier's website or check a service status site to see if there's a known outage in your area. If multiple people on the same network are reporting problems, there's nothing to fix on your end — the service will return when the carrier resolves it.

If you're consistently in an area with poor coverage, Wi-Fi calling—available on most major carriers—allows your phone to route calls over a Wi-Fi connection instead of cellular, which is a practical workaround in low-signal environments.

Why Is My Phone Screen Not Working?

An unresponsive, flickering, or completely black screen is one of the more alarming phone problems, but it isn't always as serious as it looks.

Start by restarting your phone. A significant number of screen issues are caused by temporary software glitches that a restart clears immediately.

If you have a screen protector, remove it and test the screen directly. Some screen protectors—particularly thicker or lower-quality ones—can interfere with touch sensitivity, especially around the edges.

Clean the screen with a soft, lint-free cloth. Moisture, oils, or debris on the screen surface can confuse the touch sensor and make the screen appear unresponsive.

Check your touch sensitivity settings. Some Android phones allow you to adjust touch sensitivity in the display settings, which can help if you use a screen protector or have noticed the screen becoming less responsive over time.

For Android phones, booting into Safe Mode lets you determine whether a third-party app is causing the screen issue. In Safe Mode, only core system apps run, so if the screen works normally there, a downloaded app is the culprit. Press and hold the power button, then press and hold the Power Off option until you see a prompt to restart in Safe Mode.

For more serious screen issues on Android, Recovery Mode gives you tools to apply software updates manually, clear the system cache, or perform a factory reset using only the hardware buttons—no touchscreen required. Power the phone off completely, then press and hold the power button and volume down button simultaneously until the recovery menu appears.

For iPhone, Recovery Mode allows you to force-update iOS or restore to factory settings through a computer running Finder or iTunes. Press and release volume up, press and release volume down, then press and hold the side button until the recovery screen appears. Connect to your computer and follow the prompts.

If the screen is physically cracked, has dark patches, or shows persistent lines, the display hardware is damaged and will need professional repair.

Why Is My Phone Battery Draining So Fast?

A battery that used to last all day but now dies by lunchtime is usually the result of one of a few common causes.

Check which apps are consuming the most battery. On iPhone, go to Settings, then Battery. On Android, go to Settings, then Battery, then Battery Usage. If a specific app is consuming a disproportionate amount of power, force-close it, check for an update, or delete it if you don't need it.

Review your screen brightness and timeout settings. The display is typically the largest single drain on a phone's battery. Reducing brightness and shortening the screen timeout interval makes a noticeable difference to daily battery life.

Disable features you're not actively using. Bluetooth, location services, and Wi-Fi scanning all consume battery continuously when active. Your phone's battery saver mode can manage these automatically when charge is low.

If your battery drains extremely fast even with minimal use, the battery itself may be degraded. On iPhone, go to Settings, then Battery, then Battery Health and Charging. A battery below 80% capacity is significantly degraded and worth replacing. Android battery health information is typically found under Settings, then Battery.

Why Is My Phone Not Charging?

A phone that won't charge is often a cable or port issue rather than a battery problem.

Try a different cable and charging brick. Cables are the most common point of failure in a charging setup, and it's easy to assume the phone is the problem when the cable is the actual fault.

Clean the charging port. Lint and debris from pockets accumulate in charging ports and prevent the cable from making a reliable connection. Use a dry toothpick or soft brush to gently clear any visible debris. Do not use metal objects or compressed air.

Try a different power source. Plug into a wall outlet rather than a USB port on a computer or hub, as wall outlets provide more consistent power delivery.

Restart your phone. Occasionally a software issue prevents the phone from recognizing that a charger is connected, and a restart resolves it.

If your phone was recently exposed to moisture, do not attempt to charge it until the port has had several hours to dry out fully. If none of the above works, the charging port itself may be damaged and will need professional repair.

Why Are My Apps Crashing or Not Working?

App crashes and misbehavior are usually caused by outdated app versions, corrupted cached data, or conflicts with the current operating system.

Update the app. Open the App Store or Google Play and install any available update. Developers release updates to fix bugs, and running an outdated version is a common cause of crashes.

Clear the app's cache. On Android, go to Settings, then Apps, find the app, and tap Clear Cache. On iPhone, offloading the app through Settings, then General, then iPhone Storage achieves a similar result without deleting your personal data within the app.

Delete and reinstall the app. This resolves most persistent app-level issues that cache clearing doesn't fix.

Check your phone's available storage. Apps crash frequently on phones with very little remaining storage. Freeing up space often resolves stability issues across multiple apps at once.

Why Is the Sound on My Phone Not Working?

Sound issues range from complete silence to low volume to distorted audio, and the cause depends on the specific symptom.

Check the obvious first. Make sure volume is turned up using the physical volume buttons. On iPhone, confirm that the physical mute switch on the left side of the phone isn't switched on—it's easy to flip accidentally and silences notifications and alerts.

Check for Bluetooth audio. If your phone is connected to a Bluetooth speaker or headphones, audio routes to that device rather than the phone's speaker. Disconnect any active Bluetooth audio devices and test again.

Check for physical obstructions. A phone case that covers the speaker grille, or debris inside the speaker port, can significantly reduce volume. Remove the case and check whether sound improves.

Test with headphones to isolate the problem. If audio plays normally through headphones but not the speaker, the speaker itself is likely damaged or obstructed. If there's no sound through headphones either, the issue is in the software or audio settings rather than the physical speaker.

Why Won't My Phone Turn On?

A phone that won't power on at all is alarming but often has a simple explanation.

Charge the phone for at least 15 to 30 minutes before attempting to power it on. A completely depleted battery may show no response at all when you press the power button, even with a charger connected, until it has enough charge to boot.

Try a different cable and charger to confirm the phone is actually receiving power.

Attempt a force restart. On iPhone, press and release volume up, press and release volume down, then press and hold the side button for up to 30 seconds. On most Android phones, press and hold the power button for 10 to 30 seconds. This can restart a phone that has frozen at a black screen rather than truly powered off.

If the phone was recently dropped or exposed to water, physical damage is the likely cause. Take it to a repair shop for assessment rather than continuing to attempt charging or restarting.

Phone Problems Explainer Video

In case you'd rather watch than read on, check out our explainer video that tells you everything you need to know about fixing these six common smartphone problems.

The Bottom Line 

If you've worked through the relevant steps above and the problem persists, it's time to see a professional. Most issues that can't be resolved through software troubleshooting involve hardware damage—a failed battery, a cracked display, a damaged charging port, or a faulty speaker — none of which have reliable DIY fixes.

Take your phone to your carrier's retail location, an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider for iPhones, or a licensed independent repair shop. If your phone is under its manufacturer's warranty or covered by carrier insurance, repairs may be covered at no cost or reduced cost—always check before paying out of pocket.

If repair costs approach the value of the phone itself, replacement may be the more practical option.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why has my phone suddenly stopped working for no obvious reason?

Most sudden failures without a physical cause are software-related. A restart resolves the majority of these cases. If the problem persists, check for a pending software update, as these frequently include fixes for sudden behavioral issues.

Will a factory reset fix most phone problems?

It resolves most persistent software issues, but won't fix hardware problems like a damaged screen or failing battery. It erases everything on the device, so a full backup is essential before proceeding. Treat it as a last resort after other troubleshooting steps have failed.

How do I know if my phone problem is hardware or software?

If the problem appeared after a drop, exposure to water, or visible physical damage, hardware is the likely cause. If it appeared out of nowhere — after an update or for no identifiable reason—software is more likely. Booting in Safe Mode on Android is a useful test: if the problem disappears there, a third-party app is responsible.