A bad cell phone reception is one of the most aggravating things you may go through. A lack of a strong signal can result in various issues, including dropped calls, undeliverable messages, and streaming services that stutter and die. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to build your towers to get extra bars, but don’t fret. You can take several things to keep poor cell service from interfering with your daily activities. Please take a closer look at our tips on how to get a better cell phone signal possible.
With so much of our day-to-day lives depending on our cell phones, issues such as poor cell signal, dropped calls, or slow data connections can significantly impact us. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to increase your mobile signal to make clear calls and download data quickly. Are you seeking ways how to improve mobile signal strength at home, at work, or anywhere else? The tips in this article will offer you the answers you need.
Signal strength on your cell phone could be weak for various reasons. It might be a problem with your phone’s carrier, the materials used to build your home’s walls that block the signal, or something as basic as a low battery that can’t power the antenna, as you’ll discover later in the article. Whatever the reason, there are techniques to get a better cell phone signal to make more reliable connections.
Why do you get a poor cell phone signal?
There is always a reason for weak cell phone signals in our homes, offices, etc. It will be simple to develop solutions to boost cell signals at home for free or at a cost if you understand the causes of a poor cell signal. The most prevalent ones are listed below and what you can do about them.
i) Cell tower distance
The lousier the signal becomes, the further you are from a cell tower, resulting in dropped calls, undelivered messages, and slow data speeds. Oh, and there’s the awful one-bar-of-service rule.
ii) Heavy cellular traffic
During peak hours, cell signals fight for space on the nearest cell phone tower. You are unlikely to lose your call after your phone has connected to a tower, but the more phone traffic competes for a space, the weaker your signal will get.
iii) Type of building material
The most common cause of poor signal in America is the construction material of your home, car, workplace, or business. If you see service fading in and out as you wander around your house, or if your signal improves when you are near a window or door, metal construction material is likely blocking your signal. You’ll need to invest in a commercial or homemade cell phone signal booster to improve your cell reception.
iv) Low battery
If you haven’t charged your phone battery in a while, you can find a weak signal when you need it the most. Your phone needs the power to maintain a connection with a cell tower, and when the battery is low, it may struggle.
v) Weather conditions
Weather phenomena such as humidity, heavy cloud cover, thunder, lightning, wind, rain, snow, and ice can all impact cell phone signals and reception.
vi) Mother nature
Have you just walked into a forest? Some cell signals are blocked by the foliage canopy, causing your call to fade or drop altogether. If a forest surrounds your home, your cellular reception may suffer significantly.
You could also question if snow impacts cell phone reception, and the answer is yes. Like other types of weather, snow can disrupt cell service; therefore, if you decide to use a signal booster in these places, it is critical to know how to get a mobile signal booster.
How to get a better cell phone signal- Best ways
The most effective strategies to improve your cell phone signal are divided into five categories, as you’ll see later in the article. The following is the classification: cell phone carrier certified solutions, ensure your phone is in peak working condition, change your location, improve your surroundings, and switch carriers.
i) Ensure your phone is in peak working condition solutions
- Update your phone’s software
Do you know how you get alerts about updating your carrier software now and then? These software updates tell your cell phone which towers it should connect to for optimal performance. You should constantly update your software to get better cell signals.
- Turn airplane mode on and off
This method will make your phone reconnect to the cellular network. If you’re in a place where you should have good cellular reception, but your phone doesn’t make an effort to turn on and off flight mode to make the phone reconnect.
- Turn off the services you are not using
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, for example, might cause issues by attempting to deliver your calls and data via a different carrier. Disable these on your mobile phone and see if you will get a better cell phone signal.
ii) Cell Phone Carrier Certified Solutions
- Purchase a cell phone signal booster
All major carriers and the FCC have authorized and recommended signal boosters as the only way to take an existing weak outside cell signal, amplify it, and broadcast the strong signal inside your house or vehicle.
They work with all networks and have no recurring fees. If you need to boost weak cell signals in remote areas, buying the best cell phone signal booster for rural areas is advisable.
- Get a network extender
Only Verizon Wireless users can use this tip because it is the only provider that still offers a Verizon network extender. A network extender also referred to as a femtocell or microcell, is a Verizon device that generates a cell signal in your office or home and routes all of your cellular calls and data over your broadband internet connection.
- Make use of Wi-Fi calling
While not exactly a way to improve your mobile signal, making calls and utilizing data over Wi-Fi is one method to keep in touch with your friends and relatives when there is no phone signal accessible to improve.
However, knowing how to improve Wi-Fi signals is also essential. One solution is to use an internet booster. However, how does an internet booster work to improve Wi-Fi signal strength?
iii) Change your current location solutions
- Move closer to the window
When construction materials such as brick, block, siding, or sheet metal are not blocking cell signals, it is easier for them to penetrate a building. As a result, windows are where you’ll get a better signal than you would not behind a thick wall.
- Go outside of your house or vehicle
Since the materials used to build a building’s walls and roof impede cell signals, walking outside should help you get a better signal from nearby cell towers.
- Move to a higher ground
Cell signals get regularly blocked by mountains, hills, forests, and other hindrances. Moving to a higher ground increases your probability of connecting with a network tower and receiving a better signal.
- Move close to the nearest cell tower
Enter your zip code into Cell Reception or Open Signal app to get a map of your local towers, then try to find yourself on the same side of the building or shift your location.
iv) Improve Your Surroundings solutions
- Use different building materials
Consider how a particular material can influence your signal the next time you plan a home improvement project. Alternative materials block signal less than metal roofs, brick walls, and energy-efficient construction materials.
- Re-arrange your surroundings
Metal filing cabinets, microwaves, decorative waterfalls, and televisions block a signal in your home or office. Re-arranging these items so that they aren’t in the way of your cell signal from the outside can help get better cell signals.
- Takedown the trees and bushes
Cell signal gets partially blocked by trees and plants. To create a more open environment, trim any unwanted branches, and eliminate overgrown plants or entire trees.
v) Switch carriers solution
- Change to a provider with more excellent coverage in your location
If all the above tips fail, switching to a carrier that provides better coverage in your area is your last decision for resolving your cell signal problems. Inspect each provider’s coverage maps and chat with your neighbors to determine which provider they use.
Bottom line
When hiking, camping, or driving, having a weak cell phone service can be annoying. It is, however, significantly worse when it occurs regularly in your house. The article has discussed many ways to get a better cell phone signal, but you may need to switch carriers if they don’t work. However, ensure your new carrier provides better service in your location before making the switch.
