topic Re: iPhone 5 constantly displaying “No Service” in Mobile Network discussions

iPhone 5 constantly displaying “No Service”

zenmog — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 16:13:17 GMT

Hi. I recently transferred my EE SIM from an iPhone SE to an iPhone 5, expecting it to work smoothly since the 5 supports 4G. Instead, it constantly displays “No Service” (not “No SIM”) and won’t let me receive texts or calls. Anybody know what’s causing this issue? Can you switch SIMs to a different device just like that, or should I request a new SIM from EE?

Kind regards.

Re: iPhone 5 constantly displaying “No Service”

Chris_B — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 16:17:17 GMT

@zenmog Where did you get this iPhone 5 from ? Have you ever used this iPhone 5 before on EE ? And yes, you can just swap a Sim card into a different device without issue and providing there’s no issues with that device.

Re: iPhone 5 constantly displaying “No Service”

zenmog — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 16:49:52 GMT

Bought it directly from an official Apple store years ago. It’s been in storage for a long while but everything else seems to be working fine. I was using it with either BT or EE (can’t remember exactly but had no issues) before I replaced it with the SE.

On a side note. I’ve heard that the iPhone 5’s 4G only works with specific carriers, but it doesn’t even connect to 3G.

Quick update on that: I opened Settings > Carrier > Network Selection, turned off “Automatic”, and it only showed O2 - UK and Vodafone UK. Does that mean it simply won’t work with EE?

Re: iPhone 5 constantly displaying “No Service”

bristolian — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 18:52:04 GMT

If you've done a manual network search and only VF & O2 were shown, that suggests EE has no coverage in your current location.

That menu should list all available networks where you are.

Re: iPhone 5 constantly displaying “No Service”

zenmog — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 19:46:10 GMT

I’ve been using EE on my iPhone SE for years. Connection can be iffy at times, especially inside, but it’s good enough most of the time (2-4 bars). When I run the network search on the SE, it shows EE, Vodafone, Three, 02, and 234 32. Perhaps the 5’s older modem hardware is too weak to detect the other networks?

Re: iPhone 5 constantly displaying “No Service”

Chris_B — Sun, 12 Nov 2023 21:22:44 GMT

@zenmog If I remember correctly the iPhone 5 got an network update to use 4G it wasn’t available straight the way, You might need to connect the device to iTunes to see if any updates are available for it. The device should pickup EE 4G.

Re: iPhone 5 constantly displaying “No Service”

Lanilala — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 18:02:23 GMT

My mum is currently having this problem with her iPhone 5. She’s not swapped from another phone. Have they made this phone obsolete?

Re: iPhone 5 constantly displaying “No Service”

Leanne_T — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 08:07:00 GMT

Morning @Lanilala

Has your Mum had a new SIM card?

Is she with us on pay as you go or pay monthly?

Leanne 🙂

Re: iPhone 5 constantly displaying “No Service”

zenmog — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 23:19:02 GMT

No success unfortunately! I’ve updated the iOS to the latest version with iTunes but it still displays No Service and only shows Vodafone and O2 when I run the network scan. And again, it doesn’t even connect to 3G or 2G. The SE gets a signal with the same SIM, so there’s definitely EE coverage in my area. I’m not sure what else I can do at this point other than requesting a new SIM.

Re: iPhone 5 constantly displaying “No Service”

Christopher_G — Wed, 15 Nov 2023 08:18:07 GMT

Are you able to try the SIM card from the iPhone 5 in another phone, @zenmog? Just to see if the SIM is active and working.

Chris