I am getting an error message "could not activate cellular data network" with my iPhone when there is no wifi

I am getting an error message with my iPhone whenever I try to access my data with no wifi.  It says "could not activate cellular data network".  This just started today and has never happened before.  Did I change a setting or something?

Hello, romac12. 
Thank you for visiting Apple Support Communities. 
I have experienced this issue before.  If there have been any changes to your cellular account such as adding a line, plan change or upgrade, more than likely there is a provisioning issue on the carrier end.  However, I would recommend going through the troubleshooting steps in the article below.  If the issue persists, see step 9. 
iPhone: Troubleshooting a cellular data connection
http://support.apple.com/kb/ts3780
Cheers,
Jason H. 

Similar Messages

  • How to solve the error message "Could not activate cellular data network: PDP authentication failure"when using 3g or gPRS on safari with an iphone 4 and latest software updates

    Please can someone help me to solve the error message "Could not activate cellular data network: PDP authentication failure"when using 3G or GPRS on safari with an iphone 4GS and latest software updates. I have tried resetting the network and phone settings. I have restored the factory settings on itunes and still the problem persists.

    All iPhones sold in Japan are sold carrier locked and cannot be officially unlocked by the carrier. If you unlocked it, it was by unauthorized means (hacked), and support cannot be given to you in this forum.
    Hacked iPhones are subject to countermeasures by Apple, particularly when updating the firmware. It is likely permanently re-locked or permanently disabled.
    Message was edited by: modular747

  • HT4993 getting error message could not activate cellular data network when trying to access the internet without using wifi.  what do i need to do?  i have already restore the phone.

    getting error message could not activate cellular data network when trying to access the internet without using wifi.  what do i need to do?  i have already restore the phone.

    contact your phone carrier as they handle cellular network.

  • My iPad2 has error message "Could not activate cellular data network : PDP authentication failure"

    My iPad2 has error message "Could not activate cellular data network : PDP authentication failure"

    All iPhones sold in Japan are sold carrier locked and cannot be officially unlocked by the carrier. If you unlocked it, it was by unauthorized means (hacked), and support cannot be given to you in this forum.
    Hacked iPhones are subject to countermeasures by Apple, particularly when updating the firmware. It is likely permanently re-locked or permanently disabled.
    Message was edited by: modular747

  • HT4623 My new iPad can no longer connect to the 3G network. I keep getting the message "could not activate cellular date network".

    I updated my new iPad to the iOS 6 while connected to wifi. However, it will no longer connect to the 3G network. I keep getting the message "could not activate cellular data network" even though the 3G symbol appears normal. I have tried rebooting, but it still doesn't work. Please help!

    No. You can't

  • Having just upgraded to Ios6 I can not log into my carrier. I get the message "Could not activate cellular data network. You are not subscribed to a cellular data network." What can I do to rectify this?

    Having just upgraded my iPad to IOS 6 I can no longer log onto my 3G Carrier. I get thi message "Could not activate cellular data network. You are not subscribed to a cellular data service" what can I do to rectify this?

    I reset APN settings from my carrier service site and rebooted but it didn't fix the problem.

  • Ipad could not activate cellular data network with vectone network

    does anyone know the APN for vectone? i think it's the problem with that. thanks.

    If you have the sim version (AT&T in the US), did you purchase a sim card from your carrier, insert it and buy data?  If you have CDMA version (Verizon in the US), have you contacted your carrier to set up a data plan?

  • ERROR: Could not activate cellular data network: PDP authentication failure

    I have an iPhone 3g that was given to me by a friend a couple months ago. Before I got the phone i was on a plan with Softbank in japan with another cell phone. When i got the iphone i unlocked it so that i could use my old sim card with the iphone. everything worked out fine, i was unable to use the internet via 3g since it wasnt on my plan but i could text and make calls with no problem.
    Everything was working fine until yesterday when i started getting this error message: "Could not activate cellular data network: PDP authentication failure"
    once this happened i could no longer text or make calls. my iphone recognizes the sim card, shows one bar of signal, the network, and the 3g symbol. i have also rebooted, restored, reset network settings, and talked with Softbank; all had no help.
    i have no idea how to fix it, any suggestions would be awesome.
    thanks.

    All iPhones sold in Japan are sold carrier locked and cannot be officially unlocked by the carrier. If you unlocked it, it was by unauthorized means (hacked), and support cannot be given to you in this forum.
    Hacked iPhones are subject to countermeasures by Apple, particularly when updating the firmware. It is likely permanently re-locked or permanently disabled.
    Message was edited by: modular747

  • HELP : Could not activate cellular data network ?

    Hello i have just updated to OS4 and when i try to access my mails i get the following message:
    "Could not activate cellular data network - you are not subscribed to a cellular data service."
    What is going on? iTunes gave me message that it could not 'activate' me now and that i would have to try again later. I have since then plugged in my iphone numerous times in iTunes. I don't get this 'can't activate now' message but I still cannot access my mails in my phone and i still get the message above.
    no mails = help plz!!!!!
    thxs,
    me

    sorry for delay in posting my reply. I have found that updating had in fact cleared all my cellular settings. basically it just needed to be reconfigured again. Why it cleared all the setting is a mystery.
    Also, as a 3G user, I am not entirely convinced the new update is that good on the 'old' 3G. I have suffered from loss of performance and stability. My phone regularly gets stuck. Apps shut down of their own accord etc...
    Am desperately waiting for the iPhone 4 to come out.

  • Could not activate cellulare data network??? what is the solution please.

    everytime i try to log to the internet through the internet service provider on the phone, i get this message   (could not activate cellulare data network)
    I was loginig before via wifi meanwhile i do not have wifi and i am forced to use the service provider internet.
    What should I do , I tried the soft, hard reset as well as the restart with no sucsses.
    any advice???

    I had the same issue "Cannot Activate Cellular Data Network" sometimes says "No Internet..or You are not subscribed to a Data Network". The phone works fine on WiFi. 
    I noticed this issue only yesterday when tried to access my emails via 3G Data, this may have started happening when I recently updated to 4.3.2 and my phone has never been Jailbroken.
    I found a fix that worked for me..I'm using T-Mobile Germany.
    Go to Settings>General>Reset>Reset Network Settings>enter Pin code if you have lock enabled>choose Reset Network Settings..
    Remember doing this may also erase known WiFi networks, so you may have to enter the details again to get connected to a known WiFi network.
    My 3G data started to work again after I did the above steps to default factory network settings.
    T-Mobile Germany wasn't much help at all. All they could tell me was some crap about my config was in the wrong contract, Duh??
    They probably did nothing to fix the issue and I suspect the above resets steps resolved it for me. Give it a try..
    Cheers!!

  • Could not activate cellular data network on iphone 3g

    my phone's screen broke yesterday so i bought an iphone 3g from a frend of mine, its running on 4.0.1, i am already on at&t an have an existing data plan but when i try to use the internet i keep gettng this message "could not activate cellular data network" what do i need to do to fix this?

    I am absolutely getting LTE.  From the iPhone 5S on, the GSM and CDMA phones had identical GSM radios ostensibly for overseas use (in the case of the Verizon phones).  Verizon tells you they're only unlocked for overseas so that you won't leave their service for a domestic GSM.  Actually, all of the 6's have identical receivers, however the CDMA antennae are disabled on the T-Mobile and AT&T versions... which doesn't matter anyway because Verizon and Sprint won't activate devices that did not originate on their networks though theoretically you could run on Verizon LTE with a GSM only phone as GSM is required for LTE (thus the SIM card in later model Verizon phones).
    The Verizon model is the best of everything because it is completely unlocked for any carrier (except Sprint, but who cares, right?).
    Edit:  forgot to mention... Verizon is required to make all of their LTE phones GSM-unlocked as per their agreement with the FCC when they were acquiring LTE technology.

  • IPHONE 5: can't receive calls & random error messages, such as "could not activate cellular data network" and "no connection - network unavailable, please connect to wifi or cellular network."  This occurs even when signal strength or wifi is operational.

    IPHONE 5:  can't receive calls and random error messages, such as "could not activate cellular data network" and "no connection - network unavailable, please connect to wifi or cellular network."  This occurs even when signal strength or wifi is operational, and it does not matter whether wifi is on or off.  ATT went through the standard protocol - resetting network, resetting sim card, etc.  No changes.  Other phones working fine in same region with same carrier.  Apple's solution is to restore software, but haven't gone there yet.  Anyone successfully addressed this/these issues?   

    I should point out that it worked when the iPhone was set back to factory settings, but when restored with the backup, data/internet no longer works again, and I get the "Could not activate cellular data network" error message yet again.

  • Since upgrading my iPhone 5 to ios 7, I cannot get the internet, email to work on 3g.  I get the message ""could not activate mobile data network. You are not subscribed to a mobile data service".  How do I fix it?

    Since upgrading my iPhone 5 to ios 7, I cannot get the internet, email to work on 3g.  I get the message ""could not activate mobile data network. You are not subscribed to a mobile data service".  How do I fix it?
    I've contacted o2, tried all of their suggested updates and changes, reset my phone 3 times and still no luck.
    Any help appreciated.
    Thanks,
    Louisa

    Hi, l have the same problem, were you able to resolve?

  • I purchased an unlocked iPhone4 last month. Everything was fine till yesterday. Today morning when I tried to check mail, i suddenly got an error message saying " Could not activate cellular data network: you are not subscribed to a cellular data service"

    I purchased an unlocked iPhone4 last month. Everything was fine till yesterday. Today morning when I tried to check mail, i suddenly got an error message saying " Could not activate cellular data network: you are not subscribed to a cellular data service", when I checked on my network settings i was not able to find the cellular data network tab ( where we use to input APN manually). i even tried to restore my iPhone to its factory settings, Still it remains the same. i cant able to connect to Internet using cellular data. help me...Plz..

    Where did you purchase it from?  There are lots of iPhones sold as "unlocked" which are carrier locked phones that were hacked and are not officially unlocked.  These phones are subject to re-locking to the original carrier, particularly when updated.

  • I Have a iPhone 4s and I keep getting this error "Could not activate cellular data network" I have sprint and to use any internet om my iphone i have to connect to wifi. What do i do to fix my celluar connection. I took my sim card and put it back in.

    I Have a iPhone 4s and I keep getting this error "Could not activate cellular data network" I have sprint and to use any internet om my iphone i have to connect to wifi. What do i do to fix my celluar connection. I took my sim card and put it back in and it still didnt work.

    Davidb24 wrote:
    Ok but im not the one who pays tge sprint bill
    Apparently, no one pays it... That's why they shut off your service.

Maybe you are looking for