Is My Mobile Network Down? How to Check for UK Outages

Check the official network status pages first

Every major UK network publishes a real-time status page showing reported problems by region. These are the most reliable source — faster than social media and more accurate than third-party outage trackers.

Outage vs coverage gap: what's the difference?

If your signal dropped suddenly and other people on the same network in your area are also affected, you're most likely experiencing an outage. Outages are usually resolved within a few hours and are the network's responsibility to fix.

If your signal has always been poor at a particular address, that's a coverage limitation — not an outage. The two require completely different responses. Checking your postcode on CheckCoverage shows you the structural coverage picture, which won't change with an outage fix.

Troubleshooting steps when you lose signal

Restart your phone. Phones sometimes lock onto a weak cell and won't automatically switch. A restart forces a fresh search for the best available signal.
Toggle Aeroplane mode on and off. Faster than a full restart, this forces your phone to reconnect to the network from scratch.
Check your SIM is seated correctly. Vibration can gradually loosen a SIM tray. Remove the SIM, clean the contacts gently, and reseat it.
Try the SIM in a different phone. If signal returns, the problem is your handset — antenna damage, software fault, or a hardware failure. If it doesn't, the problem is the SIM, account, or network.
Check if your account is active. A missed payment can silently restrict your service. Log in to your network's app to confirm your account status.
Check the official status page. If the network confirms a problem in your area, there's nothing more to do — wait for the fix and report it via their app to help them prioritise.
Contact your network. If the status page shows no issues but you've lost service, call from a landline or use their live chat. An individual SIM fault or account restriction may not show on public status pages.

How UK networks handle outages

Ofcom requires UK networks to provide automatic compensation when service is lost for more than a certain period. Under the automatic compensation scheme, you may be entitled to a credit on your bill without having to ask. Check your network's terms — EE, O2, Vodafone and Three have all signed up to Ofcom's scheme.

For persistent or recurring outages, the Ofcom complaints process is the route to escalation if your network doesn't resolve the issue satisfactorily.

When poor coverage looks like an outage

Scheduled maintenance work — particularly 3G network decommissioning (see our 3G switch-off guide) — can cause temporary service degradation that resembles an outage. Networks are required to give notice of planned maintenance, but not always with much advance warning. If the status page shows planned works in your area, that's the cause.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if it's my phone or the network?

Put your SIM into a different phone. If the problem persists, it's the network or your SIM. If it clears, it's your handset. You can also check your network's official status page for any reported incidents in your area.

What counts as a network outage vs poor coverage?

An outage is a sudden, unplanned loss of service affecting multiple customers — typically caused by equipment failure, power issues or maintenance. Poor coverage is a structural, ongoing limitation of how far a network's signal reaches. Outages are temporary; coverage gaps are not.

Can heavy usage cause a network to go down?

Rarely a full outage, but heavy demand — at a major event or during a national emergency — can cause congestion that slows data speeds and delays calls. Networks use congestion management to prioritise voice calls during busy periods.

Is my mobile network down?