Users Report Cellular Bug in iOS 12.1.3, But There’s More Going on

Iphone Xs No Service Issue Sprint Credit: Allthings.how
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A new bug reported in Apple’s latest iOS 12.1.3 update could mean bad news for Sprint customers.

Reportedly, the issue causes spotty cellular data after iOS 12.1.3 is installed and a device is rebooted, impacted users wrote on Reddit and Twitter. In some cases, a user’s cellular connection can be completely disabled.

The bug appears to be primarily impacting Sprint customers in the U.S., although there have been reports of iPhone users experiencing on Canadian networks.

According to Redditor ajbkid, Sprint is aware of the issue and has opened a ticket based on higher than usual reports of cellular problems.

While it appears that any device newer than the iPhone 6 can be affected, Sprint notes that the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR appear to be the most commonly impacted models.

This isn’t the first time that an iOS update has been tied to spotty cellular connections in recent months.

Back in December, a wider range of users reported basically the same bug in iOS 12.1.2. Those users recommended waiting for iOS 12.1.3, which has apparently caused a cellular bug for some users.

And, interestingly, iOS 12.1.2 actually contained a fix for a cellular-related bug in iOS 12.1.1. Basically, each update appears to either fix or introduce cellular bugs for different users. In other words, the entire situation is pretty confusing.

Ultimately, the contradicting reports could indicate that the culprit is actually a Sprint or other carrier update. That’s currently unconfirmed, however.

How to Fix It

At this point, it doesn’t appear that there’s a full-fledged, user-facing fix available. But some users report success with turning their cellular data off and on.

  1. To do so, open Settings.
  2. Tap on Cellular.
  3. Hit the toggle next to Cellular Data to disable it, then hit the toggle again to enable it.

Some sites report success with resetting an iPhone’s network settings.

You can do that by going to Settings

  1. General.
  2. Reset.
  3. Reset Network Settings.

Your own mileage may vary, of course.

While there are important security fixes in the latest software version, you may want to hold off on updating to iOS 12.1.3 if you’re a Sprint customer. At least, until Apple or Sprint addresses the issue.

On the other hand, if you’re running iOS 12.1.2 or older and are experiencing spotty cellular service, you may just need to wait for Sprint (or your specific carrier) to issue a carrier update fix.

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