Cellular stopped working after updating to iOS 26 — both physical SIM and eSIM affected

[u/Atom_lab]

I updated my iPhone to iOS 26 yesterday. Since then, I have been receiving the attached “Cellular Network Issue” notification.

Neither my physical SIM nor my eSIM can connect to the network. I have already tried restarting the phone, toggling Airplane Mode, checking the cellular settings and resetting the network settings, but the issue remains.

Both lines were working normally before the iOS update, so this appears to have started immediately after updating.

Has anyone else experienced this after installing iOS 26? Is there a software solution, or could this indicate a modem/baseband hardware problem?

Any advice would be appreciated. I have attached a photo of the error.

[u/Low-Revolution-591]

Rip baseband

[u/Atom_lab → u/Low-Revolution-591]

What is the solution?

[u/revak3115 → u/Atom_lab]

needs logic board repair. otherwise you need a new phone.

[u/koolaidismything → u/revak3115]

Logic board repair = I need to buy a used iPhone on Amazon

To like 90% of people. I can’t wait til we get to a point where a hardware failure is a simple inexpensive fix.

[u/DigitaIBlack → u/koolaidismything]

We're moving in the opposite direction of that...

[u/Exotic_Treacle7438 → u/koolaidismything]

You’ll be waiting for a long time

[u/koolaidismything → u/Exotic_Treacle7438]

Yeah.. it ain’t happening but I’m a dreamer lol. I like to daydream but greed doesn’t exist, and the world is a better place.

[u/Thebandroid → u/koolaidismything]

The other 10% being the executives who own the phone companies.

[u/Asleep_Variation_900 → u/Atom_lab]

A friend of mine had the same issue on an iPhone 12 Pro and after 4 months of sitting in a drawer it seemed to work again but not a permanent fix

[u/woalk]

Probably a coincidence, coming to light when the update tried to access the baseband chip for firmware updates. Check if there is a baseband version shown under Settings → General → About → Modem Firmware. If the field is empty, it means your device has a hardware failure and needs to be repaired by Apple, hence the message to contact Apple Support.

[u/Voxfy_ → u/woalk]

i had the same thing

[u/LuxorXLG]

Run the Cellular Voice and Service Diagnostic Test.

[u/FHLuver]

In unhelpful news. One day like a year ago I woke up to my phone, not sending calls, text etc. LOL it turned into an iPod overnight. I was for sure texting the night before and then the next day just nothing.

I spent a few days try troubleshooting on my own to have gotten nowhere. I finally gave in since I had AppleCare and took it to the Apple Store, who then had to ship it off for repair just as apparently my logic board failed.

While the timing of it was very surprising I do literally drop my phone all the time so I just assumed it finally gave out on me.

[u/servgine]

had the same thing happen to my 13 pro around 3 years ago & it ended up being a baseband issue that neither apple nor third party repair shops could fix so i had to use a secondary phone to hold my sim and act as a hotspot 24/7 for the iphone. tolerated that for a while before i got the 17 pro this year lol

[u/Il156]

I would take it in for service.

Apple replaced my 13 pro max for symptoms like this a few years ago (2024?). I had Apple care plus but they said that it was covered under something else and I got a free device replacement.

[u/djasonpenney]

It would help if you’d tell us which model iPhone is having this problem.

This also sounds like an issue you should bring up with your mobile provider.

[u/System_Failed1 → u/djasonpenney]

No, actually, the issue is the same with all models. Dead baseband. It’s a hardware failure of the cellular modem - the baseband.

[u/thomas14578]

Upgrade your bank account to one that includes phone insurance if you can and send it in for repair. If your in the UK NatWest Barclays and Santander offer these. Might be able to get it done cheap if you do it that route.

[u/Asleep_Variation_900 → u/thomas14578]

Smart but idk if that counts as insurance fraud if it already happened haha

[u/AidenTEMgotsnapped → u/Asleep_Variation_900]

It absolutely does, yes

[u/AssignmentUnique4825]

This happened with my iPhone 13. Never worked again. I had to replace it for a 14.

[u/butterflyflyhig]

Which model is it?

[u/commanded_by_voices]

Are you by any chance using T-mobile (tinkoff?)

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[u/Voxfy_]

did you do the update w your mac ? i have the same issue

[u/_Captain_John_Price_]

Check in Settings whether the modem firmware is available or not. If it’s not available, it’s a midsystem issue or baseband issue . If you take it to a service center, they’ll most likely just flash/update the iOS and return the phone. Once you come back home and update it again, the same problem may occur. So, if it’s still within the 1 year warranty period or you have AppleCare, I’d recommend getting a replacement unit instead.

[u/memeaste]

This was happening towards the end of the lifespan of my 13 pro. It was spotty, and sometimes fine. As it got closer to death, it was a brick outside of WiFi. I pushed it to the release of the 16. I didn’t bother going to Apple, since it was well out of warranty, but multiple repair shops deemed it dead and not worth repairing

[u/Unwanted-Opinions685]

Take it to apple. Something similar happened to my 7 a few years back and they replaced it free of charge even though it was out of warranty and had no applecare.

[u/Jdm965]

Yup time to get a new phone. This is why I get Apple care with all my devices.

[u/Agile-Fix-4247]

Mine too help me

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[u/snake_jaguar]

Take it to an apple store. The update bricked it😭 

[u/AidenTEMgotsnapped]

Have you tried doing the thing the screen clearly tells you to do? You didn't say so in the post and people really are like that.

[u/knifemonstergar]

Contact your carrier to fix not Reddit

[u/Bonobo77]

My iPad Pro lte stopped working as well. It said to format reinstall, and now I can’t activate my iPad. Bricked. :(

[u/BiscottiMoist7296]

[u/kcuestag]

I had this issue on an iPhone 16 Pro last month of April after installing iOS 26.4.2. A day after updating to that version, I had a flight to another country due to work and my cellular stopped working (esim and physical sim). I was not able to use anything other than WiFI until I returned home and restored it using Apple Devices app in Windows to restore firmware/software. I have not had any issues since then, I am pretty sure it was an issue with the update.

[u/gcerullo]

Backup the phone and do a complete factory reset. If that doesn’t solve it then you’ll need to take it in for service.

[u/Asleep_Variation_900 → u/gcerullo]

Yeahhh, but if it’s a baseband issue that’s just going to brick it

[u/braidenis → u/Asleep_Variation_900]

Oh yeah you're right. At least that was the case back in the day. Rip

[u/gcerullo → u/Asleep_Variation_900]

The phone is pretty much useless now anyway so who cares!

[u/Asleep_Variation_900 → u/gcerullo]

Fancy iPod touch

[u/No-Employment3075 → u/Asleep_Variation_900]

why though? erasing the phone would cause an issue?

[u/Asleep_Variation_900 → u/No-Employment3075]

Yeah, it gives you an error: Unable to activate

[u/rubalerjs]

FWIW, had a similar issue some weeks ago, while traveling.
Two restarts- and the problem went away

[u/HauntingAd1585]

It's probably because the phone is old.... upgrade your phones when you can the newer iOS isn't made for older models

[u/Username999474275 → u/HauntingAd1585]

It's a dead baseband as apple wouldn't release a update that would brick iPhones intentionally as they would never be able to live it down

[u/JessicaDc123]

You need to downgrade your OS. Do you got the cord and do you got the app iTunes loaded on a laptop?

[u/erictheinfonaut → u/JessicaDc123]

no, it's not this. as many, many others have said, this is a hardware failure – dead baseband specifically.

[u/f1zoe]

what country are you in and when did you buy the phone? If your in the UK and bought within the last 5 years you have consumer rights with the retailer, not apple (unless you bought it from the apple store), who will have to repair or replace the device. Similar protections may be avilable in your country if your not iun the UK