SureCall Cell Phone Signal Booster Blog

Get better cell service next time you have bad cell reception with these 10 free tips.

Hello?...... Hellllooo?...... Hello?!...... HELLO?!!.......

You can say it as many ways as you like but, we’re sorry to say, it’s not going to have any impact on getting that call to connect with the person on the other end. So, let’s talk about some of the ways that can help you out!... next time.

We say “next time” because you probably won’t be able to read this post when you’ve got no or slow 4G LTE data, missed or dropped calls.

We’ve all been in this situation. In fact, 88% of the US owned cell phones back in 2012 and 72% admitted to dropping calls at least occasionally. Because we still use those same frequencies today, in 2019, the connectivity issues still exist just about as often. And with the 5G network coming soon, the connectivity is expected to get much worse.

To get to the bottom of this let’s talk about some free and easy ways you can improve cell service. Check out this related post to find out what causes bad cell service.

Want to skip straight to the paid solutions for a permanent fix? Signal boosters are used across North America to connect calls and data for all cell carriers, cell phones and cell signal types (2G, 3G and 4G LTE) inside cars, homes, and offices with weak cell service.

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10 Free Ways to Get Better Cell Service

1. Get to a Window

The walls of a building are well known for causing weak cell service, especially if they are made of metal, concrete, or other very thick or dense building materials. To counteract this, we suggest you stand by a window to get a route around the walls. If that window uses UV-treated glass it could also block some signal and may require you open the window to get the biggest cell signal improvement.

2. Get Some Space

Your device is constantly competing with other devices for cellular signals. In crowded spaces, getting away from the larger crowd can help you isolate your device for and improve your chances of getting a stronger cell signal from the nearest cell tower.

3. Increase Your Elevation

Typically, the lower your elevation the more signal blocking objects are surrounding you – homes, buildings, trees, bushes, and more. Getting to a higher floor or getting to the top of a nearby hill can improve cell service by giving your cell phone a clearer line of sight to the cell towers nearby.

4. Charge Your Cell Phone or Device

Cell phones and other devices need energy to communicate with cellular towers. In fact, when you don’t have access to a clear cell signal your phone battery will die faster because of the energy it uses to try to find a cell signal. Giving your phone a fully charged battery gives it the maximum amount of power to reach cell towers.

5. Close Unused Applications

Closing unused apps and pages allows your device to devote all performance to the action of loading data. So if data is what you need give this one a try. This tip could also help connect a call or deliver texts, but we haven’t seen any convincing data for or against this.

6. Reboot Your Cell Signal

Rebooting your cell signal is as simple as turning Airplane Mode on for 5-seconds and then turning it off. After rebooting, your device will restart its search for cell towers and this could allow your phone to tap into a different cell tower that offers a stronger signal.

7. Use Your WiFi Network

If you’ve got access to a healthy WiFi internet, whether it’s landline, or a WiFi hotspot, you can use this signal to make calls, send texts, and, of course, stream data, using your WiFi signal. This doesn’t mean only using FaceTime Audio, Skype, Hangouts, but you can also enable Wi-Fi calling on your phone. If you have a good WiFi signal, you probably won’t be able to tell a difference between running your cell phone using cellular versus WiFi.

8. Find a Cell Phone Tower Near You

Find the nearest cell tower with websites like Antenna Search, apps like OpenSignal, or Field Test Mode and try to get a better line of sight or closer in distance with those towers.

Best Websites & Apps for Better Cell Service

The websites will be the best way to get a read of 3G signals. If you’re looking for only 4G LTE and WiFi signals, the applications for IOS and Android will be a great help.

• Network Signal Info: Our recommended choice if you have an Android device. The Lite version is free and gives good explanations of the data but is less user-friendly than the Pro version, which costs $2.99. For accurate readings of your 4G LTE and WiFi signal strength, this is our top pick.
• Open Signal App: Best for getting a specific reading for your 4G LTE and WiFi signal strength on both IOS and Android devices. This free app does not show 3G network speeds. Unfortunately, this is a limitation felt by just about all of the IOS an Android apps. Download OpenSignal App for Android or IOS.
• Antenna Search: A good website that gives detailed explanation of nearby towers at a more technical level.
• CellReception.com: A great website that allows you to search your area by city or zip code to see cellular customer reviews of cell service and maps that pin-point specific tower locations near you.
• CellMapper.net: This website is a little rough around the edges but does give good information about nearby cell towers and signal strength for the 2G and 4G LTE networks.

9. Don’t Block the Antenna

Many cellular devices now store the antenna inside of the device. Hold your phone upright with minimal touching of the sides of the device. This may give a little more juice to your phone to make a call, but won’t be a life-changer.

10. Try a Different Phone or Carrier

If all else fails, there's the old fashioned tab on the shoulder trick. Someone may have a stronger signal with a different carrier and could lend you their device in a pinch. If you frequently have issues in that area, you may want to consider changing cellular companies to one that provides better service for your area.

11. Bonus: Fix Cell Signal for Good with a Signal Booster

If you frequently struggle with cell reception in your home, office or car, you might consider a cell phone signal booster. This is a paid solution that uses your the signal outside of your home, office, or car to greatly improve the signal inside of the space. These are used across the US, Canada and Mexico inside small homes, large homes, cars, trucks, RVs, small offices and large offices too.

Stop Dropping Calls for Good!

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[caption id="attachment_754" align="alignleft" width="4200"]10 Free Hacks to Improve Your Cellular Signal (Infographic)[/caption]

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