Pixel 5 on Fido does not automatically regain cell reception

[DDDGGG]

Hi,

I have a Pixel 5 that does not automatically regain cell reception after being out of a coverage zone for whatever reason (for example, in an underground parkade, in the mountains, in a submarine, etc).

So, if I lose reception for any reason (even briefly), I have to turn airplane mode on and off to "reset" the phone's cellular radio and regain coverage. For example, last night, I lost coverage in an underground parking lot for a few minutes, and the phone still had no reception this morning until I did the airplane mode thing. Very annoying, and it's caused me to miss a few important calls and messages over the last couple months.

I'm struggling to research this problem, because I don't know the right terms to use in a Google search or whatever. Can anyone point me in the right direction toward a solution to this problem?

I am currently running Android 11 and Carrier Services version 20221003_02_RC00.

Thanks!

[DDDGGG]

Thank you Cawtau and KAPABLE-K for the suggestions. I will do the things you've recommended and report back next time I take the device out of cell coverage.

[KAPABLE-K]

Hello @DDDGGG,

This definitely sounds like a problem with your device as I'm a Pixel 5 user also I never had this issue, as your OS is way out of date as Android 13+ November security patch is available. 

I would suggest you do a factory reset and then do the Android 13 update without restoring the apps then let the phone sit for a good hour so the OS can settle and then install your apps as needed.

If for whatever reason you don't want to update I would still suggest you do a factory reset without installing the apps and just install them as needed.

If you chose not to do the update and you still have the problem it would still be difficult to know if it's a software or hardware problem without installing the latest OS.

[Cawtau]

Hello DDDGGG,

  Welcome to the community!

  Sorry to hear you're having cellular reception issues. Have you had a chance to reset the phone's network settings? You can view how to reset those settings here.

  I understand your device is running Android 11. Have you checked to see if there are any OS updates for your device? As far as I am aware, I believe at least Android 12 should be available for that device (see here). It's possible updating the OS might help resolve your issue.

  In addition, I believe that device is 5G-capable? If so, you might consider disabling 5G in the network settings. Fido does not currently offer 5G services and it's possible the device is trying to connect for a 5G connection without subsequently trying to find a suitable LTE or '3G' connection.

  Occasionally, a damaged or improperly seated SIM card might also have similar issues. You might consider removing and re-inserting the SIM card. If you have an alternate device, you might also check to see whether that device has the same issues when used with that SIM card. If the other device shows similar behaviour, you might need to replace the SIM card.

Hope this helps 😀

Cheers