Emergency calls only with full bars.

[Anonymous]

Can anyone help. I got the Samsung S4 at the end of July on a refresh and all seemed well. Good phone has everything you'd ever want and then some. My problem started about 1 week after I got the phone, the signal bar was full and i had "emergency calls only". Thought it a bit strange so restarted it and it seemed fine. Then it happened the next week so I done the same. Now it gets interesting, it got the 30th August and it happened again so I restarted it and it was the same. I took the battery and sim out and blew it out and put it back together again. Still the same! I left it and took screen grabs for about 2-3 hours, just for proof.

Went into the local 02 shop and got a new sim card and I had gotten less then 100 yards up the street when it done it again. Went back and they said that it would have to be repaired. In a strop I walked off, thinking to myself a pone that's 1 month old shouldn't have these problems.

I got home and it all started again, from 1 bar to full bars with "emergency calls only" on the lock screen and on the pull down screen where it should be 02. I was fuming. I took screen grabs all night and the Sunday and went into another local 02 shop. The guy said that it would have to be sent off for repair, so begrudgingly I agreed .

I got the phone back yesterday, after the repair centre said that there wasn't anything they could find. Was on the chat to the to the Guru's last night for about an hour trying to fix it to no avail. Went back to the shop today and the manager, 02 at the metrocentre, was great. He replaced my handset no problem. I got it home and was in 2 minds to keep it or sell it. Thought I'd keep it as it's a good phone. Turn it on and you guessed it "emergency calls only" full bar signal.

What I want to know is can the phone pick up another carriers signal and try to connect to it if there is no service where I live? Thus giving me full bars but with the dredded message. And if so what can 02 do? Please help someone

[Anonymous]

Welcome to the Community Forum,

What an adventure.   

Can I ask if you have checked your mast service status to see if all is ok in your area.

http://status.o2.co.uk/

Have you tried switching from 3g to 2g to see if things improve.

[Anonymous]

Hi thank you for the warm welcome. Yeah i just checked and it seems as though its good and all normal. When I was in the 02 shop the manager checked on his system and said something to the trainee, that was with him, along the lines of 4G something something but couldn't hear. I've not long moved to the area I'm at so don't know if this is a common thing. I took the contract out at this address also.

Edit: the manager switched it to 2g as 3g is none existant in the whole area.

[Anonymous]

Hi again.

Ive checked and i believe this is the way to choose network selection on your phone regarding your quiery in your first post.

1.	Find " Network operators"
	Slide your finger down the display starting from the top edge of your mobile phone. Press the settings icon. Press the Connections tab. Press More networks. Press Mobile networks. Press Network operators.

2.	Select an option
	Your mobile phone searches for networks within range. Select one of the following options: Select a network manually, go to 2a. Select a network automatically, go to 2b.

	2a - Select a network manually
	Press the required network. Your display will tell you if you have access to the network you've selected.

	2b - Select a network automatically
	Press Select automatically.

3

[Anonymous]

Hi i've just tried that solution and it brings up a list of networks which are EE, vodafone and 3uk no 02 though. If this is the networks that the phone can pick up then 02 doesn't have a very good signal round these parts. So would you think that the phone is trying to connect to the strongest signal?

[Anonymous]

The phone should not seek out any other network than 02 that your locked to.

4G has been rolled out in leeds, bradford and london and It'll be in a further 10 cities by the end of the year. but to get that you have to get a 4g sim card, and upgrade to 02's 4g service.

There was alot of talk about a patch needed to activate the 4g side of things in the phone too.

No idea what the manager was meaning.

Have you checked to ensure your phone is on the latest firmware ?

[Anonymous]

I think that they might be doing tests on the 4g network as Newcastle is on the list of cities to get it next.

I have it set to auto update on the software side of things and when I turned it on the phone prompted me to update the software.

[Anonymous]

Thats possible but ive read that when the 02 engineers run these tests they are closed so no one except them can connect to it.

Some 02 customers have reported getting the 4g icon in the status bar and thought they had got 4g data service !

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I have it set to auto update on the software side of things and when I turned it on the phone prompted me to update the software.

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I'm wondering if the software update has caused some error or change in your phones settings !

Have you checked your APN settings.

Here is the link.

http://www.geeksquad.co.uk/articles/chapter/595-04-how-to-set-apn-settings-for-the-02-mobile-network

Also phone 02 on 202 to ensure your account is Ok.

[Anonymous]

You're probably right about the 4g and I'm just clutching at straws really. I know that they use different frequencies, hell I worked on satcoms for 2 years. Any kind of service would be good. I'm just going to have to go into the shop tomorrow and say that I'm not getting any service. I've been with 02 for 6 years now and this is the first problem I've had with them. Something will be sorted out tomorrow.

Well thanks for your help tonight. I appreciate it.

Many thanks

Steve