Device settings & troubleshooting

You may have found a mobile black spot if you’re using your mobile or mobile broadband device in an area that’s supposed to have Telstra network coverage but:

• There’s little or no reception
• The line keeps dropping out

If you’ve encountered this, please report a black spot so it’ll help us improve our network coverage. We’ll aim to contact you in two business days regarding your coverage issue.

We use the information you provide to investigate the potential black spot so our mobile technicians and engineers can investigate any faults. Your information will be kept confidential. 

‘SOS only’ means that you can only make emergency calls from your phone. 

• You can’t make or take normal calls, or send or receive messages
• You can’t access data, or use the internet

The most common reason is because your phone can’t connect to the mobile network. This may be due to:

• A mobile network outage
• An issue with your SIM
• An area with poor mobile coverage

To get your phone working again:

• Make sure your SIM card is inserted properly
• Check for outages on the service status page
• Try switching the phone off and on again. This can help if you’re getting a weak signal from the mobile tower
• If you’ve got a Pre-Paid service, make sure you have sufficient credit
• If you’re got a month-to-month plan, make sure you’ve paid your bills in full as restrictions may have been applied to your service for unpaid bills. You can check your balance in the My Telstra app or My Account.

If you’ve done all that and your phone still won’t connect, check that your mobile carrier network settings are:

• Set to automatic, and
• Connected to the Telstra network

Get more troubleshooting tips for your specific phone on our mobile support page.