Even the most sophisticated smartphone may become an aggravating brick when it has a weak cellphone signal. Telephone conversations are lost, videos keep stuttering and plain text messages appear to disappear into the internet atmosphere. The low reception is not only a frustrating problem it can also interfere with work, your route and even your own safety since you may not get through in a real emergency. Luckily, it is possible to build a stronger bond with a few tangible, science-based methods, without having to use gimmicks or signal booster myth.

The relationship of your phone with the cell towers around you is one of the first things that you should know. The mobile networks use radio waves and your device keeps on searching the nearest tower with least interference. When you are in a low coverage area, such as a rural valley, or a place that has heavy concrete walls, your signal automatically gets poor. One such step to take would be to use the coverage map provided by your carrier (AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, etc.) and establish whether it is your location at fault. Applications, such as OpenSignal and CellMapper, allow fixtures of local tower locations, so you can move nearer to a tower or at minimum turn in the direction with higher coverage.

When you are inside, it is possible that the materials of your building are the real culprit. Metal roofs, concrete foundations and some form of glass can either block or reflect radio wave. The first trick is to be close to a window or outdoor to see a significant strength increase in a moment. In the house that you are not able to go outside, it is good to keep your phone near a window that opens to open space, especially at an upper storey. There should be no corners with several walls or basements where the reception tends to be drastically low because it is being absorbed.

The other factor that is not considered when connectivity is poor is the interference of the devices. Electronic gadgets are crowded in modern houses and some of them may also encroach radio signal to your phone. Electromagnetic noise (albeit potentially overlapping with cellular frequencies) can be found in routers, microwaves, baby monitors, even Bluetooth speakers. Switching off the electronics around you or relocating a few feet away your Wi-Fi router can make a difference that is startling.

In other cases, it is software not physical signal loss. The phone uses sophisticated algorithms to handle network switches of 4G LTE 5G, and Wi-Fi calling. Your phone can get stuck on a weaker tower and this may be due to bugs, old carrier settings or corrupt network profiles. Rebooting your phone makes it reconnect to the tower nearest to you to renew your connection to the network. In cases where the problem is more stubborn, a reset of the network settings (which can be located in the general or system menu of your phone) will empty your connection history and potentially allow your communication to be faster, and more reliable.

Wi-Fi calling is a game changer to people who reside in areas that are regularly affected by dead zones. It is also supported by most major carriers and the newer smartphones, meaning that your phone would be able to route your calls and texts through your internet connection, as opposed to the towers that are nearby. This option is only applicable to the steady home Wi-Fi systems with sufficient uploading bandwidth. Likewise, by placing a femtocell or microcell (little devices supplied by certain carriers) within your network, you can also form a local cellular hotspot within your house with your broadband connection as its backbone.

Conditions outside are also quantifiably contributory. Radio waves can be absorbed and scattered by the rain, heavy snow, or a thick tree cover. Even high-frequency transmissions sometimes may be interrupted by solar storms. You can not do something about the weather but you can make use of sunny days and elevations. When you are hiking or travelling, make an effort of moving to the open areas or higher places, as the higher the location, the better the phone has a clear view of the towers around.

Finally, one more thing is that your phone hardware becomes old much faster than you think. An obsolete SIM card or broken antenna component may restrict access to newer network bands. Replacing a SIM card—typically free from your carrier—can unlock modern LTE and 5G frequencies that your phone might not have been connecting to. Similarly, installing an operating system will help keep up with newer technologies of the carriers.