In this article
Use this sequence after the affected line has been confirmed active. If its status is still unknown, return to the account question before changing phone settings.
Write down the starting symptom
Record the exact visible wording in your own private notes: “No service,” “Emergency calls only,” an empty signal indicator, or something else. Also note whether the problem began after a payment, a move, a phone change or an update. An event occurring first is a clue, not proof that it caused the symptom.
Do not use an emergency number as a test call. If you need urgent help, seek an available working communication method rather than relying on this checklist to restore service.
Check the simple conditions first
Metro’s network guide starts with an active line, coverage and basic device conditions. Check that Airplane mode is off, then follow the official restart instruction. If a restart changes the symptom, note what changed rather than immediately changing several more settings.
Try one observation at a time. “I restarted once; the phone still says No service” is useful. “I tried everything” gives the next person no reliable starting point. Keep the device nearby and charged enough to remain available while you seek help.
Separate cellular behavior from Wi-Fi behavior
Wi-Fi can keep an app online while the cellular connection is unavailable. Before a brief cellular test, make sure you have another way to return to this guide or contact help. Follow Metro’s guidance for distinguishing cellular service from Wi-Fi Calling; if the problem only occurs with Wi-Fi Calling, use that specific official support route instead.
Do not turn off your only working connection during an important conversation or while depending on it for urgent assistance. Testing can wait until you have a practical fallback. Record whether calls, messages and browsing behave differently, then use the scope worksheet to describe the result.
Set a boundary before resets and SIM changes
The official article includes advanced troubleshooting. This guide does not turn those options into a blanket instruction to reset a phone, delete an eSIM, remove an account or erase personal data. Device menus and consequences vary. Ask official support which step is appropriate for your device, what it changes and how to recover access afterward.
A network-settings reset and a factory reset are not interchangeable phrases. If support proposes a reset, repeat the exact name back and ask about saved connections and data before proceeding. Do not escalate from a restart to an erase merely because both sound like “starting again.”
Compare before and after, then stop repeating
Fictional example: Morgan confirms the line is active, verifies Airplane mode is off and restarts once. The phone still shows the same error. Wi-Fi browsing works. Morgan now has a concise, useful report: active line confirmed, cellular symptom unchanged, Wi-Fi available. Paying again would not test any of those observations.
Metro directs unresolved signal problems to official support from a device with service, or to a store. Carry your support brief rather than a list of guesses. The objective is to explain the failure clearly, not to exhaust every possible setting yourself.