Last Updated on May 18, 2023 by Ron D. Morgan
Although Giffgaff’s 5G network is going mainstream these days, its 4G LTE will still be available in the foreseeable future. Giffgaff’s 4G network is fast, has nationwide coverage and the plans are quite affordable.
If your Giffgaff’s 4G is not working, there is no need to panic just yet. Some iPhone and Android phone users on Giffgaff have complained of 4G not working. If you are experiencing the same, this post is here to help.
But in a nutshell, Giffgaff 4G not working can be caused by a temporary network outage or minor bugs on your phone. You can fix this by rebooting your phone.
Continue reading to learn other reasons your Giffgaff network stopped working and steps you can take to fix the issue.
Why Is My 4G On Giffgaff Not Working?
In this section, we will break down possible reasons why your Giffgaff 4G network is not working, and tips to help you fix the issue.
a. Temporary Outage
Check the signal reception bar for signal bars. If there are no signal bars, it means that there is a temporary network outage. One plausible reason may be that Giffgaff is carrying out scheduled maintenance on their network.
Quick Fix
Unfortunately, there is no quick fix for this. If Giffgaff is carrying out maintenance on their network, you can only wait it out. The process takes an hour or less most times.
b. Bugs On Phone
Having many apps running in your phone’s background for a while and cache can result in minor bugs on your phone. The bugs will cause a glitch that affects the hardware and software functionality of your phone.
Quick Fix
You can fix the glitch and bugs on your phone by restarting your phone. But first, turn on the airplane icon on your device. Wait for 60 seconds and turn off the airplane mode icon. Most times, this simple troubleshooting hack will fix the 4G network issue.
If not, then you have to restart your phone. Turn off the phone, wait for 60 seconds and restart the phone.
c. Exhausted Data Bandwidth
To access the internet on the Giffgaff network, you have to subscribe to a mobile data plan. Each mobile data plan has a data bandwidth and duration allocated to the plan.
If you exhaust the data bandwidth for your data plan before the duration, your mobile network will stop working.
Quick Fix
Check your data balance to ensure you still have an available data balance. If you have exhausted your allocated data bandwidth, you have to top up.
There are two options to check your Giffgaff mobile data balance. The first option is via their site.
Visit the Giffgaff account page. Enter your mobile number or username and password to log into your account. On your account home page, you will see details of your remaining data balance.
The second option is to dial 43430 from your Giffgaff phone. Opt for the second option and follow the instructions to know your available data balance.
d. Error In APN Settings
Access Point Name (APN) settings contain the information your phone needs to connect to the internet via your carrier’s network. An error in the APN settings will affect internet connections.
Quick Fix
To fix this, you have to update the APN settings on your phone to that of Giffgaff settings. Most times, the APN setting updates automatically when you insert the Giffgaff SIM card into a phone. You have to update this information manually if it doesn’t update automatically.
First, open the APN settings on your phone. Open APN settings on an Android phone, and go to Settings> Networks> Mobile Network> APN.
Open APN settings on iPhone, go to Settings> Mobile Data> Mobile Data Options> Mobile Data Network. Fill in the Giffgaff APN settings below.
APN: giffgaff.com
Username: gg
Proxy: (Blank)
MCC: 234
MNC: 10
APN Protocol: IPv4v6
APN Roaming Protocol: IPv4
Authentication Type: PAP
e. Wrong Network Mode
Most smartphones have multiple network mode options available. 2G/3G/4G/5G are the network mode options available in most smartphones. If the 4G network is not working on your phone, it could be that your phone is set to the wrong network mode.
Quick Fix
To fix this issue, you have to check for an update to the network mode on your phone. Follow the steps here to complete the process. Go to Settings> Mobile Networks (Network & Internet)> Preferred Network Mode> 4G (auto).
f. Error In Network/ Carrier Settings
When you insert a SIM card, your phone automatically updates the network settings to the current carrier. There are a few instances where your phone fails to update the network settings.
This means that your phone is set to the previous carrier’s network settings after you insert a new SIM card. To fix this, you have to update the network settings.
Follow the steps here to update network settings on your phone. Go to Settings> System> Reset options> Reset Network Settings> Enter PIN. Wait for a couple of minutes for your phone to update to Giffgaff network settings. Note that this process may clear any Bluetooth and Wi-Fi settings.
g. Outdated Phone Firmware
If you have not updated your phone’s firmware in a while, it can affect the network. Firmware is the software that powers specific hardware parts on your phone, including network connectivity.
Quick Fix
Update the firmware version on your phone following the procedure here. Go to Settings>About Phone> Update> Install System Software. Restart phone After Software update.
h. Contact Giffgaff Customer Support
The final resort is to contact Giffgaff support for help. Contact Giffgaff agent via this page. You can also drop your questions on their community page for help.
Software Engineer by day: Writer by night. I’m Luis Gow, a digital nomad in the real sense of it. I write about Network experience in the UK/ Canada/Australia.
My aim is to help you set up your device and handle troubleshooting issues with no external help. I will update my profile as I continue to discover myself from my experience living in different locations.