Fix Your Mobile Internet in 2 Minutes

APN settings for every UK network — Android & iPhone guides

Big Four Networks

The four main UK mobile networks with their own infrastructure

Virtual Networks (MVNOs)

These carriers rent network capacity from the Big Four

Not sure what an APN is?

An APN (Access Point Name) is the address your phone uses to connect to your carrier's mobile data network. Think of it like a gateway setting — without the correct APN, your phone can't establish a mobile internet connection even when you have a signal. Most phones get these settings automatically when you insert a SIM, but on budget phones, SIM-only plans, or after a factory reset, you may need to enter them manually.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The most common cause is an incorrect or missing APN configuration. Your phone uses the APN to connect to your carrier's data network. If the APN is wrong, your phone cannot establish a data connection even though it shows signal bars. Other causes include mobile data being toggled off, your data allowance being used up, or a network outage in your area. Start by checking your APN settings match those on this site, then check your data balance with your carrier.
No. Voice calls and standard SMS text messages use a different part of the mobile network and are completely unaffected by APN settings. Only mobile data (internet browsing, apps, email) and MMS (picture messages and group messages) rely on the APN. You can safely change your APN settings without worrying about losing the ability to make calls or send texts.
A restart is strongly recommended after saving new APN settings. This forces your phone to drop and re-establish its connection to the network using the new settings. If you don't want to do a full restart, toggling Aeroplane Mode on for 10 seconds and then off is usually enough to reconnect with the updated APN. On some Android phones you may also need to select the new APN profile from the list after saving.
The main APN field (e.g. "everywhere" for EE) controls your general mobile data connection. The MMS-specific fields — MMSC (MMS Centre URL), MMS Proxy, and MMS Port — tell your phone how to route picture messages and group texts through a separate messaging gateway. Many carriers use the same APN for both, but route MMS via a proxy. If your data works but you can't send or receive picture messages, the MMS fields are likely missing or incorrect.
Greyed-out APN settings mean your SIM card is pushing automatic configuration to the phone, which locks the settings to prevent accidental changes. Try these steps: (1) Remove and reinsert your SIM card — this sometimes resets the lock. (2) Check your messages for a configuration SMS from your carrier and accept it. (3) On some Samsung phones, you may need to clear the "Phone Manager" or reset network settings before manual editing becomes available. (4) Some MVNOs send settings via their app — check the carrier's official app if you have one.