The One iPhone Trick Everyone Needs to Know

I can't tell you how many times this very simple iPhone trick has saved my butt.

Whether you're trying to send an urgent email, download an attachment on the go or respond to an instant message, there are plenty of times when you simply can't connect, because your wireless signal is weak. Or is it?

Over the years, I've had a lot of success establishing a better connection just by tweaking a simple setting on my iPhone. Whether you own the latest iPhone XS Max or an iPhone SE. Here's what you need to try when you're stuck.

1. Open Control Center. If you're on an iPhone X, swipe down from the top right of the screen to open Control Center.

If you're using an iPhone 8, iPhone 7, iPhone SE or any older iPhone with a Home button, swipe up from the bottom of the display.

2. Turn Airplane mode on. Tap the airplane icon on the screen to engage airplane mode. This will temporarily turn off 4G LTE on your iPhone. Wait a few seconds before you do anything else.

3. Press the airplane mode icon once more to deactivate airplane mode.

Think of this trick as pressing the reset button on your iPhone's cellular connection. In many cases, your wireless signal strength will be stronger than before, and you should be able to surf the web, check email and do more with less lag.

I've used this trick when coming out of the Lincoln Tunnel, on the subway between stops and in tons of other locations, regardless of the wireless carrier. You'll be surprised how well it works.

Credit: Tom's Guide

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Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.