7 Things to Try When Rakuten Mobile Has No Signal

A bit of background: Rakuten Mobile's network reaches 99.9% of Japan's population, but signal strength can drop off in some spots — underground shopping malls, basements, dense city buildings with thick concrete walls, and out-of-the-way rural or mountainous areas. If you keep hitting dead zones, these steps usually sort things out.

7 Troubleshooting Steps

Step 1: Restart Your Device

The most basic fix — and the one people almost always skip. Restarting forces your phone to re-register with the nearest base station. Do this before anything else.

Step 2: Toggle Mobile Data, Airplane Mode, and Wi-Fi

Even when your signal icon looks fine, your phone may have quietly lost its network registration in the background. Flipping these switches forces it to go out and find the network again:

Turn on Airplane Mode → wait 10 seconds → turn it off
Toggle Mobile Data off and back on
Toggle Wi-Fi off and back on (Wi-Fi interference can sometimes mess with cellular)

Step 3: Check Your Payment Status

An unpaid Rakuten Mobile bill can get your service suspended. Log in to the "My Rakuten Mobile" (my 楽天モバイル) app or website and take a look at your account status and payment history.

For foreign residents: Automatic payment failures happen pretty often when credit cards expire or get reissued. Make sure your billing info stays current in the My Rakuten Mobile portal.

Step 4: Reseat Your SIM Card

This one's especially worth trying if you recently switched carriers or dropped your phone. Pop the SIM card out, check it for any damage or debris, and push it back in firmly. Then power cycle the device.

Step 5: Move to a Different Location

If you're underground, inside a building with thick walls, or somewhere mountainous, just stepping out into the open — even a few meters away — can bring the signal back. Rakuten Mobile's main frequency bands perform better outdoors and above ground.

Step 6: Update Your Phone's OS

An outdated OS can cause real compatibility headaches with mobile network settings. Check whether you have any OS updates waiting:

iPhone: Settings → General → Software Update
Android: Settings → System → Software Update (the exact path depends on your manufacturer)

Step 7: Consider Upgrading Your Phone

If your phone is more than 5–6 years old, it might not support Rakuten Mobile's newer frequency bands — including the 700 MHz "Platinum Band" that was rolled out to improve indoor and underground reception. Moving to a newer device can make a surprisingly big difference.

If Nothing Works: Try Dual SIM with povo

If Rakuten's coverage is genuinely spotty where you live or work, the most practical long-term fix is setting up a dual SIM with povo as a backup:

povo runs on the au (KDDI) network — one of Japan's best for indoor and underground coverage
povo's base plan is ¥0/month — you only pay when you top up with data
Keep Rakuten Mobile as your main line (free calls through Rakuten Link, unlimited data)
Switch povo on only when Rakuten drops out

No strings attached: Sitting on povo at ¥0/month as a backup costs you nothing, as long as you buy at least one small topping every 180 days to keep the account from getting cancelled.