9 Steps to Improve Cell Phone Reception

Keep in mind, poor reception is not something that your service provider will fix just because you want them to. Most users think there is nothing they can do to improve their cell phone reception by themselves.

While there is no free magical fix to poor cell phone reception, there are some things that you can do, and some money you can spend, to improve cell phone reception.

Instructions

1. Keep your battery charged to 2 bars or higher.
   Your cell phone uses a lot more power when connecting a call than when it is on standby.
   
2. Take a look at the terrain you are in.
   Cell phone reception is usually poor when you're in a valley, surrounded by trees, in between tall buildings or inside buildings. A simple way to get better reception is to physically move to a better location. Get on a flat space on a hill if you are outside of a city. If you are in a city, go outside and away from tall buildings. One of the best places to get cell phone reception is a street intersection because it offers an unobstructed reception area.
   
3. Utilize a personal cell phone network extender.
   These devices are a new technology that creates a hybrid amplifier/repeater for personal use through smart technology to extend your cell phone's reception.
   
4. Install a cellular repeater.
   If you are having cell problems in one location, such as your home or office, then try installing a cellular repeater.
   
5. Turn off other electronics around you.
   Many electronics, such as computer monitors, appliances and power tools, can cause interference to cell phone reception. Simply turning these off may help your reception enough to make intelligible calls.
   
6. Hold your phone correctly.
   Mobile phone antennas are designed to project a signal outward, perpendicular to the long axis of the antenna. As such, mobile phones seek signals in a donut-esque shape around the antenna. Normally, when a mobile is held upright, this is not a problem. However, if you are holding your phone in a strange way, such as on its side or upside down, you will hinder the operation of the antenna. Hold your phone upright to guarantee that your phone can "see" your carrier signal. On most newer phones the antenna is located at the bottom of the phone, so if you are experiancing signal problems on a newer phone turning it upside down will boost your signal.
   
7. Buy an external antenna or power booster.
   This is going to cost you a bit, potentially more than a hundred dollars for an external antenna or a few hundred dollars for a power booster, but it will help reception. This is a good way to improve reception in your car or in your home or office, but it is not portable and you have to physically plug your phone into it.
   
8. Purchase a wireless amplifier/repeater system.
   A repeater system can cost several hundred dollars but it does not require a physical connection and can improve reception on several phones at the same time. You can get a repeater system for your car, and they are especially useful in an office where several people may be using cell phones.
   
9. Change networks.
   If all else fails, switch your service provider.

Note: Don't buy cheap internal antennas. These may look like a small card that goes behind your battery and has a small wire in them. It is said that they can double your reception, but many do not make any notable difference.