9 Effective Solutions to Fix Snapchat Not Working on Mobile Data

ByJim Miller

Snapchat continues to be a popular social network, especially among the younger generation, despite tough competition from Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. It allows users to quickly share live moments with friends and family. However, what should you do if Snapchat stops working on your cellular network? Instead of searching for a Wi-Fi network or asking someone for a personal hotspot, try the following tricks to troubleshoot Snapchat not working on mobile data.

1. Enable Mobile Data Permission for Snapchat (iPhone)

If you have disabled mobile data permission for Snapchat, the app won't work on your cellular network. To fix this, follow these steps:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Scroll down and find Snapchat.
  3. Enable the Mobile Data permission from the menu.

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2. Enable Background App Refresh

Snapchat will stop working if you disable the background app refresh on your iPhone or Android device. Here's what you need to do:

iPhone

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Find Snapchat in the Settings menu.
  3. Enable the Background App Refresh toggle.

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Android

  1. Long-press on the Snapchat app icon and select “App info” to open the app info menu.
  2. Select “Mobile data & Wi-Fi.”
  3. Enable the Background data toggle.

By enabling background app refresh, Snapchat will work on mobile data in the background without delaying your friend's snaps.

3. Disable Data Saver Mode in Snapchat (Android)

Snapchat for Android includes a data saver mode to preserve cellular data. However, enabling this option may cause delays in loading content like Lenses and Snaps. To disable data saver mode, follow these steps:

  1. Open Snapchat on your Android phone.
  2. Go to your profile and select the settings gear in the top right corner.
  3. Scroll down and find Data Saver.
  4. Disable data saver mode from the menu.

4. Turn off System-Wide Data Saver Mode

Both Android and iPhone devices have a system-wide data saver mode that can interfere with Snapchat's functionality. To disable it, follow these steps:

iPhone

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Select “Mobile data/Cellular data.”
  3. Choose your primary SIM.
  4. Disable the Low Data Mode toggle.

SIM

Android

  1. Go to Settings on your Android device.
  2. Select “Network & internet.”
  3. Tap on “Data Saver” and disable it.

5. Give Unrestricted Data Usage to Snapchat (Android)

If you don't want any interruptions during an active data saver mode, give Snapchat unrestricted data usage. Follow these steps:

  1. Open “Mobile data & Wi-Fi” in the Snapchat app info menu (refer to the previous steps).
  2. Enable the Unrestricted data usage toggle.

6. Check Your Carrier Plan

Most carrier plans have limited mobile data. If you have already used up your allocated cellular data, you may need to upgrade your plan or purchase additional data add-ons.

7. Check Snapchat Status

If Snapchat servers are down, the app won't work on mobile data or Wi-Fi. You can check Snapchat's status by visiting Downdetector. If Snapchat is experiencing problems, you'll see high outage graphs and user comments confirming the issue. In such cases, you'll need to wait for Snapchat to resolve the problem from their end. In the meantime, you can follow Snapchat on other social media platforms like Twitter to get the latest updates.

8. Lock Snapchat in the Background (Android)

Certain Android devices suspend inactive apps in the background to conserve battery life. If you haven't opened Snapchat in a while, the app may not work on mobile data in the background. To fix this, you need to lock Snapchat in the background to make an exception.

  1. Open the recent apps menu on your Android device.
  2. Long-press on the Snapchat app icon and select “Lock this app.”

9. Update Snapchat

If you're using an outdated version of the Snapchat app, it may be causing issues with Snapchat calls not working or Snapchat not sending snaps. Make sure to update Snapchat to the latest version to continue using the service without interruptions.

If none of the above tricks work, you can try joining the Snapchat Beta program. Android users can sign up for the beta program from the Play Store, while iPhone users need to use the TestFlight app to try unreleased builds.

By following these solutions, you should be able to fix the issue of Snapchat not working on mobile data and continue enjoying the app's features seamlessly.