10 Hacks For Better Cell Phone Reception

Losing cell phone service is a bummer, especially when you're 164 weeks into someone's fascinating Instagram feed. Wouldn't it be great to be able to beat the "dead zones" and learn how to not lose cell phone service? Well, a new video from Grant Thompson, aka “The King of Random,” suggests 10 cell phone hacks to get better reception — and they might be just the thing to alleviate the problem.

We're so used to always having our phones that running into a one of those dead zones that leaves us with no bars leaves us more confused than anything else. Like, yes, I know it's a miracle that I have a miniature computer in my hand that allows me to talk to people around the world... but why doesn't it work every single place on the planet I want it to? Is that really too much to ask? But according to Thompson, there was easy ways to make sure you get the most out of your phone service and those little bars of joy. It's worth noting that the video was sponsored by WeBoost, a company which makes phone signal boosters — but you know what? Sponsorship or no, I'd still totally try it.

Here are five tricks you might try in order to get better cell phone reception. Scroll down to watch the full video!

1. Find Out What Kind Of Service You're Actually Getting

Those little bars aren't regulated between carriers, so two bars of service on one phone may be equal to four on another. But you can actually check the service you're getting if you implement a little trickery: On some phones, just punch in *3001#12345#* and press send. This will put your phone in a field testing mode that tells you the actual strength of your signal. The higher the number, the better signal you have.

2. Find Out Where Your Signal Is Coming From

On Android phones, you can download an APP OpenSignal, which can show you the tower your phone is connected to and give you GPS directions to get there. Neat, right?

3. Find The Best Tower

Bad signal? You might be connected to a tower that isn't actually the strongest one near you. In order to get connected to the best tower, just switch your phone to airplane mode for a few seconds to reboot the signal.

4. Roll Your Windows Down

Your car? It's basically a metal box that disrupts your phone's signal. However, just rolling down the windows can give you a signal that's almost twice as better. Of course, you probably shouldn't be talking on the phone or texting in the first place, though, so maybe only use this trick when you're a passenger.

5. Wi-Fi Calling

If you're near a Wi-Fi hotspot, you may be able to connect to it and make your call over the Wi-Fi network. Not all phones and carriers support this feature, however, so your mileage may vary.

Watch the full video below for five more ways to boost your signal:

Images: Barry.Lenard/Flickr; Grant Thompson - "The King of Random"/YouTube (5)