Skip to main content

iOS 12.1.2 disconnects some iPhones from cellular data: Here’s how to fix it

Some iPhone users who have upgraded to iOS 12.1.2 are reporting a variety of issues, mostly that their devices are being disconnected from cellular data.

Just one day after the early December launch of iOS 12.1.1, which improved the FaceTime user interface and added Haptic Feedback features for the iPhone XR, Apple rolled out the iOS 12.1.2 public beta. The latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system looked to clean up a variety of bugs, including cellular connectivity issues that appeared in iOS 12.1.1.

Recommended Videos

Apple released iOS 12.1.2 on December 17, with the upgrade intended to solve issues with eSIM support for the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max, as well as fix cellular connectivity problems for users in Turkey. Days after the initial build of iOS 12.1.2, Apple pushed out a second build to fix unnamed issues with the first one, without changing the software upgrade version number.

However, it appears that things have not gone according to plan for Apple, as hundreds of users have taken to Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit to report that the iOS 12.1.2 upgrade caused cellular data issues on their iPhones. Some users said that iOS 12.1.2 completely disconnected their iPhones from cellular data, rendering the devices unable to send and receive phone calls and text messages. A small number of users also claimed that they have been unable to link up to Wi-Fi connections.

For the unfortunate iPhone owners who have been affected by the issue, 9to5Mac suggested a couple of solutions. The first possible fix is to go to the iPhone’s Settings app, enter the Cellular menu, and disable Wi-Fi Calling. The second suggestion is to go to the Cellular Data Options under the same menu and change the Enable LTE field to Data Only from Voice & Data.

These solutions are only temporary fixes, and they might not work for everyone. Ultimately, the best way to deal with the matter should come from Apple, which already has iOS 12.1.3 in developer beta testing.

Users who have not yet upgraded their iPhones to iOS 12.1.2 might want to hold off on doing so. Not everyone is affected by the cellular data bug, but it may be a good idea to wait for the next iOS version, just to be sure.

Aaron Mamiit
Aaron received an NES and a copy of Super Mario Bros. for Christmas when he was four years old, and he has been fascinated…
3 big iOS 19 changes that I hope Apple reveals at WWDC 2025
iOS 19 sample logo.

We’re less than two days away from Apple’s big WWDC 2025 keynote, where the company will reveal new versions of each of its software platforms. One of the biggest changes this year is the expected shift from iOS 19 to iOS 26, with new versions of macOS, iPadOS, tvOS, watchOS, and visionOS also set to follow suit. We're also expecting to see the evolution of Apple Health, including a new AI doctor and Health subscription.

iOS 26, if it is to be named that, is expected to introduce one of the biggest evolutions in design for Apple software since the first iPhone was launched. Inspired by visionOS and the Apple Vision Pro, it’s expected to be a monumental redesign, but I hope that Apple also takes the time to make a few improvements.

Read more
iOS 26 rumored to go back to basics with four intriguing upgrades
An iPhone 15 Pro Max running iOS 18, showing its home screen.

In just two days from now, Apple will take the stage at WWDC 2025 and showcase the big yearly upgrades for its entire software portfolio. I am quite excited about the platform-wide design update and a few functional changes to iPadOS, especially the one targeting a more macOS-like makeover for the iPad’s software. 

Of course, analysts will be keenly watching for Apple’s next moves with AI, but it seems some of the most dramatic features have been pushed into the next year. Apple can afford some of those delays, as long as the company serves enough meaningful updates to its user base. Apple won’t exactly be running dry on AI, though. 

Read more
iPhone 17 price looks more certain to rise for first time since the iPhone 12
Apple might be preparing its first iPhone price increase in five years
iPhone 16 Pro Max next to the 16 Plus, 16 Pro and regular iPhone 16

For years now, Apple has launched the base model iPhone at $799 - but in 2025, more and more signs are pointing towards prices being increased for the introduction of the iPhone 17.

The likelihood of an iPhone 17 price increase was raised by the Wall Street Journal in May, and now Counterpoint Research notes in its recent 2025 shipment forecast that "cost increases are expected to be passed on to consumers" by not only Apple, but Samsung as well.

Read more