HTC 10 has a bad antenna can this be fixed?

[twcjwk]

I lost the ability to pick up a cell tower with my phone. I have rebooted it and even took it to T-Mobile and they replaced the SIM card. Rebooted the phone again and it still can't pick up any cell towers. The T-Mobile rep told me there was not anything more they could do. I can't believe that, this phone isn't even 2 years old. I have tried everything and the only thing that works is the wifi. When I leave my house my phone says no service. Wondering if it's fixable or I just need to wait and buy a new phone.

 

[Hadron]

I don't suppose you've ever messed with the "Testing" menu (*#*#4636#*#* in the dialer)? Choose the wrong thing in there and you could mess up reception.

You could try reflashing the firmware. I think it's a long shot, but that should fix any sort of software problem.

If it's a hardware problem there's nothing you can do apart from a repair.

 

[twcjwk]

No I have never been in the testing menu.

 

[Hadron]

Well if you want to try reflashing you can find the software and instructions here. Do note that running a RUU (ROM Update Utility) will factory reset the phone, so back up everything you want to keep beforehands. Heck, you could try a reset before reflashing, just in case that fixes it, since reflashing will reset it anyway - all you'd lose is a couple of minutes.

I'm not optimistic though. It's unlikely that the system firmware has been corrupted if you've not attempted to root or modify the device (HTCs usually protect that quite well even if you do unlock and root - you need S-Off to do real damage). And if it's a hardware fault (broken antenna connection, moisture damage, result of a drop, whatever) then nothing you do with the software will make any difference.

(Of course here in the UK a phone that's less than 2 years old would still be under warranty. I guess you've got the standard US 1 year warranty though).

 

[twcjwk]

Yes I have the standard US one-year warranty. Lesson learned, when I buy the new HTC 12 I will buy the extended warranty. Thanks for your help

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Call the number @Hadron put in parentheses to get to the test menu. That will let you know if your hardware's okay. I've got a 10. It won't hurt your device.

 

[Hadron]

Yeah, it's fine as long as you don't mess with settings you don't understand. I've accessed it frequently on different devices over the years, and used it to change settings that the system menu didn't offer options for. But there are things there that could have undesirable effects if set wrong.

But checking what the "preferred network type" is in the Phone Info section is probably worth doing.

 

[twcjwk]

Yeah I tried the preferred network when I first lost Connection.

 

[dontpanicbobby]

Do you have a screenshot of some of your test results?
Not challenging you, just curious.

 

[stephanie londono]

Can someone please send me a link of the carrier antenna I need to replace if its the antenna that's damaged. Also If I go to that menu what should I put as "preferred network" if I have Verizon @Hadron

 

[Hadron]

It's not "preferred network" but "preferred network type". Verizon are CDMA-based, so you want the list of options to include CDMA and EvDo (2G and 3G) and also LTE (4G). There's no harm in it including other types as well (useful if you ever travel abroad), but those are the minimum. My Pixel is by default set to "LTE/CMDA/EvDo/GSM/WCDMA (PRL)", which covers everything except some Chinese networks, but you may not have a single option which includes all of those.

If it already has the ones you need covered, leave it alone. Don't fiddle with stuff you don't need to. I mainly provided the instructions for that menu in case the previous person had been playing with it and didn't realise what they'd done: if you've not messed with that previously you shouldn't need to now, since the phone's Settings don't let you select options that should stop it working with your carrier, whereas in that menu you can do that, which is why playing with it was a possible cause of the problem.