Fixed IMS status not registered after updating to Android 12
If "IMS STATUS NOT REGISTERED" is a situation that you have encountered on your phone, then this article may hopefully help you.
Recently, due to the 3G turn-off and the 5G switch, I purchased a 5G phone. It was working beautifully, well almost, until I did the Android 11 update & Android 12 update. After these two updates, my Smartphone, as well as my hubby's Smartphone, have basically been turned into two major dumb-phones.
As of recently, our phones only have internet data and sometimes text, but not calling (except using a third party calling app that uses data). When we try to call out, the message "end call" pops up immediately. When other people try to call us, their calls are directed straight to a voicemail recording. This problem didn't happen until sometime after we did the back to back updates to bump the systems up to Android 12.
When we first purchased our LG Velvet 5G phones, we did so on a whim, because at the time, they were the only 5G phones that we came across that were considered phablets, with a screen size of 6.8 inches (other than a Samsung). Even though I knew at the time that LG was shutting down (possibly already), I knew that it would be getting updated to Android 13 (eventually).
My first rodeo with the LG Velvet 5G (AT&T Unlocked Version) was that it wouldn't hook-up as a hotspot. At that time, I called Red Pocket Mobile and after an hour, the phone representatives still hadn't fixed the problem. So, I kept running codes, until finally I figured out that my APN wasn't configured for the hotspot. Once I changed it and added my APN TYPE to "default,mms,supl,fota,dun", the hotspot was fixed. (The APN TYPE has to be typed in exactly as I have written it, with no spaces in between the commas in order for it to work with Red Pocket Mobile.) Most mobile phone hotspots will hook-up automatically, without having to go through all these hoops. Since our phones were purchased unlocked, I had to manually add the APN for them to work on our mobile network.
What's IMS and why is it needed?
So, to dive into the world of IMS briefly. IMS was originally designed by the wireless standards body 3GPP, to gradually develop mobile networks beyond GSM. This is why the IMS registry is needed, to access multimedia and voice applications from wireless and wireline terminals. In other words, it's what allows you to dial out and receive calls and messages on your phone.
After dialing the MMI code *#*#4636#*#*, you'll be directed to a testing partition in your Smartphone. The page on my LG Velvet 5G has two options to click on: phone information and usage statistics. Choose the one that gives phone information.
Once you've done that, go to the three dots on the right-hand side of the screen, click on that and then you will be directed to go down the list and check your IMS SERVICE STATUS.
This is where my phone showed me the message IMS STATUS NOT REGISTERED on my Smartphone. It also reads that my voice over LTE and voice over WIFI is unavailable.
IMS STATUS NOT REGISTERED means that your SIM card CAN NOT connect to your carrier's network. You may still be able to send and receive regular messages and have an internet connection (such as I did), or it may be vice-versa with calling, but not receiving any internet. In any case, it's a huge headache to say the least.
Below are a few things that "sometimes fix" the IMS STATUS. If you're needing the fix for an LG Velvet 5G unlocked phone, go down below to my notes. I have included the code that I used to fix two LG Velvet 5G phones. Both now have VoLTE.
Do a hard force reset on your phone. (On my Velvet 5G phone this can be done by pressing the power button, and the volume down button simultaneously.)
Turn airplane mode on and wait a few seconds before turning the airplane mode back off. This will reset the network signal.
Turn your phone off and take the sim card out of the slot. Wait about fifteen minutes or so before transferring the sim card back to your phone. Reboot your phone.
Select the right mobile network for your phone. You can do this by going into the settings app of your phone. Look for more networks, then click on mobile networks and select network mode. Now, look to make sure your phone is in the right mode. Most new phones will say LTE/4G/5G, etc. However, my phone doesn't have this option.
Check the APN and make sure that it's the right one for your carrier. From time to time, the APN will be updated for the phone carrier, but not automatically updated on your phone.
To check APN, go to your settings app, then to Network & Internet settings, click mobile networks, find APN (Access Point Names) and select that. Check to make sure the APN is on the correct mobile provider and make sure that the APN settings are all filled out correctly. Sometimes, taking the sim card out of your phone and waiting a few minutes before placing it back in the phone will fix the APN settings automatically. To find what the phone's APN settings are supposed to be set at, Google APNs for your phone provider.
If all that still doesn't fix the IMS Status, try this step. On your dial pad type in the following code *#*#4636#*#*. Now tap on the three dots at the top of the screen (on the right-hand side). Select PHONE INFORMATION and scroll down to run a PING TEST (tap the ping test button). Next, click on TURN RADIO OFF and restart your phone. (Some phones will turn off on their own after doing this.) My phone will automatically turn the radio button back on. You can also change your preferred network type in the line above the radio toggle.
If all else fails, check to make sure that the network provider isn't having any temporary outages.
Get a hold of your mobile carrier, because your issue may not be with your phone, but through them on their systems.
And the very last option (unless you have a LG Velvet 5G) is to backup your phone, and do a factory reset. Doing a factory reset will lose any updates, apps, and files such as photos, videos, music, and documents. So make sure that you backup everything on your phone before clicking on the FACTORY RESET.
The factory reset option can be found in the settings app, under Systems. Find the Restart & Reset option then proceed.
Note:
These are all steps that I have successfully done to fix several issues that I have had with different phones. The code #*462633*#900# fixed all of my issues with our LG Velvet 5G phones. You'll find the IMS settings page within a long line of additional settings that you'll be able to tweak. The IMS source can be fixed within THE FIELD TEST. Just click on it and you'll be taken to the page for IMS settings. Click on it and proceed. As stated before my is unlocked, so this option may not work for locked LG phones.
Note that you can see (at the top of the screenshot) that I have fixed the problems and now have VoLTE.
DISCLAIMER:
Doing this hidden menu code may void the warranty on your phone. So proceed only if you're tech savvy, please take every precaution of entering this hidden menu code on your dial pad. I am not responsible for anything that you may delete or mess up on your phone.
References:
Contini, E. (2018, September 20). How to be sure that the tethering is done using the proper APN (e.g. a private employee APN). Enzo Contini Blog. https://enzocontini.blog/2016/08/23/how-to-be-sure-that-the-tethering-is-done-on-the-proper-apn-e-g-on-a-private-employee-apn/
Angolluan, P. (2022, March 2). 15 Android Secret Security Codes You Need to Know - Make Tech Easier. Make Tech Easier. https://www.maketecheasier.com/android-ussd-secret-security-codes/
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