Help Any way to disable search for available network popup?

[justintree]

Galaxy S9+ running Android 9.0

I live in an area with spotty cell reception, and have just accepted the fact that I won't always have a signal. I am not looking for a way to make sure my phone is always connected to the mobile network, that just won't happen where I am.

But since the 9.0 update, any time my phone loses connection (to the mobile network, not WiFi), I get an annoying popup asking me if I want to search for a mobile network, with "OK" and "Cancel" being the only options. It also pops a notification up at the top of the screen.

It shows up over top of everything, if I'm typing it's in the middle of the keyboard. If I'm watching a video, it blocks the video.

Sometimes it is so bad that I turn on airplane mode just to get rid of it. I have accepted the fact that I will always have spotty coverage at home, but this is incredibly frustrating.

Is there any way to disable it? Would switching launchers do the trick, or is it a deeper setting?

 

[justintree]

Does the complete lack of a response of any kind whenever I ask about this mean that it's not possible and I'm going to have to live with it?

I did try Nova launcher, but as I suspected would probably be the case, the popup just kept right on interrupting everything.

It is *almost* annoying enough to make me want to switch to iPhone...

 

[MoodyBlues]

But since the 9.0 update

I'm still on Oreo, so I can't help with specifics, plus I've never had this problem. But I'd suggest thoroughly scouring anything/everything related to networks in your system settings. Check every setting to see if there's something causing this behavior that you can turn off.

Does the complete lack of a response of any kind whenever I ask about this mean that it's not possible and I'm going to have to live with it?

It's more a matter of simply not being seen by someone who knows a solution. People tend to read and leave--without saying anything--when they can't help.

 

[mikedt]

I have seen it myself, but only when crossing international borders. Check the network selection settings is on Automatic rather than Manual.

 

[bob reardon]

I wiped the cache partition and the problem seems to have resolved

 

[Byron Hawkins]

I only get this problem when manual selection of the mobile network is enabled. But this is still annoying because the automatic network selector is terrible. For example, it often fails to find any network, but if I manually set "3G" as the preferred network, then it easily finds numerous options--many of which are 4G! (Further evidence that the Android team at Google is continuing to struggle with the fundamentals of interacting with the kind of real networks that ordinary people use...)

 

[mikedt]

I only get this problem when manual selection of the mobile network is enabled. But this is still annoying because the automatic network selector is terrible. For example, it often fails to find any network, but if I manually set "3G" as the preferred network, then it easily finds numerous options--many of which are 4G! (Further evidence that the Android team at Google is continuing to struggle with the fundamentals of interacting with the kind of real networks that ordinary people use...)

Or there's some issue with your particular phone? Is it a Galaxy S9+, like the OP's? Do you live near an international border, where foreign networks can overlap.

This is NOT a common problem with Android phones, otherwise many would be howling about it.

 

[Christopher Hunt]

Same issue. I have to put my note10 on manual because it keeps preferring to connect to a roaming tower even though a tmobile tower is in range. As long as I'm using my phone after manually connecting it works fine (phone call or hotspot) but as soon as i stop it wants to coninually search bringing up that popup over and over. Letting it connect tothe stronger roaming tower fixes this, but i dont have unlimited data on roam.

 

[mikedt]

Same issue. I have to put my note10 on manual because it keeps preferring to connect to a roaming tower even though a tmobile tower is in range. As long as I'm using my phone after manually connecting it works fine (phone call or hotspot) but as soon as i stop it wants to coninually search bringing up that popup over and over. Letting it connect tothe stronger roaming tower fixes this, but i dont have unlimited data on roam.

No phone should be doing that, and that could even be very expensive for you. Have you enquired with T-Mobile about it? You're near an international border, where the phone might be in range of foreign networks?

 

[Christopher Hunt]

Yes, extensive conversations with tmobile. Its something about the threshold that it wants to switch at. Whats worse is the guys who have prepaid plans dont have this issue cause their plans dont allow them to register with that network provider anyway (Tampnet). Ive found that since getting the note10 I've had to deal with way too many popups. If i have roaming data turned off it constantly pops up asking me to turn it on. If i turn it on it constantly pops up warning methat incould be charged. An option to just use the network i tell it to and not search for better would be great.

 

[Peter9999]

I have the same problem. I am Canadian and live near the US border so I have to keep the network selection as manual so that my phone doesn't roam. It's the only way to prevent it.
Unfortunately at my home I have next to zero reception, so the "search for available network?" popup happens repeatedly.
There must be a way to disable this. Something in the root or something? An app? I could put it on airplane mode but then I can't seem to use wifi, so what's the point of using the phone at all? It really seems like a massive oversight on Google's part to not at least have a work-around. The OS on my old galaxy did not do this. I'm on a fairly new s21 now.