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Is Three down? How to check Three network status

The quickest way to confirm a Three outage is the Network Status tab on Three's coverage checker at three.co.uk: enter your postcode, no login needed. If Three lists an issue, use Wi-Fi Calling while it is fixed. If it says there are no problems, restart your phone and check your account in the Three app before calling 333.

Check Three's official service status

Three's Coverage and Network status checker is one page with two tabs. The Network Status tab takes a postcode, needs no login and shows known issues or planned maintenance. It gives one of four messages: no network problems reported, working on fixing an issue in the area, working on the network in the area (planned improvements), or heavy usage at times, which can slow data speeds. Three's old network support page now redirects here. Three and Vodafone still run separate status checkers after their merger.

@ThreeUKSupport posts outage updates

Is it Three or your phone?

  1. Open the Network Status tab on Three's coverage checker and enter your postcode. If Three says it is fixing an issue or working on the network nearby, it is a network fault and there is nothing to fix on your phone.
  2. Ask someone nearby on Three, or on SMARTY, iD Mobile or Superdrug Mobile, which run on Three. If their phone works and yours does not, the problem is more likely your phone, SIM or account.
  3. Turn airplane mode on and off, turn off battery saver and restart your phone. On a dual-SIM phone, put the Three SIM in slot 1 and set it as your primary SIM.
  4. Log in to My3 or the Three app to check for account problems, such as a failed top-up or an unpaid bill, that can block your service.
  5. If you have Wi-Fi, switch on Wi-Fi Calling so you can still call and text.
  6. Look for other people's reports. During the December 2023 national outage Three's status page kept saying there were no network issues, so also check @ThreeUKSupport on X and Downdetector (downdetector.co.uk/status/3/), which shows user reports, not Three data.

Outage, or weak signal where you are?

If Three's checker shows no known problem, check how strong its signal should be at your postcode. This uses Ofcom's coverage data, not live status.

Try:

Other brands on the Three network

These providers use Three's masts, so a Three network outage usually affects their customers too.

iD Mobile SMARTY Superdrug Mobile

Three not working? Fixes to try

No signal or SOS only

SOS or "Emergency calls only" means your phone cannot connect to Three. Three's steps: turn airplane mode on and off, make sure mobile data is on, update your software, turn off battery saver and restart. On a dual-SIM phone the Three SIM should be in slot 1 and set as primary.

Texts and data work but calls fail

Three switched off its 3G network across the UK in November 2025, so calls now need 4G Calling. Three says a 4G phone without 4G Calling can text and use data, but calls won't work, and a 3G-only phone can't use Three at all. Check your phone supports 4G Calling on Three, or call Three's 3G switch-off helpline on 0800 033 8031.

Mobile data not working

Check mobile data is switched on, then check the access point in your phone's settings. Three's device guides give name 3, APN three.co.uk, and leave the username and password blank.

Weak signal indoors

Turn on Wi-Fi Calling in your phone's settings; Three's device guides show where for each model. Three warns that if you didn't buy your phone from Three, it may not work with Three's Wi-Fi Calling even if the model is supported.

Phone stuck on the wrong network

Use manual network selection in your phone's settings to pick Three (Three's device guides show the steps for each model), then switch back to automatic once it connects.

Nothing works after all the steps

Reset your network settings. Three warns this wipes saved Wi-Fi networks, APNs and VPNs, so note your Wi-Fi passwords first. If the problem continues, contact Three on 333 from a Three phone or 0333 338 1001 from another phone.

Three mobile data (APN) settings

Name
3
APN
three.co.uk
Username
Leave blank
Password
Leave blank

Source: https://devicesupport.three.co.uk/guides/device/Apple/iPhone13/scenario/check-internet-settings-apn-and-web-browser

Past Three outages

  • 25 June 2025

    Three customers could not make phone calls from early morning, with over 9,000 Downdetector reports at 9:30am, while Three said data was working normally. SMARTY and iD Mobile were hit too, but Vodafone was not. In December 2025 Ofcom opened an investigation into Three because the outage affected customers' ability to contact the emergency services.

    BBC News

  • 23 January 2025

    A fault on Three's voice network stopped calls for thousands of customers, with more than 10,000 Downdetector reports and several thousand more from SMARTY and iD Mobile users. Three said reports of failed 999 calls affected no more than ten customers and opened an investigation.

    BBC News

  • 9 February 2024

    The first of three outages in four days. It began after 3pm on 9 February and lasted several hours, a second followed on 10 February, and a third on 12 February (about 10:30am to 12:30pm) also took down Three's customer service. Three gave no cause at the time.

    ISPreview

  • 1 December 2023

    From about 6am, Three customers across the UK could not make or receive calls or use mobile data on 3G, 4G or 5G. Three at first said a small number of customers were affected. Data returned that night and calls in the early hours of 2 December.

    ISPreview

Can you get compensation for a Three outage?

Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme covers landline and broadband only, and Three is not a member, so a Three outage does not trigger an automatic payment. Three's network terms say that if you have continuous or regularly recurring disruption, you may be entitled to a price reduction: a partial or full credit, or a refund of your monthly charge. You must report the problem so Three can investigate, and alternatives such as Wi-Fi Calling must also have been unavailable to you.

Fed up with Three outages?

Switching to a brand on the same network will not help during an outage, because it uses the same masts. A SIM on a different network will. You keep your number by texting PAC to 65075.

Compare SIM-only deals Three PAC code guide

Three outage FAQs

Is there a problem with the Three network today?
We can't tell you live. The official answer is the Network Status tab on Three's coverage checker, which shows known issues and planned work for your postcode. During the December 2023 national outage Three's status page kept saying there were no issues, so also check @ThreeUKSupport on X and Downdetector if your service is down and the checker says all is well.
Why does my phone say SOS or Emergency calls only on Three?
Your phone cannot connect to Three. The cause can be a local fault, planned work, weak signal indoors, an account problem such as a failed top-up, or a phone that doesn't support 4G Calling now that Three's 3G network is off. Check the status checker, then work through airplane mode, a restart and your SIM slot settings.
If Three is down, are SMARTY and iD Mobile down too?
Usually, yes. SMARTY, iD Mobile and Superdrug Mobile run on Three's network, so a Three network fault normally affects them. In the voice outages of January and June 2025, SMARTY and iD Mobile customers lost calls at the same time as Three customers.
Does the Vodafone and Three merger help when Three is down?
Sometimes. Since the merger completed on 31 May 2025, Vodafone and Three customers are being connected to whichever of the two networks' masts gives the best signal, which Vodafone said was live on 10,000 mast sites by April 2026. That can cover a local mast fault. The two core networks stay separate, so a fault in Three's core, like the June 2025 calling outage, still hits Three customers only.
Will Three compensate me for an outage?
Not automatically. Three is not in Ofcom's automatic compensation scheme, which only covers landline and broadband anyway. Three's terms allow a partial or full credit of your monthly charge for continuous or regularly recurring disruption that you report, but only if alternatives such as Wi-Fi Calling were unavailable too.
How long do Three outages usually last?
Most national Three outages have lasted hours to a day. The December 2023 outage ran from about 6am until data came back that night and calls early the next morning. The June 2025 calling outage started in the morning and Three said services were near normal that evening.
Can I call 999 if Three is down?
Usually, yes. Three's terms say that when you are outside Three's coverage your phone will try to find another mobile network for 999 and 112 calls, and you don't need to be a customer of that network. It may not help when the fault is in Three's own call system: Ofcom is investigating Three because the June 2025 outage affected emergency calls. If a 999 call fails, use a landline or another person's phone.

Sources

Checked on 24 September 2026 against Three's own pages and the news reports linked above. This page does not show live network status.