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How to fix PDP authentication failure on iPhones and iPads

iOS users can come across an issue related to the PDP authentication failure, and it's important to know how to solve this easily.

Julio O.

October 28, 2023

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Today you will learn about an important topic that often comes up regarding iPhones and iPads. Users sometimes have problems with their eSIMS or have difficulties connecting their cellular lines. This is an error that appears on your phone as “PDP authentication failure.” And, as the name itself says, it is an error associated with cellular network authentication. 

If this is happening to you right now, or it could happen to you in the near future, the best you can do right now is to continue reading all the information and help that we bring to you here at Holafly so you can get to enjoy the service you are paying for without further issues.

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What is PDP authentication failure?

It often happens to iPhone users when trying to use their cellular data, and the message “PDP authentication failure” appears. The meaning of this is simple, the configuration of your cellular data to connect automatically was not done correctly. Therefore, it should be fixed as soon as possible.

Another thing is that beside you wondering how to solve this problem, you are also wondering what PDP means. And it’s really nothing out of the ordinary, or some strange gizmo on your phone. PDP stands for Packet Data Protocol, and it is the network used by cellphones to connect to the internet.

As mentioned before, PDP authentication failure occurs when there is an error in the set-up of a cellular network.

Here you will learn about how to solve PDP authentication failure quickly and easily. Both on iPhone and iPad, since this is not an exclusive error for cellphones, it happens on iPads as well.

Remember that this is a phone configuration error and not a factory error. So, you don’t have to worry that maybe your phones not going to work correctly, or something like that. Now, let’s see how to solve this error with a step-by-step process on how to fix cellular data on iPhones and iPad.

You also don’t have to worry if this happens while traveling abroad. For example, if you use an international eSIM with a data plan, your provider can also help you to solve this error.

What causes the PDP authentication failure?

Before explaining how to resolve this problem on smart devices, it is always important to know why or how these types of problems occur. Remember that the PDP authentication failure leads to the inability of the phone to activate a connection to the cellular data network. For this reason, it is important to know the basics.

The first thing to know is that this is caused by an error in the network configuration of the device (iPhone or iPad). The PDP Authentication Failure can be related to your settings or to some error caused by the eSIM; In some cases, it may be something totally simple, such as running out of cellular data on the eSIM, if you try to connect while there is no remaining data, you may encounter this error.

Some of the reasons why this alert comes up on your cellular device may be an easy fix, or on the other hand, it may be a something that you have to leave to an expert since you could damage your phone if you try it yourself. However, it is always important to know about the issue and find a quick solution so that you can continue enjoying your iPhone or iPad.

How to solve PDP authentication failure on iPhone

When these types of problems occur, we always want to fix them immediately and hope it doesn’t cost us a lot of time nor money. The good thing about this type of situation is that you can fix everything quickly and easily without having to go to a place where your phone can be tampered with. Here you will learn how to solve PDP authentication failure on your iPhone.

The easiest solution that you can perform to solve this problem is by following these steps:

  1. Put your iPhone in airplane mode.
  2. Leave it like that for about five to ten seconds, then turn off airplane mode.
  3. Restart your iPhone.
  4. Once your device reboots, go to settings and reset your network settings.
  5. Depending on the iPhone you have, the location of your network settings may appear in the following ways:
    • “General” > “Reset” > “Reset Network Settings”
    • “General” > “Transfer or Reset iPhone” > “Reset” > “Reset Network Settings”

Another reason may be some problem related to the eSIM on your iPhone. PDP authentication failure can be related to your settings or eSIM not working with the data/validity. In this case, it is not necessary to carry out such an extensive procedure since you will only have to go to the configuration settings of your eSIM located in the settings of your iPhone and verify that the eSIM is installed. If it is not, you can install it right there and proceed to restart the device. That way, the process will be completed.

If these errors continue to appear on your iPhone, chances are that you need to contact your cellular provider.

Fix PDP authentication failure on iPad

If you are wondering already if there is a difference between the PDP authentication failure of the iPad compared to the iPhone, the answer is no.

Therefore, if you have the same issue with an iPad, you can solve it with the iPhone method. Try following the steps below to see how to fix your iPad PDP authentication failure:

  1. Put your device into airplane mode for a few seconds.
  2. Turn off the phone and reboot.
  3. To be completely sure that the problem is fixed, go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Network Settings. This will reset the network setting on the iPad.

As this is a problem completely linked to the configuration of your network to access the Internet, the idea is that if it continues to occur, you will surely need to find some extra support to solve that issue finally.