How can I improve my cell reception right now?

If you're experiencing bad reception, there are a number of things you can do to improve the situation:

• Change Your Location – When you're in a building, try using different rooms to see if your reception improves. You could also try to move to the other side of the building.
• Use a window – Although most building materials will obstruct cellular signals, glass often allows signal to pass through more easily than concrete or metal.
• Stop Moving – When you are not moving, the phone and network don't have to adjust for your changing location constantly.
• Step outside – Anything between the phone and a tower will reduce your reception. Standing outside a building will immediately reduce possible obstructions.
• Get higher – Any obstruction between you and a cell tower will weaken the signal. By going to the top floor of the building you will reduce the possibility of obstructions.
• Use a mobile service map tool – There are many apps and websites that will indicate the exact location of cell towers in your area. If you know the location of your carrier's nearest tower, you can easily reduce potential obstructions between you and the tower.

Using these tips in combination will increase your chances of improving cell reception immediately. If by chance these do not help, try our more comprehensive list to fix cell phone signal reception for good.