How to tell how strong your iPhone's signal really is

The signal bars on your iPhone don't tell the whole story.

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Your iPhone may appear to be telling you that your signal is at full strength, but the true connection is actually more nuanced than that.

If you want to see how strong you iPhone's signal really is, follow these steps, which Tech Insider recently demonstrated in a how-to video.

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Full bars don't always mean you're getting a full-strength signal. Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
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Open your phone dialer and enter the following code.

iphone signal strength hack
Tech Insider

Press the call button.

iphone signal strength hack
Tech Insider
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You'll see your normal signal bars disappear. You get these numbers instead.

iphone signal strength hack
Tech Insider

But it's only temporary. Here's how to keep those numbers there permanently.

iphone signal strength hack
Tech Insider
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Once you see this screen, hold down the home button for a few seconds.

iphone signal strength hack
Tech Insider

Now those numbers will stay there permanently. You can go back to the bars by tapping the numbers.

iphone signal strength hack
Tech Insider
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What do the numbers mean? The higher the number, the better your signal strength is. It's much more accurate than the signal bars.

iphone signal strength hack
Tech Insider

If you see numbers in the -100s, be prepared for some problems making calls or receiving data.

iphone signal strength hack
Tech Insider
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