Carrier Hub is an official app of the T-Mobile/Sprint network that helps establish connections with the cell towers and provides necessary network features such as Voice over Wi-Fi, Secure Wi-Fi, etc. Users using phones that operate on these two networks often notice this app running continuously in the background and wonder whether it is a valid app.
Well, Carrier Hub is a genuine service-related app that is required when using certain network features on T-Mobile or Sprint. Its main function is that it helps connect with the near cell tower so you can have better network strength for calling, using the internet, etc. In this article, we will explain the Carrier Hub app as well as provide solutions to the problems encountered by its users. Let’s begin.
Contents:
What is Carrier Hub?
It is a Sprint/T-Mobile network-based application that is a must-have app when using the network on a phone for better communication over call, Voice over Wi-Fi, internet browsing, enabling Secure Wi-Fi, etc. The Carrier Hub app continuously runs on the phone and helps provide a good experience by well connecting you with the nearby cell tower. It is also engineered in a way to provide fixes by customer support regarding your network-reported issues.
Moreover, Carrier Hub comes pre-installed on some phones, and in case it doesn’t exist on your phone then you will be prompted via a sticky notification to install it from the Google Play Store or Apple Store (if you are an iPhone user). There are two versions of it available on the app store, Carrier Hub by Sprint and another one is Carrier Hub Magenta by T-Mobile USA. You can simply use the Carrier Hub because Sprint merged with T-Mobile on 1st April 2020.
Why You Need Carrier Hub App?
The Carrier Hub app becomes important for users using Sprint or T-Mobile networks because it enables useful features that enhance the overall user experience of using the network. However, by installing it on your phone, you will have Voice over Wi-Fi that will allow you to call anybody over Wi-Fi. This type of call usually can’t be traced by your network operator since it uses the internet instead of the cell tower for calling.
Another reason why you need the Carrier Hub app could be the Secure Wi-Fi. It is a privacy-centric feature that provides end-to-end encryption between your device and the Wi-Fi connection. This is considered more secure and private Wi-Fi because it is not only password-protected but the connection is also encrypted.
Moreover, aside from useful features, Carrier Hub is necessary if you are on Sprint or T-Mobile network as it maintains the network strength and also helps connect to the nearest cell tower so you face fewer call drops, and surf the internet without hassle, and get better video call quality, etc.
Read: What is CIDManager? Fix New Service Provider Notification
Carrier Hub Permissions
If you are pondering what permissions Carrier Hub can use on your phone then you can check it by yourself by going to Settings>Applications>System Apps>Carrier Hub>Permissions. This section will reveal all the permissions that it has access to and what permissions have been denied by you. Here is the permissions Carrier Hub may use on your phone.
- Location
- Phone
- Storage
- Network Settings
- Device Status
For the ones who are concerned about their privacy, the app only collects usage data to diagnose issues and to overall improve user experience.
Issues Carrier Hub can Cause on Phone
Carrier Hub is not the most stable network-related app, especially after its new update for fulfilling the Android Q requirements. And because it is not stable, it can cause several issues to arise on your phone that can disturb your day-to-day phone use. Here are the issues commonly faced by Carrier Hub app users.
- Call Dropping – A good number of users have reported the frequent call-dropping issue caused by the Carrier Hub app. Most of them stated that after switching to a different cell tower connecting app, the call-dropping issue disappeared.
- Text not getting sent – Carrier Hub also have been blamed by tens of people on its app store review section that text not getting sent after the latest update for compatibility with Android Q. They mostly said that after tapping the send text button, it doesn’t go through and in the end, we receive text message sending failed.
- Broken Network Switching – Another issue that we have seen mentioned by many is the network switching is not working. Usually, we can switch network modes to LTE, 3G, or 2G but users reported that they are not able to switch between network modes.
- A decline in Phone Performance – Carrier Hub is a network management app that consumes a good amount of resources on phone. Even when we minimize it and remove it from background apps, it still runs continuously. Due to that, our phones are lefts with fewer resources which cause slow performance when we try to do other things on our phone.
- High Power Usage – A user of Carrier Hub named Kitty Yescalis recently reported on 11 July 2021 that in his phone around 84% of background power usage resulted from the app alone. That is actually a massive number and clearly shows how power-hungry this app can be. People have also reported about their phones started to give less battery backup ever since they installed Carrier Hub app.
- Affects other apps – As per the statement of a user named (leah e), the newest version of Carrier Hub has the ability to display over other apps that can interfere with the functions of other apps and make your experience of using other apps worse. Furthermore, the user stated that “It can also modify system settings. Even turning off these settings in the app, still causes issues”.
There are quite many negative effects of using Carrier Hub and the issues mainly have started to pop up after the recent update for compatibility with Android Q. Still, with proper configuration and customization one can handle or at least minimize the negative impacts of it on their phone.
Read Also: What is IMS Service? Fix IMS Service Has Stopped
Carrier Hub Processing Requests Explained
Carrier Hub is not one of the silent apps, it actually does notify about pretty much everything it does in the background such as letting users know when it is trying to connect with the cell tower. So, basically, most people mainly notice two processing requests from Carrier Hub on their phones, let me explain them one by one.
Mobile Requests are Processing
It is a kind of notification that appears through Carrier Hub when suddenly your T-Mobile/Sprint network loses connectivity with the cell tower and couldn’t able to reconnect after several attempts. “Mobile Requests are processing” notifications won’t be cleared away until you get reconnected again. This is an uncommon notification that users encounter when there is maintenance going on or when there is no cell tower under the radar.
MCM Client Requests are Processing
Mobile Content Management (MCM) Client requests are processing notification, which appears quite many times on the user’s phone. It is common as it appears mainly when a user restarts their phone. Once the phone is restarted, Cellular reception is achieved by connecting your phone to nearby towers and from there, the notification goes away. If somehow cellular reception fails, the notification will still show up until the connection is made.
These two notifications have started appearing since the delivery of Carrier Hub and a few other clients by OTA update to users using the Sprint/T-Mobile network. If in case you want to get rid of it, there are some workaround that you will need to perform.
How to Uninstall Carrier Hub App
Carrier Hub is also identified as “com.sprint.ms.smf.services“, it is the name of its package that we can target to uninstall from our phone. Due to its system-based nature, it cannot be uninstalled normally using the uninstall feature. We will need advance permission like root access to permanently uninstall. Nowadays, it is possible to root any device safely in a few minutes.
After rooting our phones, we can use applications like System app remover to uninstall system apps and packages. Moreover, if you prefer not to root your phone in order to uninstall Carrier Hub, you can still uninstall it using your PC with the help of PowerShell or Command Prompt. Let us provide you guide for both use cases.
Uninstall Carrier Hub Using System App Remover
- Download and Install System App remover on your phone from Play Store.
- Once installed, open it from the app drawer.
- Upon asking for root access, grant it.
- Locate the system app with the “com.sprint.ms.smf.services” package name.
- Once you find the Carrier Hub, click on it to select it and then hit Uninstall.
- Confirm Uninstall by clicking Yes.
- Done.
This should uninstall the Carrier Hub from your phone permanently. Now, let us show you the next method.
Uninstall Carrier Hub Using Command Prompt on PC
- Firstly, go to your phone settings>Developers Option>Enable USB Debugging.
- Download SDK Platform Tools on your Windows PC.
- When downloaded, extract the ZIP file in a separate folder.
- Open extracted folder and launch Command Prompt in it by holding the Shift key + right-click on the mouse on an empty area in the folder.
- Connect your phone to your PC using a data cable.
- Now, in Command Prompt, type “adb devices” to make the daemon run.
- After that, type “adb shell pm uninstall –user 0 com.sprint.ms.smf.services” and hit enter.
- If it results in an error-free command run, the Carrier Hub will be uninstalled from your phone.
- Done.
So, there you have the Carrier Hub uninstallation guide for both Android and PC. The steps are easy to follow and work all the time. After uninstalling, if you previously faced network issues, simply go to connections>Network settings>reset the network to fix problems like call dropping, text not sending, etc. Furthermore, you can reboot your phone to have a fresh start.
You May Also Like: Lia Informant: What is it on My Phone?
Carrier Hub FAQs
Do I Need Carrier Hub?
Carrier Hub is not a necessary app, it has been delivered to users via OTA update after the merger of Sprint and T-Mobile. It is helpful and offers additional network features such as Voice over Wi-Fi, Secure Wi-Fi, etc. If you want to use these features then you must have the Carrier Hub app installed. You can remove Carrier Hub to continue to use the network with basic features such as voice calls, text messaging, etc.
What is the Carrier Hub app for?
Carrier Hub is made for enabling additional network features and product services to users who use Sprint/T-Mobile network. It was launched after the merger of the two networks mentioned and since then it has been known for offering modern network features such as Voice over Wi-Fi, Secure Wi-Fi, etc. Moreover, it also helps to connect to nearby cell towers and provides consistent network strength.
Is Carrier Hub a Spy App?
Carrier Hub is an official app from Sprint and T-Mobile networks, it is not a spy app. It is born right after the merger of Sprint and T-Mobile. It was delivered to the network users via OTA update and it now offers network-based features that enhance the overall user experience.
How to fix Carrier Hub App not responding?
The Carrier Hub app not responding is a common problem faced by almost all users. There is no need to worry about it as it can be solved by following a few steps mentioned below.
- Force Stop the Carrier Hub from its app info.
- Clear all the storage data it has consumed.
- Allow it the least permissions on your phone.
- Reboot your phone to fresh start Carrier Hub.
- Uninstall Carrier Hub (only if the issue persists).
What is Sprint Carrier Hub?
Sprint Carrier Hub is specifically for Sprint network users. It comes with the same features as Carrier Hub – allows access to modern network features such as VoWi-Fi, Secure Wi-Fi, enhanced technology for connecting fast to the cell towers, etc. Also, whether you use Carrier Hub or Sprint Carrier Hub, it doesn’t matter because both networks are now merged but it is advisable to use Carrier Hub.
Read More: IoT Hidden Menu: What is it on My Phone?
Conclusion
Carrier Hub is one single app for users of the Sprint/T-Mobile network that performs in the background right after the phone reboots and helps establish connections with cell towers that are near. For people living in rural areas or simply the place where a few towers are installed, Carrier Hub will help you a lot in this case.
However, it is a complete package of better network strength and features. From taking care of consistent network connectivity with cell towers to offering modern network features, it makes all available for Sprint/T-Mobile network users.
So, that’s it. Hopefully, now you have got a complete insight into the Carrier Hub App and what it is for. If there is still anything you want to know about it, comment down below. We will be glad to answer it for you.
