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How to turn off 5G on your Android phone
Published onFebruary 1, 2025
5G networks promise faster data speeds, especially when you have access to millimeter wave antennas, but the tradeoff can sometimes be faster battery drain. Moreover, 5G still isn’t very prominent in some areas, so you might as well switch to 4G LTE networks while traveling. Here’s how to turn off 5G connections on your Android phone.
QUICK ANSWER
To turn off 5G on your Android phone, navigate to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs and select the SIM you want to turn off 5G for. Select Preferred network type, and pick LTE.
KEY SECTIONS
We should state up front that because Android has many different forks, depending on the make and model of your phone, the exact instructions for disabling 5G can vary. Below, we’re focusing on two of the most popular Android brands, Samsung and Google.
How to turn off 5G on your Samsung Galaxy phone
To turn off 5G on your Samsung phone, follow the settings below.
- Launch the Settings app.
- Go into Connections.
- Select Mobile networks.
- Pick Network mode.
- Select 4G/LTE.
How to turn off 5G on your Google Pixel phone
If you have a Pixel phone, things will look a bit different.
- Launch the Settings app.
- Go into Network & internet.
- Tap on SIMs.
- Select the SIM you want to disable 5G for.
- Hit Preferred network type.
- Pick LTE.
FAQs
Yes, you may notice your battery draining faster than usual when connected to a 5G network. The impact on the battery life is roughly 10% more versus 4G, but phone and chipset makers are constantly trying to narrow the gap.
Yes. There’s a relatively new technology called Voice over 5G (Vo5G), also known as Voice over New Radio (VoNR).
To turn on 5G on your Android phone, you’ll usually navigate to Settings > Network & internet > SIMs, select your SIM and tap on Preferred network type. Enable 5G from there. The exact process may vary based on the make and model of your phone.
Almost all phones released in the last couple of years now support 5G.
In the United States, some carriers, such as AT&T, have removed the option from devices that use its network. The only way to get around this is by contacting your network provider or using a third-party Hidden Settings app.