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How to turn off 5G on your Android phone
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 outside of major US and European cities, so you might as well switch to 4G (LTE) networks while traveling. Here’s how to turn off 5G connections on your Android phone.
If you’re using iOS, we also have a guide for how to turn off 5G on your iPhone.
QUICK ANSWER
To turn off 5G on your Android phone, navigate to Settings > Connections > Mobile networks and select Network mode. You can now choose which 5G option you want or switch to 4G/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, go to Settings and tap Connections. Next, select Mobile networks.
From there, tap Network mode to select which network you want to connect to.
Here’s an additional tip; in the Power saving settings, you can select a toggle to turn off 5G so it will never reconnect. See our guide to Adaptive Battery for Android for other ways to save power.
How to turn off 5G on your Google Pixel phone
To turn off 5G on a Pixel phone, navigate to Settings > Network, select SIMs, and scroll down to tap Preferred network type. Then, simply select something other than 5G.
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). It’s not widely available though, so in most cases, 5G is limited to data only.
To turn on 5G on your Android phone, you’ll usually navigate to Settings > Connections > Mobile networks and select Network mode. The exact process may vary based on the make and model of your phone.
Virtually all flagship smartphones now support 5G, as do many budget and mid-range models. See our guide to the best 5G phones.
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.