Cellular providers spend billions of dollars advertising 5G networks, promising blazing-fast download speeds that rival your home internet. When you are standing directly in the center of a major city, this technology is incredible. However, if you live in a suburb or rural area where 5G coverage is spotty, leaving 5G enabled on your smartphone is the single fastest way to drain your battery.
When you have a weak 5G signal, your phone’s cellular modem constantly works in overdrive. It continually scans the horizon, dropping the weak 5G signal, jumping down to 4G LTE, and immediately scanning again to try and reacquire the 5G tower. This endless radio switching consumes a massive amount of power and generates noticeable heat.
If you prioritize all-day battery life over slightly faster download speeds, forcing your phone to stick to the older, highly stable 4G LTE network is one of the smartest optimizations you can make. This guide explains how to turn off 5G on your Android device.
Step 1: Open Network Settings
Because Android is customized by different manufacturers, the exact names of these menus might vary slightly depending on if you own a Google Pixel, a Samsung Galaxy, or a OnePlus device. However, the general path is the same.
- Open the Settings app on your Android smartphone.
- Look for a menu titled Network & internet, Connections, or simply Mobile network and tap it.
- If you see an option for SIMs or Mobile network, tap on the name of your specific cellular provider (e.g., Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile).
Step 2: Change the Preferred Network Type
You are now looking at the deep settings for your cellular modem.
- Scroll down until you find an option labeled Preferred network type or Network mode.
- Tap on it. A pop-up menu will appear listing several radio frequencies.
- The default option will likely say something like “5G (recommended)” or “5G/LTE/3G/2G (auto connect).”
- Change this selection to LTE or LTE/3G/2G (auto connect). (Do not select 3G only, as those networks are being decommissioned globally).
The Results
The moment you make this change, you might notice your cellular signal bars briefly disappear and then reappear. Your phone has formally disconnected from the 5G antenna and locked onto the 4G LTE antenna.
For everyday tasks like browsing social media, sending emails, using Google Maps, or even streaming Spotify, you will not notice any difference in speed. 4G LTE is more than capable of handling these tasks flawlessly. However, because your phone is no longer desperately searching for a weak 5G signal, you should notice a significant improvement in your battery life by the end of the day, and your phone will likely run cooler in your pocket.